Page 51 of The Single Dad Project

“You carry extra cameras in your car?”

She mentally stumbled, not expecting that question—there had been...more in his eyes. Something more intimate there.

But she replied anyway.

“Disposable cameras, yes. I have nieces and nephews who like to take pictures, so I started keeping them on hand.”

He nodded, a ghost of a smile flirting with his full lips.

“C’mon, Flo!” Justine tugged on her hand. “Bye, Daddy! Have a good day! We have to work!”

That faint smile grew into a full, genuine one that damn near knocked the air out of her lungs.

Time for her to get to work like Justine said.

Past time for Flo to stop dwelling on Adam.

“LOOK, FLO!”Justine ran over as she zoomed her lens in on the sparkle of the creek just through a break in the thick copse of trees.

Capturing the image quickly, Flo lowered her camera and smiled as Justine skidded to a stop in front of her, waving the disposable camera. They’d spent the past two and a half hours together, and Flo had enjoyed herself. The little girl’s exuberance in taking pictures, and her endless questions about Flo’s work, had been an absolute joy. And besides, how could anyone not enjoy Justine? Her delight in even the smallest things—from the little bench in the time-warped gazebo to a ladybug crawling along a leaf—was infectious.

Wisps of anger and hurt undulated through Flo.

Every woman had the right to choose whether or not they wanted to become a mother. There was no shame in deciding for themselves that birthing and raising children weren’t for them—because being a mother wasn’t every woman’s chosen path or destiny.

But Justine’s motherhaddecided on that path. Shehaddecided to bring this precious baby into the world, and for the life of Flo, she couldn’t understand how the other woman could walk away. If Flo had her standing in front of her right now, she’d shake the hell out of her, remind her that Justine didn’t ask to be here. Remind her that the moment she decided to have the little girl, her priority became her baby, protecting her and nurturing her. She didn’t have the fucking right to abandon her.

Shoving down the emotion brimming inside her, Flo knelt down so she was eye level with Justine.

“What do you have?” Flo asked the beaming child.

“I finished this camera,” Justine announced. “Can I have another one?”

It was a good thing Flo had grabbed a few of the disposable cameras; Justine had gone through two already.

Still smiling, Flo nodded and swapped out the cameras.

“Here you go.”

“Thank you, Flo.” Justine hugged it to her chest, her torso swaying back and forth. “Are you going to babysit me tomorrow, too? Can we take more pictures?”

“I don’t know about tomorrow, Jussy. Ms. Angela might be back so you would be with her again,” Flo said, but the little girl shook her head, a mutinous expression crossing her face.

“I don’t want her. I want you.” Then a look that seemed far too anxious for a girl her age replaced the stubborn one. “We’re friends, Flo. You like me?”

“Of course, sweetie,” Flo rushed to reassure her, alarmed that she would possess even one second of doubt about that. “You and me, we’re best friends. Pinkie swear.” She held up her smallest finger.

A huge smile brightened the little girl’s face again, ushering away the shadows that had darkened it. Justine hooked her finger through Flo’s, and they completed their handshake ritual.

“Pinkie swear!” Justine yelled.

Flo laughed, but let her humor ebb as she cupped the girl’s shoulder. She murmured, “Jussy, you do know we all like you very much, right? I can’t imagine anyone not loving you as soon as they meet you.”

Instead of giving Flo her trademark open, unguarded grin, Jussy wrinkled her nose, frowning.

“Mommy, too?”

Holy shit.

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