Part 10 (1/2)

”You have no idea what is different about my hair, do you?”

”Nope,” I said with a grin.

She laughed again and then walked pa.s.sed me toward the door. Before she reached it, she turned and blew me a kiss, mimicking James.

I was about to do that thing where you catch the kiss in your hand, but I stopped myself, saving myself from looking like a total douche.

Instead I lifted my head in a nod, before turning and heading back the way we came. And if my step was a little lighter, and I whistled as I walkedawhat the f.u.c.k was wrong with that?

”We do want to see you, Mom, but we already have plans today. Yeah, I know, but you didn't say anything to me about coming up this weekend, so I didn't know,” I said with the phone pressed between my ear and shoulder as I tried to finish packing the picnic basket. ”How about next weekend? Okay. Yeah. Yeah. I'll tell her. Okay, love you too, Mom. Bye.”

I hung up the phone and put it in my back pocket, going through the basket to make sure I had everything.

Peanut b.u.t.ter and jelly sandwiches. Check.

Goldfish crackers for Karrie. Check.

Juice boxes. Check.

Fruit salad. Check.

I tossed in some napkins and forks for the fruit salad and figured that was as good as it was going to get.

I ran into the living room to double check Karrie's backpack before going into her room to wake her up from her nap.

Judd was supposed to meet us at the park in fifteen minutes and I was hoping to beat him there.

”Time to get up, Karebear,” I said softly, sitting on her bed and rubbing her back to try and get her to stir.

She stretched a bit and her little fist shook as she began to wake up. She was so dang cute. My angel.

”Hi, Mommy,” Karrie said, her blue eyes fixating on mine as she smiled up at me.

”Hi, baby girl. Wanna go to the park?”

I knew that would do the trick a” she sat up wide-eyed and ready to go. If there was one way to get my daughter moving, it was to mention a trip to the park. She loved being outside. Her favorite part was the swings.

”Let's try to go potty before we go,” I said, hoping that she hadn't gone in her pull-up during her nap.

Potty training was so stressful.

After a few attempts to go to the bathroom with no luck, we went to the living room to get her shoes and jacket. Once she was ready, I put her backpack on her and grabbed the picnic basket.

As we neared the park, I noticed Judd had beaten us there. He was sitting on a bench, looking utterly s.e.xy and out of place. He had on his motorcycle jacket, jeans, and boots, with dark shades covering his eyes. I couldn't tell if he saw us, until he rose slowly from the bench.

Karrie had no idea he was there, since she made a beeline for the slide, toddling as fast as her little legs would take her.

I walked up to Judd and smiled when he took the picnic basket from me.

”Hi.”

”Hey.” Judd returned my smile. ”You look pretty today.”

I felt my face flush with pleasure at his words, and I said thanks, watching Karrie going down the slide.

Judd followed the direction of my gaze and said, ”She's adorable.”

”Thanks,” I said again. ”She really loves coming to the park.” I laughed as Karrie's giggles carried over to us.

”Can I meet her?” Judd asked, removing his sungla.s.ses and hanging them from the collar of his black T-s.h.i.+rt.

”Sure, c'mon.”

We walked over to the play area and I called Karrie over to us. She came down the slide and walked over, grinning widely.

”Mommy, *lide.”

”I saw you on the slide. You're such a big girl,” I cooed back at her.

Karrie finally noticed Judd and looked up at him curiously.

”Karrie, this is mommy's friend Judd.”

Judd crouched down so he was eye level with Karrie and smiled.

”Hi, Karrie, it's nice to meet you.” Judd held his hand out to her, causing her to giggle and duck her head shyly. She walked behind me and peaked out at him.

I smiled at him and mouthed the word swing. He nodded and peered around my back at Karrie.

”Want to go swing?” he asked.

Karrie came out from behind me, nodding, holding her little hand out to him. He took it, and she led him to the swings meant for smaller kids.

I watched for a moment, her tiny hand clasped in his, and the sight of them walking toward the swing brought tears to my eyes.

Get a grip, Sam, I said to myself. It's their first time meeting.

I took a deep breath and got up, reaching the swing just as he was lifting her into the seat.

”How much should I push her?” Judd asked, looking at the swing as if it was a foreign contraption.

”Like this,” I said, then walked around the back of the swing and demonstrated how to push it. Hard enough to make her squeal with delight, but not so hard as to scare the life out of me.

”Got it,” he said, and proceeded to push.

They stayed like that while I set up the picnic, with Judd pus.h.i.+ng softly and Karrie giggling loudly every time she went into the air. Judd's smile widened with every giggle, and I had to look away, focusing on the task at hand rather than the way my heart melted looking at him interacting with my little girl.

I laid out an old blanket and placed the picnic basket on top, putting things on each corner to hold it down, just in case the wind picked up. By the time I was done, the food was laid out and each corner was held down by a random object: a shoe, a large rock, the basket, and Karrie's backpack.

”You guys ready to eat?” I yelled over to them. I saw Judd say something to Karrie, and she shook her head, then he said something else, pointing to me. When she looked over at me I waved, gesturing for them to come over. Luckily she complied this time, rather than pitching a fit about wanting to stay on the swing.