Blond and freckled, if I had to guess.
“Would you ever wanna visit?”
“Sacred Heart?” she asked at my side with a shrug, “I looked it up ages ago. It closed. Not a single word about adoptions anywhere I could find, but they’d probably been hiding that aspect for years.” Two fingers absentmindedly worked at the seam of my jeans. “Can’t believe all this time he was right here. I should have come looking for him before now, but I think I…” She paused, glancing over at me, “I think I needed you first.”
I pushed a hand into the wild mess of her hair, pulling her to me for a soft kiss at the crown of her head. “I’m glad you waited. You rocked my world, but I wouldn’t change a second of it.”
“You drive me crazier than you ever did before, there’s no doubt about that.” She pinched my thigh, featherlight giggle filling up all fourdark chambersof my heart. “I know I’m crazy for wanting to do this, I know it. I haven’t even thought about what we should do when we get to town. Try to track down a phone number? Just show up at that address and pray they still live there? Oh, and aren’t they going to kick us off their property the second after we arrive?”
I heaved a deep breath, pulling her in closer, tryin’ to squeeze out some of that anxiety that had her so worked up. “You’re cute as a button when you’re all wound up, Augusta Belle, but we can’t worry ’bout any of that till we get there. And to be honest, it’s comin’ up on dark, and I’m worried if there’s even gonna be a hotel in good ole Landry.”
Her eyes grew wide as hubcaps before she burst into laughter. “There is, worrywart. I’m already one step ahead of you. Checked my phone last night after you walked out. There’s a few good swimming holes too.” Her eyes crinkled as she laughed. “Thought ’bout drivin’ to Landry myself, but I didn’t have the heart to leave you all alone in Jackson.”
“Kind of you,” I quipped. “And glad to hear you did some recon on Landry.”
She shrugged, digging into her backpack and pulling out the envelope with the address for no less than the dozenth time, sliding out the old, worn picture, the little boy’s chubby cheeks rosy and round, so sweet I could almost hear the giggle in his voice.
She propped the picture up on the dashboard, head turning to the side as she smiled and rubbed at my knee through navy denim.
“Think you want more kids someday?” I ventured.
Her smile faded, and the fingers working back and forth at my leg paused. “I hope.”
“Can’t imagine a better mama,” I said, meaning it with every bone.
Maybe we weren’t meant to be parents again right now, but that could change in an instant.
I could buy us a place, any old place she wanted, and we could start a family.
I’d do that for her, without hesitation.
“I don’t have a great example, can’t imagine what it’s like to have a healthy parent-child relationship. I don’t know if it’s something I’d be good at at all, but yeah.” She twisted up her smile again. “I think I’d like to.”
I was still thinkin’ ’bout babies and Augusta Belle when an old rusted-up roadside sign declared Landry five miles ahead.
Her eyes cast across the space between us, my own smile cresting up as unspoken words slipped between us.
This was it.
I pulled into the first parking lot that displayed a vacancy sign, a roadside motel that looked out of another age but recently and cheaply remodeled.
“Gettin’ late. Figure we shouldn’t go surprisin’ anyone this time a’night. Get a good night’s rest, and then we can tackle our next step in the morning?”
She nodded, hopping out of the truck and straight into my arms. I cupped her round bottom in my hands as she kissed me like she’d been achin’ to do it ’bout as long as I had.
“I like this frisky side of you,” I whispered between kisses, shuttin’ the door of my truck with the back of my boot and walkin’ with her in my arms right through the tiny lobby of the hotel.
The night manager raised an eyebrow before uttering, “How many nights?”
“Not sure yet,” I said, finally lowering my girl and clutching her hand in mine. “We’ll start with a week, I guess.”
He huffed, punching a few things into the ancient desktop before sliding a keycard across the counter. “We’ll need a card to hold the room.”
“Right.” I nodded, digging into my wallet and sliding out a credit card for him. “Hey, any dive bars nearby?”
Augusta Belle stifled a giggle at my side.
“Down on the corner, past the 7-Eleven.” His voice was so monotone, I almost asked if he’d had that question before.
