Page 20 of Wild For You

“Let’s go, honey.”

We rose together, Haley bouncing excitedly between us. Our steps fell into a natural harmony as we made our way across the grassy expanse towards the parking lot.

“Did you have fun today, Daddy?” Haley asked, skipping over cracks in the pavement.

“More than you know, munchkin,” Nico responded, his voice carrying a depth that only I seemed to notice.

The parking lot was nearly empty now, the day's warmth dissipating as quickly as the sunlight. As Nico helped Haley into her seat, I lingered, not ready for the day to end.

“Today was... nice.”

“It was,” Nico agreed, closing Haley's door and turning to face me. “Thanks to you.”

Our gazes locked. “Thanks for today… for making Haley feel welcome here.” A smile, timid yet sincere, tugged at the corners of his lips. His gaze dropped to my mouth then back to my eyes, an unspoken question flickering there. I answered it with a nod so slight it was almost imperceptible.

That was all Nico needed.

He leaned in, and his lips met mine in a kiss as soft and tentative as the first drop of rain after a long drought. My eyes fluttered closed, my body instinctively leaning into the warmth of his touch. His hand came up to gently cradle my face, thumb brushing my cheekbone, anchoring me to this moment, to him.

When we parted, it was like awakening from a dream too sweet to leave behind. My eyes opened to find Nico watching me with an intensity that spoke volumes. His hand lingered on my face, reluctant to break the connection.

“Wow.”

“Yeah,” he echoed. "Wow."

My heart hammered. I wanted to pull him close again, to lose myself in the depth of his kiss, to explore the promise that lay just beyond the horizon of our lips, but Haley was just inside the car.

“Goodnight, Josie.”

“Goodnight.”

As I climbed into my car, the last traces of daylight vanished, leaving only the stars. I drove away with my thoughts swirling, each one imprinted with the feeling of Nico's kiss—soft, lingering, and unforgettable.

God, I’m in trouble.

13

Josie

Sitting in the dining room at Nico’s house had become like normal life. Haley was laying on the floor in the living room entrapped into some kids tv show.

“Ever since Brandi left,” Nico began, tracing the wood grain of the table with his rough fingertip, “I’ve been this... fortress, I guess. Walls up, drawbridge raised.”

I watched him. I saw the shadows of past hurt lurking beneath his guarded exterior. “You're scared,” I said, not as an accusation, but as a delicate acknowledgment of his pain.

“Yeah,” he admitted, his gaze lifting to meet mine—two dark pools of earnest fear. “Scared of what opening up means. Scared of putting Haley through any more heartache. She doesn't deserve that.”

I shifted closer, my hand tentatively finding its way atop his, a whisper of contact. “Nico, Haley is amazing because you've been an incredible father. And anyone—myself included—who gets to be part of your lives would be lucky.”

His hand turned beneath mine. “Josie,” he breathed out my name like a prayer or maybe a plea. “I didn’t think I had it in me to take that risk. Not again.”

“Risk can be terrifying,” I agreed, my thumb brushing against the back of his hand in gentle circles. “But some things…” I paused, my heart drumming a rhythm of hope against my ribcage. “Some things are worth the leap. We don't have to rush. We can take it one day at a time.”

Nico's eyes softened. “Then you walked into my life. And now I’m questioning everything.”

“Really?”

“Really. So tonight, someone is coming to watch Haley while I take you out. Nothing fancy.”

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