Page 133 of Tempt Her

She nods, taking in the acres on the edge of the sunlit marsh. “Nice place.”

“It belonged to your great-grandmother. It’ll be yours one day.” He shuffles in his flip-flops. “If you want it, that is.”

“Are you kidding?” She laughs. “This is paradise.”

While Ford gives her a tour, I join Mateo on the back porch.

“How’s it going?” he asks.

“The opposite of when I met your family.”

Because Mateo’s mom yanked me into the biggest hug, and we were an instant family. We have dinner with them all the time, all three of us, and each time, his mom asks if I’m pregnant yet.

I think it’s funny. Ford grins, answering, “We sure do try,” while Mateo is embarrassed, but I know he’d love it. But I don’t want kids yet. I want to focus my extra time on caring for my dad.

That constant ache in my heart, missing my dad’s company, though he’s right in front of me, is only made more profound as I watch Ford reunite with Hannah.

While we eat dinner, they fall into an easy conversation because Ford’s full of questions, admiring her basketball scholarship and how she’s an engineering major.

Mateo and I smile and eat.

When we move on to pecan pie for dessert, Hannah scarfs it down while studying Mateo and me. We’ve chatted. We’ve gotten to know each other this evening, too, so it pops out of her mouth, “So, it’s like… allthreeof you are together?”

She doesn’t sound judgmental.

“It’sfourof us, actually.” Ford swigs his beer before he explains, “Luke’s an Army Ranger, but when he’s home, he’s with us too.” He pauses. “I hope we aren’t too… shocking for you.”

Hannah huffs, “Nah. As long as my girlfriend isn’t too shocking for you, it’s totally fine by me.”

A thousand pounds lift off of Ford’s shoulders, and I love her. Hannah has an open heart and mind.

But as she studies the paper label on her beer bottle, something’s troubling her. “Can I ask you a question, though?”

I hold my breath, unsure what she wants to know about our foursome. We’re trying to make a good impression. I don’t want to fuck this up for Ford; neither does Mateo.

“Sure,” Ford tells her, “ask me anything.”

Picking at the beer label, she won’t look at him. “Was it me? Was it being my dad that made you leave? Like, was I a bratty toddler or something?”

Ford reaches for her hand, pulling at the label like she’s pulling at our hearts, and I choke back tears.

Hannah missed her dad.

Just like I miss mine now.

“Listen to me, please.” Ford’s never spoken so softly. Hannah lifts her teary eyes as he tells her, “I never knew happiness until I held you. You were andarethe greatest gift I got.” The first tear I’ve seen him shed slides down his handsome face. “Knowing I had a daughter like you, smart and beautiful and sweet, kept me alive. It kept me fighting. It still does. But I never knew such pain as when I’d have to leave you. You’d cry so hard, reaching out for me and screaming ‘dada’ because it broke your heart to see me go. It killed your mom too. And me.”

Ford keeps letting his tears fall, and I glance up to find them brimming in Mateo’s eyes. They match mine as I reach across the table for Mateo’s hand.

“I’m sorry,” Ford tells her. “I was too immature and damaged from burying my mom, from feeling like I failed her and was failing you too. You and your mother. I hated myself. I couldn’t get my shit together, but then your mom met Mike, your dad. He was a good man while I couldn’t even look at myself in the mirror for being such a shitty father.”

She lunges for him, wrapping her arms around his neck. “It’s okay.”

He squeezes her back. “It’s not okay. I’ll never stop being sorry, and I know I’ll never be able to make it up to you.”

“Yeah, you will.” She pulls back, ordering him, “Come to all my home games. That’ll be a start.”

They talk late into the evening while Mateo and I clean, then we curl up on the sofa together with our books.

---