Page 92 of Return to Us
“Auntie can block Daddy’s hearing.”
I had no idea that our date out was going to be with his daughter, but I couldn’t be happier. She’s the sweetest kid, and I love being around her. The other morning, she woke up to find me on the couch, feigning sleep, and we made pancakes and bacon to wake Grayson up.
It was the most fun I’ve had in a very long time.
When Gray drove me to work, he asked if I would go out with him tomorrow so he could show me something. I assumed that it was another way to get me in bed, but it turns out, he was serious.
“I like her powers,” I tell Amelia.
Grayson snorts. “I am the most powerful because I can take her powers away.”
Amelia looks horrified for a second and then laughs. “You’re silly, Daddy.”
“I am not.”
“Yes you are!”
Seeing him like this still takes my breath away. I always knew he’d be a great father, but actually witnessing it is something else. He loves her with a ferocity that makes my heart grow each time I see them interact.
It’s clear that Amelia thinks he walks on water.
“So,” I say, clapping my hands together, “where are we going?”
Grayson tilts his head my way while giving me a wry smile. “You’ll have to wait and find out.”
We drive thirty minutes outside of Willow Creek Valley before he pulls onto a dirt road that has a no trespassing sign at the front.
“Did you bring me out to the middle of nowhere for a reason? If you break out a shovel, I’m going to hit you with it first.”
He chuckles. “Come on.”
We get out, and Amelia rushes over and takes my hand. “You have to see the lake!”
“A lake?”
“It’s called Melia Lake.” The pride in her voice rings through the air.
I look over at Grayson, who is smiling at us. “Go ahead. I’ll bring the food.”
She pulls me along a well-worn path and then we exit to a breathtaking sight. It’s a gorgeous lake that is surrounded by lush trees and birds flying overhead. The sky is a beautiful light blue with just a few fluffy clouds overhead. Over to the right, there’s a short fishing dock with a small skiff moored to the post.
We move a little deeper, and I inhale a deep breath of the pine-scented fresh air. It’s a place where a person could be both lost and found at the same time.
“Wow,” I say, taking it all in.
“It’s my secret place,” she tells me.
“Why is that?”
“Daddy doesn’t want anyone to know about it. It’s where we come when we want to hide away.”
“So, no one else has been here? Not Auntie Stella or Grandma?”
“Nope.”
“What about Uncle Alex or Uncle Joshua?”
Grayson’s voice cuts in, causing me to jump a little. “No, just Melia, and now . . . you.”
