Page 149 of Under Her Skin
“Yes, why?” sheasks.
“Oh no reason. Hold on! I’m sure Kip talked to Max and made arrangements for the visit on Sunday. Do you know if hedid?”
“Yeah, Kip talked to Max. Max knew I was coming here. OMG! They hid it from us!” Her eyes go bright and shiny and shegiggles.
My heart fills with the sound and I smile. “Rat bastards, they are. I’ll be rightback.”
As I walk away I realize there is a huge chance I will walk back to this very spot and find her gone. I have to give her this chance to leave if she wantsto.
If she does leave, this will be the last chance I ever giveher.
Rachelle
Five minutes go by and I find my mind going crazy. Maybe Blake decided not to come back. Maybe Max told him it was a terrible idea to get a room with me and talk, ormore.
I hope there’smore!
Another five minutespass and no Blake. I had taken the passenger side, but if he’s not here in five more minutes I’m moving into the driver’s seat and taking off back toSmithville.
He could be giving me a dose of my own medicine after all. Leading me to believe all is well and we can at the very least be friends then walking away and leaving me allalone.
I deserve it. I know I do. Only a few more minutes to go and then I’ll be leaving here alone. I had already put on myseatbelt.
One more minute then that’ll have been fifteen minutes and I’m no idiot. It means he fucked me over this time. I unbuckle the seatbelt and turn to get out of the car and make my way to the driver’sside.
“Were you going to leave without telling me goodbye?” a little girl’s voiceasks.
I turn to find the little girl named Sally. She’s walking next to Blake as he carries the little boy I saw him playing with. They look like a little, perfect family and my heart thumps hard in mychest.
I jump out of the car and jog up to meet them. “No! I’m sorry, Sally. I hope I didn’t hurt yourfeelings.”
“A little,” she says as she holds her small arms out. “Can I have a goodbye hug,Rachelle?”
I take her up in my arms and hug her. “How old are you anyway, younglady?”
“I’m five. I’ve been here for a couple of years.” She leans close to me and whispers in my ear. “Can I tell you asecret?”
“Ofcourse.”
“I think you look like a nice lady and if you ever want a cute little girl, I’m available. My mommy isn’t ever coming back for me and I knowit.”
My heart clenches in my chest and I hug her tight to me. “Well, I hope that changes for you, sweetie,” I whisper back. “And if my life ever gets to a point where I could use a cute little girl in my life I’ll be sure to consider youroffer.”
Her lips touch my ear again. “While you’re thinking about that, think about that handsome man as my dad, justsaying.”
I giggle and squeeze her. “Will do. I’ll keep in contact Sally. Tell me your last name so Ican.”
“SallyPortis.”
Iputher down and run my hand over her little head. Red curls and glasses look up at me and I wish like hell I could take her with me now. “Well, Sally Portis, you get ready to get some awesome little goodies in the mail. I’m a chef in training and I can make yummycookies.”
She jumps up and down then Blake nudges me with his shoulder and I look at him to see the dark haired little boy blushing. Blake says, “Toby is her little brother, and he asked if you could send him some goodiestoo.”
With a tussle of the kid’s hair I say, “I can manage that,Toby.”
“Thank you,” the little boy says and Blake puts him back on theground.
Sally takes her little brother’s hand they wave before they start back towards the house I had spent three weeks in once what seems like a zillion yearsago.
