Page 7 of The Forever Play

But I’m at a crowded playground. Why would I be lonely?

My gaze shifts to the group of moms chatting near the swings. Two of them are holding coffees and laughing about something, while the other one pushes her son on the swings and chips into the conversation when her other kid isn’t shouting at her to “Watch me, Mom! Watch!”

The mothers all look to be in their late twenties/early thirties. And here’s me, only twenty-one, just a baby myself compared to those around me. They probably think I’m a nanny or babysitter.

Shit.

My phone rings and I eye up Zoey, noticing her chatting with a man holding a football.

Crap. She is always talking to strangers. I watch her carefully as I gather our stuff and answer the call.

“Hey, Rusty. What’s up?”

“Just checking on my Zoey girl. Does Mommy need backup? I can pause my doco and come join you guys.”

“No, that’s okay.” I try to keep my voice bright and not let it bother me how he always refers to Zoey as his. “I’m just about to head back anyway. Zoey’s due for a nap soon, and?—”

“You don’t want to miss that window. Got it. I’ll see you soon, then.”

“Okay, see ya.” With a little frown, I shove my phone into my back pocket and check on Zoey again.

She’s still talking to that guy. Seriously, she’s going to be the biggest flirt when she’s a teenager. God help me!

“Zoey!” I call, snatching her drink bottle off the bench and shoving it into the stroller.

“Mommy!” she calls back, and my heart smiles like it always does when I hear her voice.

“Hey, baby girl! Time to go!” I try to keep my tone bright. She doesn’t need to know that thoughts of Russell and what my parents said and how he behaves are making my skin itch. I should be happy and grateful that Russell loves Zoey so much, that he cares enough to let us live in Nolan with him. The guy is twenty-five. He’s a young bachelor and could be living it up, but he’s choosing to be Unca Russy to a two-year-old and putting up with restless nights, the odd tantrum, and a chaotic house.

Yeah, you really should be so grateful.

Hitching the diaper bag onto my shoulder, I push the stroller toward my little girl, pulling out my phone onemore time and rereading Russell’s text, trying to find my happy feels before I get back home to him.

Be grateful, Sienna. Because of him, you don’t have to live on your own while your parents are away.

My chest pinches as I send a smiley face emoji back to his “see you soon” GIF, and it hits me yet again that I can be as grateful as I want, but that doesn’t change the truth.

Russell’s not Zander.

And even though I don’t want Zander in our lives… it doesn’t change the fact that if I was returning home to a man who owns my heart the way Zander did, I’d be a lot happier to go back there.

But that’s never going to happen, now is it?

With a heavy sigh, I slide my phone into my back pocket and walk toward Zoey, but my steps quickly falter.

I jerk to a stop, my lips parting as I take in the man standing next to my daughter.

Shit.Hisdaughter.

No.

What the hell is he doing here?

This… no… no!

Zander blinks, staring at me like he’s seeing a ghost.

Why is he in Nolan right now?

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