Page 29 of Flirt

“Okay.”

“Are you finished, sweetie?” I asked, changing the subject, and reached for one of the other open containers on the table.

“Uh huh. Are we going to watch a movie now?”

“As soon as I put the food away,” I said and moved around the kitchen doing just that.

Iwoke with creditsfrom the movie running and looked to the other end of the couch to a sleeping Sawyer. After I turned the television off, I moved to pick Sawyer up. She hadn’t moved once until I laid her down on her bed.

“Is the movie over?” she asked as I pulled the blankets up.

“Yeah, we both fell asleep before it was over, though. Night, sweetie. See you in the morning.” I kissed her forehead, then started to leave her room.

“Flirt has a job and is really nice. He doesn’t have a wife or any kids,” Sawyer said, which stopped me in my tracks.

“Honey, not every person gets married or has kids, for that matter. And that is great he has a job.” I stood at the door and wondered where she was going with her newest infatuation.

“But I think he wants some,” she mumbled sleepily and turned on her side. I didn’t move, nor did I respond. Honestly, I didn’t know what to say, so I stood there to make sure she was asleep. I grabbed the knob on her door, but before I pulled it closed behind me, she spoke again. “He looked kinda sad when Speed kissed Sami while she was fixing lunch. And he held Poppy when Jag came outside after her nap. Plus, he helped me learn fighting stuff.”

“Fighting stuff?” I inquired and wondered if Sawyer was recalling some weird dream she had while asleep on the couch.

“Uh huh. He worked with me while Speed helped Ally and Devil helped Neely. He even wasn’t mad when I hit him with my elbow.”

“You hit him with your elbow?”

“Yep, right between the legs. After he stood back up, he told me I’d done a good job. Even Devil said that was how you took down a Navy SEAL. Flirt didn’t get mad at me, but he gave Devil an ugly face.” In the dim light, I saw Sawyer yawn and close her eyes.

“Go to sleep, sweetie. You can tell me more tomorrow.”

“‘K.” I stepped out of the room and started pulling the door closed. “Mom?”

“Yeah, sweetie.”

“Do you think you might get married one day, and I can have another daddy since I never got to meet my first one?”

“Maybe one day, Sawyer. It sure will have to be someone special if I’m going to have to share you,” I forced out through the lump that had formed in my throat.

“‘K. Love you, Mom.”

“Love you, too, sweetie,” I said and closed the door to her room.

Once reached my room, I closed the door and slipped into my bed, and shed a few tears. It didn’t matter that Sawyer very rarely mentioned anything about not having a dad around, but when she did, it tore me to pieces knowing how much she and I both had lost. She would have been Justin’s world.

Was there another man out there who would not only fall in love with me but Sawyer, too? With that thought, I closed my eyes and readied myself to relive moments of Justin in my dreams like any other time he was fresh in my mind when I went to bed. Instead, Max’s face appeared, and as sleep pulled me under, my dreams were filled with what could be and not what was.

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