Page 13 of Fire

“Mom! Are we going to have a picnic?”

I shake my head to clear my thoughts. I’ll deal with them later. “I thought we would. Thatisyour favorite way to eat pizza, right?”

“Yes!” Asher cries sliding out onto the floor and fist pumping the air. He comes charging toward me, his grin huge. “Me and Ford will spread it out, Mommy.”

“I think I can still manage to do that, Asher.”

“Nope! Me and my friend Ford are going to do it!”

“Friend?” I ask, my eyebrow arching up as I look at the man in question.

“I have a way with kids,” he says with a careless shrug.

“I can see that,” I mutter, not bothering to hide the fact that it doesn’t exactly make me happy. I hand Ford the paper plates and blanket. “Spread it in front of the television and I’ll go back and get the drinks and napkins,” I tell my son, bending down to ruffle his hair.

“Okay, Mom! We got this. Spreading big blankets is men’s work, right, Ford?”

“Sure is, kiddo,” he says. My son is filled with joy. It might be the happiest I’ve ever seen him. Ford looks completely at ease. I refuse to make these facts allow my knees to go weak.

It can’t happen.

I go back into the kitchen and make Asher’s strawberry milk, my brain refusing to function. I can hear Asher laughing from here. Ford is laughing too, his tone deeper, but still soundingheart-stoppingly beautiful.What am I supposed to do with all of this?

I take a deep breath and walk back into the living room, trying to push the feeling of panic away.

It’s just pizza with a man I’m attracted to and hardly know.What’s the worst that could happen?I ask myself. Disregarding that small voice in the back of my mind that says he’s probably a serial killer and I’ll die tonight. I mean, that’s probablynotlikely.

Yet, with my luck, it wouldn’t surprise me. My grandmother was right all those years ago.I’m just cursed.

10

FORD

I look down at Grace’s son, Asher. His head is on her lap, facing the television. She’s gently rubbing her fingers through his hair, a faint smile on her full lips. I don’t know what I expected from tonight, but this deep feeling of peace inside of me wasn’t it. This is easily the best night I’ve ever had with a woman. Hell, it’s probably the best night I’ve ever had with anyone—the exception being my daughter. She brings me peace, too. The fact that this feeling is happening with a woman I want in my bed is fucking shocking.

I truly enjoyed every single thing about my evening with these two, including the silly kid’s movie about the fish. Asher is a joy, and it’s clear that Grace is a fantastic mother who dotes on her son. She’s the kind of mother that I always wanted for Lyla. My girl got shortchanged all the way around. She got a shit piece of pussy for a mother thanks to me, and she didn’t exactly win the lottery getting me as her old man. Still, I wouldn’t change the fact that I had my daughter. She’s my world. I do wish that I could go back and give her a mother like Grace, though. It couldn’t have been Grace. I’d wager a bet that Grace isn’t much older than my daughter. I wonder how she’ll feel about that. Iprobably don’t have the right to claim her as my old lady but fuck it.Nothing is going to stop me from doing exactly that.It's clear she's going to fight it tooth and nail. Grace is building wall after wall to keep me out. I can see it in her eyes. What she doesn’t know about me is that I’m going to knock every damn one of them down. I have my work cut out for me. I also must have to Virginia soon. Before I go, though, I’m going to make sure her walls are gone. I’m not sure how I’m going to manage that, but I will. It’s going to be hard enough to convince her to move back to a state that she probably hates. I’ll do it. I just need to convince her I can take care of her. She’s never going to worry about anything again. I know the hell that she’s gone through, thanks to Detective Garcia. I’ll handle her as carefully as I need to, but I’m not letting her go.Ever.

“I think he’s asleep, Grace.”

“Hmm,” she hums. “I better figure out how to get up and get him in bed. It’s past his bedtime.”

I stand up and bend down to get him. “I’ll help you,” I whisper as I take him from her lap. Asher barely stirs as he curls into me.

“You don’t have to do that,” she argues, but I shake my head.

“Show me to his room, sweetheart.” I see the way her body jerks with the endearment I used. I’m not sorry. Grace doesn’t know what’s in store for her yet. I’ve never been the kind of man who thought things over. I decide what I want, and I go after it. That’s who I am. I’ve just never seen a woman that I wanted to go all in on. Before tonight, I was pretty sure that Grace was everything I’ve ever wanted in a woman. After tonight, while watching the way she and her son interact with one another, I’m positive.

Grace lets out an annoyed sigh, and I fight to keep the smile off my face. I don’t want to risk pissing her off more. I follow her down a small hall that only contains three doors. This housereally is tiny. I discovered earlier the bathroom and utility room are combined. Grace deserves so much better. I think she’ll love my house. IknowAsher would like the bedroom I have in mind for him. I make a note to get Lyla started on fixing the room up especially for him. She can enlist Jasmine’s help. I want it perfect for the little guy.

As Grace switches on the bedside lamp, I take a quick look around the room. I do grin then. It’s filled with fish. There are giant stickers on the wall of Nemo and Dory. There are some sharks, too, and I figure this must be the Oscar that he was talking about. Grace turns down his covers, and I lay him down. He was already in his pajamas when I got here, so I turn to leave the room, giving her time to tuck her son in.

“Ford?”

I look over my shoulder at the sleepy toddler, who has his eyes open but looks like he’s still half asleep. “Yeah, buddy?”

“Will you come watch Shark Tales with me tomorrow?”

“Asher, I don’t think?—”

---