Page 43 of Sweet Escape
“We’regoing to be a family,” I murmur, more to Liv than Emmy, praying she understands. Liv sighs and rests her head on my shoulder.
“Daddy, down!” Emmy says, demanding to be released from the tender moment. Having a toddler can humble you real quick. Sweet as sugar one minute, and completely feral the next.
Liv giggles, and it sets some of my worries at ease.She might not feel like she belongs yet, but she’s exactly where she’s meant to be. I don’t know where we go from here, or how we fit together going forward, but I know without a doubt that this family we’re building is worth trying for, even if it’s built on a foundation of friendship.
I set Emmy on her feet, and she takes Liv by the hand.
“Come on,” Emmy says, in that same demanding tone, tugging on Liv’s arm.
Liv glances over her shoulder. “Yep. She’s definitely yours,” Liv quips. “Bossy little thing.”
I follow close behind, smiling to myself as I watch their interaction. They come to a stop beside one of the empty stalls, and Emmy points to the far right corner. “Look, Livie. Babies.”
Sure enough, tucked away in an old crate nestled in a pile of blankets one of my brother’s must have set up, is Oreo, the black and white barn cat, and a new litter of kittens.
Emmy drags Liv inside the stall, and they sit crisscross in the hay, watching Oreo and her babies. I stay farther back, elbows draped over the wall, watching Olivia and our babies.
There’s so much we need to talk about, not the least of which is my history, but we still have to face her family, and I don’t want to add any more stress than necessary. Right now, Liv is my priority; the rest can wait. The past isn’t going anywhere, much as I sometimes wish it would.
We pull up outside the diner a little before six o’clock. They close early on Sundays, and I never stopped to question why. Turns out it’s a standing dinner date with the whole Sullivan family. Tables are pushed together in a line in the center of the space, but we’re early, so it’s only Liv’s grandparents here right now.
“Hey there, Livie girl.” Archie pulls her in for a one-armed hug, his other hand fixed on his cane. Archie Sullivan is a staple in this town. If he’s not sitting here at the diner watching his wife at work, he’s nursing a beer on his reserved stool at The Ridge, or milling about the family hardware store that’s been passed down to his son, AJ. He’s wearing his signature overalls and Sully’s Hardware trucker hat, his grey hair peeking out from the bottom. “How are you feeling?”
Liv’s face blanches, and she glares at Rosie, who’s standing off to the side and wiping down the counter.
“You know we don’t have any secrets between us,” Rosie says. “I haven’t spilled the beans to anyone else, I swear.”
“I’m happy for you, darlin’,” Archie says. “Wilder Hayes, you treat my girl right, you hear me?”
“I hear you, Arch.”
“Good man. How’re you and the little one settling back in at the ranch?”
“It’s good to be home, I’ll tell you that.” I pull out a chair to the left of Archie, gesturing for Liv to sit. I take the seat directly beside her and park myself in full view of the entire room. Archie and Rosie may be supportive, but I have a feeling Liv’s gonna need a buffer. Sandwiching her between me and her grandparents seems to be the safest bet.
She fidgets with her ring, and I instinctively cover her hand with mine to soothe some of her anxiety.
“Whatever happens, I’ve got you,” I say.
She flips her palm and weaves our fingers together, a small smile tugging at her perfectly plush lips. It feels like a major victory after how we left things earlier.
“Thank you,” she murmurs.
All heads turn to the door as her parents stride in. Liv tenses, clutching my hand like a lifeline. I’m more than happy to be that and more if she needs it. Her dad’s gaze narrows on me before scanning the rest of the table with a forced smile. Liv’s mom is none the wiser as she saunters over and wraps her arms around Liv’s shoulders. Their resemblance is striking.
“Mom,” Liv says, “this is Wilder Hayes.”
Her eyes widen for a second before she steadies herself and holds out a hand. “Lottie, Olivia’s mom. She didn’t mention she’d be bringing a date.”
Liv opens her mouth to refute the assumption, but I interrupt.
“It was kind of last minute. I hope I’m not intruding.”
“Oh, no. Liv’s welcome to bring guests around any time. We’re just so happy she’s home.” Lottie squeezes Liv’s shoulder, kissing her on the head before she takes a seat on the opposite side of the table. Liv’s dad, Nick, gives us a tight-lipped smile but doesn’t say anything.
An awkward silence descends over the room as they settle across fromus, Nick’s arm resting over the back of Lottie’s chair. “AJ texted. He and the family are down with some sort of illness, and Sarah’s busy with the salon, so they can’t make it today.”
Archie clears his throat. “Ro, why don’t we go ahead and bring out the food. I’m starvin’.”
