Page 87 of Come Back for Me
She giggles as her feet kick wildly. “Best day ever!”
I take Hadley pumpkin and apple picking each year, but Kevin never came with us. He was always too busy—or too angry—to do things with us. Connor is not only here but also has planned it. He wanted to spend time with us. He put thought and effort into something that he couldn’t know we enjoyed doing, and yet, somehow, he did know.
The man managed to take a flippant comment about apple pies—a comment I’d made on the worst night of my life—and turn it into a joyful moment.
He parks the car, and Hadley is out.
I turn to him, and before I can stop myself, my lips part. “I love you.”
Connor’s beautiful green eyes fill with emotion. “I’ve loved you since the first moment I ever saw you.”
“I think I have too, but it’s so soon and there is so much we still need to figure out.”
He grins and takes my hand in his. “We also have nothing but time. Now, let’s go pick apples, and maybe tonight, we can start to make a plan on how to make this dysfunctional trio into a family.”
And with that, he exits the car, and I wonder how I can ever thank his horrible father for forcing Connor Arrowood to come back so he could find me.
Chapter Twenty-Nine
Connor
“How many apples do we really need?” I ask as Hadley puts another two in the wagon. Yes, we have a wagon because the kid picked half the orchard.
“I like apples. They’re good for you.”
Okay, she has a point, but . . . we don’t need fifty. “Fair, but I think we have enough.”
Hadley stops, turns toward me, and puts her hands on her hips. “If we don’t have enough apples, Mommy can’t make pies.”
I’m not really sure how to argue with that, but I can divert her attention to something else. “Do you like pumpkin pie?”
She scrunches her nose. “Ewww.”
Now I’m not sure if she’s my kid. How can she not like pumpkin pie? “Have you ever had it?”
“No, because it’s gross. Pumpkins are like a vegetable.”
Ellie sighs beside me. “You have no idea how much fun this can be.”
I don’t think she understands that I couldn’t care less about these arguments. Iwantto have a million of them. I’ll debate whatever the little girl beside me wants to debate so long as I’m spending time with her.
“I’m not sure she can do anything I don’t find interesting.”
Ellie shakes her head. “Oh, I can’t wait to see if you say that in a month.”
I can’t either. I hope that it never gets old, although, I know better. My brothers probably thought I was cute and interesting at some point. By the time I was two, I’d become their bargaining tool and scapegoat. Being the youngest meant I was stupid and listened to them.
“I’m sure it’ll wear off in about five years.”
“Connor, Connor! Look, they have a huge pumpkin!” She points at what has to be the biggest thing I’ve ever seen. “Can we get it?”
“I’m strong, but I’m not that strong.”
Ellie snorts beside me. “Hadley, we can’t fit it in the car.”
Hadley’s eyes find another that is only marginally smaller than the other one. “Can we get a big one like this?”
“Did you bring the tractor?” I ask.
