Page 54 of Fight for Me
“And you”— she turns her attention to the tall, sexy, and commanding man at my side—“Declan Arrowood, you have grown up to be a very handsome man and so tall.”
He grins, takes her hand in his, and places a kiss against her knuckles. “And you haven’t aged a day.”
“Clearly, you haven’t lost that silver tongue of yours.”
“Never.”
The mention of his tongue causes my belly to flip. I can feel his lips, taste the mint on his breath, and my body yearns for it.
Mrs. Symonds laughs and then claps her hands together. “It’s wonderful seeing you two here together, feels like fifteen years ago when you two would sneak off behind the tents and think no one saw you.”
I feel the heat on my cheeks. Declan was always stealing me away, kissing me whenever he could. It was impossible to keep away from him back then, and it seems as if I still suffer from the same affliction.
“That was a long time ago,” I say, needing not to go on another stroll down memory lane and end up at the same dead end.
“Yes,” Declan agrees. “And a lot has changed.”
She tsks. “Of course it has. We all grow and evolve, but there are very few relationships I’ve seen in my time that were anything like yours.”
I blame every damn hormone that’s coursing through my pregnant body for the tears that come. I have never been a weepy girl. I’ve been strong, angry, determined to prove people wrong. Do I cry? Sure, but not like this. I turn my head to hide, but I know he saw.
“There’s no one in the world like Sydney.”
“I would agree there,” she says. “And is that you, Miss Hadley Arrowood?”
She nods. “Hi, Mrs. Symonds.”
Of course, she knows who Hadley is.
“Are you having a good time?”
“Uncle Declan is going to buy me a pony!”
“Two of them,” I correct her.
He looks heavenward, and I grin. “Don’t make promises to a kid.”
“Ididn’t.Youdid.”
“She doesn’t seem to think that,” I say with a sing-song tone.
Mrs. Symonds watches the two of us with a wishful gaze. “I always hoped I’d see this again. The two of you smiling at each other. Even before you were a couple, you were friends in a way I’ve seen only rarely in all my years. Never had two people who justunderstoodeach other.”
I look away, not wanting anything in my eyes to give away the feelings in my heart. I have hoped for us to be this away again too. I waited for so long, and now, we’re here, and it’s all so ... natural.
Declan and I are just enjoying the day together, no pressure, no talking about the past or being lost in old hurt. I never thought I could let myself feel this again. A friendship, anything less than full-blown love, seemed impossible for us.
But now, I see how wrong I was. At the very core of loving him was a deep friendship.
We’ve been playing with Hadley, laughing and joking around, and it is like coming home.
A place where things make sense and the world is spinning correctly.
Declan speaks first. “It’s something I think we are both grateful for as well.”
“Can we please go see the tents now?” Hadley breaks in, her impatience finally winning out.
I’ve never been more appreciative of this kid than I am now. “Yes. We definitely can, and then we can go see the ponies!”
