Page 53 of The Archer and his Rosebud

Did she really just say that? She did. Okay, yeah. I hate her.

Archer slips his arm around my back, his fingers digging into my hip. “Leah”—his tone is a warning—“This is Willa and her daughter, Clementine.”

Leah’s megawatt smile disappears for the first time since she stepped outside. “Ah, I didn’t know you were bringing your little friend, Archie.”Archie?Her head cocks as she sizes me up and down, a twist to her lips in a condescending smile. “You’re soyoung.”

I huff at the insult and Archer’s grip tightens on my hip. Old enough to be a mom and drink alcohol in less than seven hours, but sure. I’m young compared to her. “Thanks?”

She glosses over my discomfort and bends to peek her head inside the stroller. “Oh my goodness. Our boys gush over your little mouse when they come home from Archer’s, and now I see why. She’s precious.”

Her compliment pulls a genuine smile from me. These days it’s hard not to smile when looking at Clem. “Thank you. She, well, we love Nolan and Eli. They’re great boys.” I meet her eyes as she stands upright, and by upright, I mean she’s a good six inches taller than me. I wish I could say all of that was due to her heels, but the woman istall. Legs for days. A better fit to Archer’s six foot plus frame than my respectable five-six. “I, um, love your costume. Are you going to a party?”

“No parties tonight.” Leah’s hands tap her toned thighs below the short hem of the blue leather skirt. “I’ll be here handing out candy.”

As if the mention of candy summons Eli and Nolan, they burst out the front door. “Clemmy!”

The superhero and pirate fawn over my little mouse, and Archer and I share matching looks of being obsolete when the baby is around.

We’reglorified chaperones for Nolan and Eli as they run ahead, bumping into their friends and cutting across yards in their quest for the most candy.

I take over pushing Clem. “I don’t think Leah was impressed with me.”

“Don’t take it personally. I think she’d dislike any woman in my life.”

I suppose that’s what happens when you make a mistake colossal enough to lose the father of your children, and have to watch as he moves on without you.

“You mentioned something about her only marrying her husband after you turned down her attempt at reconciliation. Did you two…” After what she did, her affair, not coming clean about Eli’s possible paternity for months. “After so many years, why would she think you’d take her back?”

“Look, Willa!” Eli cuts off Archer’s reply, running to my side waving a candy bar. “It’s full-sized.”

“Oh, wow. There was a house in my neighborhood who always gave us pencils. I never got full-sized chocolate bars, lucky duck.”

Archer snatches the bar from his son’s hand. “Isn’t there some kind of candy fee for us going door to door with you two tonight?”

“Da-ad.” Eli jumps for his candy as Archer holds the treat out of reach.

I find myself checking on Nolan, so we don’t lose him in the crowd, though he’s old enough to move on with his friends.

“You’ve heard of it, right, Willa? One out of every five treats goes to the chaperone?”

Clem squeals at Eli’s frenetic jumping beside the stroller. “Nah-uh. You’re trying to trick me. Cats don’t eat candy.”

“Cats don’t eat…” Archer feigns shock, glancing at me with wide eyes. I swallow a giggle and shrug. “Well, I guess this one can go to Clemmy.”

Archer sinks to kneel beside Clem, tickling her tummy as he coos, “Mice eat chocolate, don’t they, my darling Clementine?”

Grabbing his finger in her fist, Clem gurgles with delight as Archer taps the wrapper to her nose, and all the days and nights of exhaustion is worth the sound of her joy. My baby will be four months old in days. We’ve come so far, and I can’t deny Archer Thomas played a huge role in our making it to where we are.

“Mice don’t eat chocolate, Dad. She’s too young for candy.” Eli tugs on Clem’s large ears adjusting the drooping hood of her costume. “Sorry, Clemmy, next year you can have some.”

“Yes, next year,” Archer echoes. “Take your full-sized bar, Captain whoever you are, and go collect more goodies for me to steal. Don’t run,” Archer calls after a waving Eli. “And say thank you.”

“Oh my gosh.” I laugh. “You’re such a dad.”

Unbuckling Clem, he hoists her into the air, kissing her cheek, before turning her around in his arms so she can see. “It won’t be long and you’ll be saying the same things, wondering when in the hell you became your mother. Just you wait.”

“That’s a scary prospect. I figured I had another ten years before I have to worry about that.”

“I’ll give you a year, tops.” Archer chuckles.

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