Once Juniper seems a little more settled, Eden takes her from me. “I’m going to walk a sec,” she says.
She takes off at a nice brisk pace down the sidewalk, patting Juniper’s back and letting her grind her mouth against her shoulder like she did to me. I close the doors, lock the car, and catch up to them, walking alongside Eden. We don’t say anything; I just keep pace while she coos to her daughter.
“Good way to check out the neighborhood,” she says, throwing me a look. “I’m sorry, Vito. I know we’re both starving. What a disaster.”
I shake my head. “This has been a pretty perfect day in my book,” I say. “No fires, no MVAs. I think I can handle running support on a teething meltdown.”
“MVA?” she echoes.
“Motor vehicle accident,” I explain.
She nods, and as we approach the end of the third block, Juniper has quieted down a lot. We slow our pace, and by the time we get back to the car, Juniper is almost asleep on Eden’s shoulder.
She gently sets her daughter back in the car seat, and I watch as her drowsy eyelids blink fast, her thick eyelashes casting shadows on her cheeks.
I always thought I’d have kids someday. I thought I’d end up having them with Michelle. But I could see being somebody’s dad like this. What I can’t imagine is giving up on a kid that I have, even if shit didn’t work out with the baby momma.
My gut clenches when I think about my divorced friends. My sister’s husband is a widower, so she didn’t have to navigate any issues with an ex-wife, the birth mother of her stepkids. If anybody could do it, Gracie could.
What if Juniper’s father is still in the picture? I don’t know how cool I’d be sharing a kid with a deadbeat dad. But before I jump to judgment, I’ve got to remind myself that not everyone has a family like mine. I don’t know if Eden even has parents.
“You mind if I ride in back with her?” Eden’s got Juniper strapped in.
I don’t reply because of course I don’t mind. I wait for her to get in, then I close Juniper’s door as Eden gets settled in the back seat, climb behind the wheel, belt in, and head back to Eden’s hotel.
“So,” I say softly as we’re pulling away. “I told you my story. Now a good time for yours?”
Eden chuckles softly. She leans back against the clean leather and closes her eyes. “Take me someplace I can buy you a burger and fries, and I’ll tell you anything you want to know.”
“Deal,” I say, then head toward downtown Star Falls.
8
EDEN
The burgersfrom Betta Burger are better than anything I’ve ever had. The fries are thick, with the skins still on and loads of salt. The patty is perfectly seared but juicy, and the fixings are crisp, fresh, and loaded between a perfectly baked bun.
Vito parked and went inside to order, figuring that the shouting into the drive-through speaker would wake up Junie. He’s already finished his burger and fries and is working his way through a peanut butter and chocolate shake while I dip the last of my fries into a tiny dollop of ketchup.
“Come on, you got to taste this.” He twists in the driver’s seat and holds the cup over the center console. “Just take a sip. I promise I don’t have cooties.”
I shake my head and think it’s already too late for that. I kissed the man just a few minutes ago. It’s not a big leap to take a sip from his straw.
I grab the cup and start with a little taste, but I quickly suck down a big mouthful. “Oh my God,” I mutter. “What the heck do they put in these? I might have to fight you for the last few sips.”
Vito holds his hands up in surrender. “You finish it. I know better than to come between a woman and the best shake in Star Falls.”
I take two more long sips and then hand it back to him. “I’m done,” I say. “I don’t need that much sugar in my life, but that’s good.”
He slurps the last of the shake then bags up his trash. “I know, right? You need an unofficial tour guide through the best food in Star Falls, I’m your guy.”
He holds out a hand, and I give him my burger wrapper and the little waxy bag that has been completely cleaned of any evidence that hand-cut fries were once inside.
Once my belly is full, I lean back against the seat and sigh. “Thank you,” I say. “For lunch. For coming with me today. For all of this.”
Vito fires up the truck and looks at me in the rearview. “You bought lunch,” he reminds me. “Everything else was my pleasure.”
He pulls out of the parking lot of the burger place, and I watch little Junie as she sleeps. Her mouth is open, her lips still shiny with a bit of drool. Thank goodness I have teething toys in the freezer back at the hotel. I have a feeling we’re going to need them.
