Page 38 of Accidentally Sliding Into A Second Chance

She gasps, and a small smile curves my lips as I fire up the engine and make my way to Scarlett’s school. “I’m taking your phone to check in on her.”

The grin on my face widens, and I chuckle. “Pretty sure your school has a ‘no phone’ policy for students.”

“They would make an exception for this, I know it.” Looking through the rearview mirror, I see my daughter attempting to stick the phone in her backpack pocket.

“Scarlett Ava James! Take that phone out of there right now and put it in my hand!” I rest my elbow on the center console, palm up, as I stop at a red light.

The corners of her mouth dip down, and I press my lips together to keep a grin from breaking out. The phone vibrates just as she hands it back to me, and I glimpse Cat’s name on the screen.

“Is Cat coming to visit?” Scarlett shouts in my ear after seeing the text pop up.

Cringing, I slide the phone in one of the cup holders and step on the gas as the light turns green. “Is it okay if she did?” I ask, catching her enthusiastic nod in the mirror. She’s been asking about Cat incessantly; I know she’ll be excited to see her. It’s telling her we’re getting married that has my stomach rolling.

How will Scarlett feel? Will she be angry? Hurt? What if she thinks I’m trying to replace Fiona? I didn’t think about what her reaction would be to any of this.

Truth be told, I haven’t even taken the time to look too deeply into howI feel.

Making a left, I turn down the street Scarlett’s school is on. When I pull over to the curb and put the car in park, I glance in the rearview mirror to find Scarlett beaming.

“When is she coming?” She unbuckles her seatbelt and scooches up toward the center console. “Emmy will be ecstatic!”

My lips curve up at her and her big words. Turning in my seat, I place my thumb under her chin. “Aunt Ava is coming home for a few days, so the five of us will have dinner tonight.”

“Tonight?!” Scarlett shouts in my ear again, before kissing me on my cheek and scooting out of the truck. “Today’s going to be the longest day ever.”

Rolling down the window I yell, “Have a good day at school!” She tosses a hand over her shoulder and I shake my head slowly. A crooked grin creeping up my face. But then I see her glowing expression as she marches toward a young boy with light brown hair, and my smile falls.

I wonder if this is the ‘Steven’ I’ve been hearing about. Pinching the bridge of my nose, I blow out a sigh. My daughter’s first crush is adorable and heart-wrenching at the same time.

I linger as she walks into the building, mixed feelings at this new part of life she’s experiencing.

My job as Scarlett’s father is to help her grow into the best version of herself, confident in her own path, whether she chooses to share it with someone or not. But no one prepared me for the fact that the search would be starting so soon.

Scrubbing my hand up and down my face, a buzz comes from the cup holder. Finn’s name filling the screen. I answer it the same time I put the car in drive and pull away from the curb. Leaving behind the reality that my daughter is growing up too fast.

“Looks likeTea Timefound out who your mystery woman is,” Finn crows, his voice blaring through the speakers. “The two of you look super cozy together.”

“Tea Time,” I grumble, pulling onto the highway and heading toward the stadium. Raking a hand through my hair, my brows knit together. “How do they manage to get these photos?”

Granted, Cat and I were in the park yesterday, not hiding, but I didn’t see anyone around. Squeezing the back of my neck, I thinkabout yesterday, wondering how I could’ve missed someone watching. But the truth is, I wasn’t focused on my environment. I was focused on Cat.

The feel of her in my arms, the scent of her floral perfume, and the fact that I was enjoying a woman’s company for the first time since Fiona. The back of my throat constricts as a memory of Fiona’s laughter tugs at my heart.

Here I am worried how my daughter will feel about me marrying someone else, but I haven’t taken the time to think about how I’ll feel calling someone else ‘my wife’.

“You’re on their radar because of Duncan and Ava,” Finn teases, pulling me from my concerns. “But after those pictures of you and Cat they have a better reason. I’m certain there’s more to the story than the two of you being old classmates.”

“There is.” I pull into the nearly empty player’s lot, find a parking spot close to the clubhouse entrance, and kill the engine. “I didn’t want to say too much the other day in the locker room, but since it’s all going to be coming out, I may as well tell you now.”

Finn listens quietly while I fill him in on my history with Cat, not holding anything back. I talk about the feelings I had for her, our only kiss, and then her moving away. Lastly, I talk about how Fiona and Ava moved to town a year later.

Conflicting emotions rise to the surface and wash over me in waves. A sharp pain stabs me in the chest, and my stomach sours.

“Woah,” Finn huffs out.

I pull on the back of my neck and blow out a heavy breath. “Yeah. But there’s more.”

“More?” He chuckles, anticipation in his voice. “I’m not sure this could get any more exciting.”

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