Page 46 of Accidentally Sliding Into A Second Chance

All the feelings I felt for him as a teenager come rushing back. Our awkward kiss as kids hinted at what I’m experiencing now, but never in a million years could I have imagined this all-consuming need to share my life with someone, to open myself, to let someone in absolutely and completely.

I am slowly pulled back to the present, and the sound of clapping drags me from the overwhelming realizations, and David slowly pulls away.

Taking a piece of me with him.

When my gaze meets his, I see the same wonder reflected in his eyes, but almost immediately, his gaze is filled with confusion. My heart falls, and the reality of our situation is brought to the forefront of my mind.

This marriage is in name only.

It is supposed to be pretend, but that kiss was anything but fake. My feelings are anything but pretend.

Anxiety washes over me; a heavy weight crushes my chest, and I’m struggling to breathe.

Before I can have another thought about anything that just happened, a small body slams into the two of us, wrapping her arms around our waists. Uttering words of excitement that my addled brain can’t decipher.

Glancing down, Scarlett’s head is tucked between us, and a smile tugs at the corner of my mouth, the tightness loosening. I run a hand over her hair, and my heart aches with a completely different emotion.

Is it possible I’m already in love with this man and his child?

When I look up, David is staring down at me with an unreadable expression on his face.

A wave of dizziness hits, and I sway. Without hesitation, David reaches out to steady me, pulling me tightly against him. This leaves me questioning whether the dizziness is from my condition or his touch.

“Cat? Are you okay?”

I raise my hand to my forehead and nod, remembering I haven’t told him about my illness. “It’s nothing. Sometimes I get a little dizzy.”

“Are you sure?” His voice fills with concern, and his narrowed eyes scrutinize my face at the same time his grip tightens.

When I look into his eyes, I see a fear that makes my stomach twist. My only desire at that moment is to relieve him of his fear.Without hesitation, I reach up and cup his cheek, needing to erase the worried look from his face. “Yes.”

His gaze roams over me, and his tight lips loosen before he nods. “We need to talk about this later. Okay?”

Before I can agree, David and I are surrounded. Multiple conversations are being had at once, making it difficult for me to focus on anything.

I’m not physically dizzy anymore, but my head is definitely spinning from all the activity.

“We need a picture,” Scarlett shouts, taking one of each of our hands. Glancing down at her, I smile. This child is more confident than most adults I’ve ever met. She starts tugging at us when I hear Ava’s voice.

“Can we please give them a moment before we start directing them everywhere?” She reaches for my arm and looks at me pointedly, and my heart sinks. She saw too. Ava steers David and Scarlett over toward a spot with a gorgeous view of the mountains as a backdrop. “Scarlett, take your dad over there and get some photos with both of you and Uncle Duncan first. We’ll meet you there in a little bit.”

“Okay,” Scarlett beams, grabbing David’s hand and tugging. “Come on, Daddy.”

David glances between the two of us before locking onto Ava. He nods at whatever silent message she conveys and starts to move with Scarlett. I let my gaze linger on them as they walk over to Duncan and Finn.

“Are you okay?” Ava whispers, her brow furrows. She gently takes my hand and pulls me off to the side.

Feeling a tingling on the back of my neck, I glance over my shoulder to find David watching me. Without looking away, I blow out a slow breath and nod. “Yes.”

I turn from him and look back at Ava, her worried expression focused on me. I force a smile. “I’m sure it’s just from all the activity and not eating breakfast.”

Studying me for a moment, her face relaxes, and she gently squeezes my hand. “Missing breakfast can definitely have that effect. We’ll need to get you something to eat soon,” she murmurs, and just like her niece, she grabs my hand and starts tugging me to where everyone is standing. “Let’s finish this up quickly, then.”

A warm breeze brushes gently against my cheek, and I take a moment to breathe in the fresh air, grounding myself.

From the corner of my eye, I see David approaching us, and my pulse jumps at the sight of him.

“Cat.” He gently takes my elbow, causing tiny tendrils of warmth to shoot through my body. “This is my agent, Finn Mitchell. Finn, this is Catherine Bailey…James.”

---