Page 73 of One Love

When Hallie bursts out laughing, her finger pointing at me like she’s just made the greatest joke in the world, I start to understand the trap.

“Hmm, she put you up to this, didn’t she?” Dammit, I knew I shouldn’t have explained the whole debacle to J, she loves to see me suffer.

“Oh my God, you should have seen your face. She was right though. You get all tense and red and your eyes look like they’re about to bulge out. You must really love Chewbacca.”

I narrow my eyes at her. “He’s the secret weapon. Always.” My words are muffled around a Twizzler.

“Kinda like you, huh?” I freeze at her words. My entire existence is suspended in mid-air whereas she’s just staring at the giant screen they’ve set up on the landscape right off Sheep Meadow and the Seventy-second Street Cross Drive.

Those words mean something to me. It feels like an acceptance, a hand held out for me.

“Is it too soon to say I want to be your step-dad?” Fuck me, I pinky promised J I wouldn’t. Goodbye balls and any hope of having more children.

Hallie turns to look at me, mid-bite, then faces the screen once again.

“Too soon.” My bravado deflates a little at her admission. Oh, hope, you heartless wench. Then again, she’s probably right…way too fucking soon. “Ask me again after I visit my dad.”

Instead of ruining the moment with words, I’m saved by the projection as the signature opening crawl of the movie starts running across the screen, giving the run-down of the galaxy and just how far away it is.

Not twenty seconds later, the warm, familiar, smell of leather hits my nostrils at the same time as a rare July breeze coasts across my face. My Little Demon is somewhere around here. Before I have the chance to do a quick scan of the lawn, I hear a deep voice calling out. “Watch it! You’re in the way.”

I tense, checking on Hallie first, but she’s just whipped her head around and I swear to fuck that tiny scowl on her face is a Jordyn trademark.

“He’s talking to your mom, huh?”

“Yup.”

“Did she freeze in her tracks?” Please say no. Pleeeease just say she’s headed straight for us.

“Yup.” I sigh. Someone’s about to lose a body part.

Twisting back in the direction of the voice, I first grin at how fucking hot my woman is, then I stand to make sure she knows I’ve got her back. Not that she needs it.

“Whattaya lookin’ at, lady?” the guy says as J visibly tries to hold herself back. I get it now, I really do. When she’d told me she didn’t “do people”, I thought maybe she just needed to get used to the idea. Nope, her trigger finger is way too itchy for her to be out in public with drunk idiots. Too many fucking witnesses with an impossible clean-up job.

“Is there a problem?” I take a step forward, my voice strong, and I can see we’re gathering the attention of…oh, I don’t know, about a hundred people around us? Fucking awesome. Worse, though, is J’s scowl aimed at me.

Pointing to my chest in surprised innocence, I mouth, “What?” I know what. Nobody needs to come to J’s rescue, but come on, now I wanna have some fun too.

“Yeah, you need to keep your gal in check there, buddy. She’s ruining everyone’s night.” At this idiot’s words, we both turn, oh so slowly, to look at him, and I’m pretty sure I hear him tinkle in his man panties.

Jordyn takes one step toward him when Hallie’s voice rings out. “Mom! I’m bored.” Oh, you little genius. Also, not fucking cool. There’s nothing boring aboutStar Wars, but I get it, I get it. Chewbacca takes one for the team.

With a snarl aimed his way, we return to our blanket, gather our shit, and walk away from my favorite marathon in the world. The kind that doesn’t involve running, ’cause that shit’s for masochists.

One arm around Hallie’s shoulder, J walks past the dude without giving him a second look. The moment’s passed and her priority is now her daughter. Me, on the other hand, I don’t have that kind of distraction but I can be the better man.

“Little bitch.” His low murmur hits me just as I’m passing him so I do the only logical thing.

The heel of my boot presses just enough on his balls to get his undivided attention.

“What was that?” I ask, my hand on my ear as if to amplify the sound.

“What the fuck?”

“Nah, I don’t think that’s what you said.” I press a little harder.

“Nothing, man. Fuck.”

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