“Where?” Lily asked, forgetting to hide her excitement.
“Central Park. Unless you don’t want to.”
She clapped her hands and screeched. “Really?”
“Really.”
She quickly tamed her excitement and sat back in her seat. She said nothing else, only smiled to herself as she did whatever it was she was doing on her phone. Chris took the opportunity to send Mallory a text letting her know they would be there for dinner. He had no doubts that one of the most important people in his life needed to meetthemost important person.
When the train slowed, Chris knew they were nearing their stop before it was spoken over the loudspeaker. And it was a good thing, since it was nearly impossible to understand the garbled words that came over it. He stood and reached a hand out to Lily so they could quickly exit the train before the doors closed.
Summers in New York City were often hot and humid, as the buildings seemed to trap the heat. Fortunately, the weather was on their side, granting them the perfect day. The sun was shining, but it wasn’t beating down on them. As they crossed the busy road and headed into the park, a cool breeze welcomed them.
As they walked further into Central Park, the classic sounds of traffic, cars honking, people shouting, and buses squealing to a stop, began to fade. Couples stretched out on large blankets, talking and enjoying the mild temperatures. In the distance, a small family enjoyed a carriage ride. Chris chanced a glance at Lily and found her taking in the scene with a content smile onher face. Some color had returned to her cheeks and her eyes had brightened.
They took their time walking around and even stopped to watch a dance battle. Lily was into it, watching the dancers with laser focus. She always loved music and dance, so it was no surprise that she would be immediately sucked in. Chris wasn’t enthralled by the scene, but he would endure anything to see Lily glow with happiness the way she did when she was passionate about something.
By the time the dance battle ended, it was time for lunch. As much as he wanted to ask her what had been bothering her, there was no reason to risk ruining their day. She would tell him when she was ready. Not being in control was something that took getting used to. His first instinct had been to swoop in and save the day, and he was still itching to do just that. Even knowing how teenagers were, he just wanted to fix everything. But he couldn’t.
Chapter 19
MALLORY
Mallory rushed around the kitchen feeling more anxiety about cooking than she ever had. As soon as she read the text message, she broke out into a cold sweat just thinking about preparing dinner. Cooking was her love language, so the nerves were a new feeling. She had been genuine when she extended the invitation, but she wasn’t ready for the stream of nerves that followed.
Liliana had seemed like a sweet girl when she’d seen her in passing at the nursing home … but even without having children of her own, she knew how things could be. All she could do was hope the girl had no preconceived notions about her. Meeting a future stepchild was stressful enough. Future stepchild? Where did that come from?
Overthinking again!After taking several deep breaths, she realized she was cooking dinner for people she loved, not performing an audition. Cooking was something she could do in her sleep. And yes, she really was cooking for people she loved. She hadn’t yet formally met Liliana, but she already loved her,knowing she was a part of someone she loved more than she was willing to admit.
Lasagna was something she made all the time. Sometimes it was vegetarian, other times it was traditional. Either way she could make it without following a recipe, so her fear was irrational. After giving herself a quick pep talk, she got back to it, pushing all worries about meeting Liliana to the back of her mind.
She was singing show tunes and cleaning up after herself when she heard the buzzer. A quick glance at her phone told her it was actually a little later than when she expected them. They weren’t late since she never specified a time and neither did they. Lasagna was something that didn’t have to be eaten right away, so the timing wasn’t a big deal. She walked over to the panel by her door and buzzed them in, taking one last look at herself even though there was no time to do anything about whatever she found.
Just as she was taking the lasagna out of the oven, she heard footsteps outside her door. Instead of knocking, Christian opened the door and walked right in. It made Mallory smile. She couldn’t help but wonder if he’d act like he normally did around her or if he would behave like a stranger. The reaction her body had to him walking into her apartment made no sense. Her skin was on fire, and it was as if she could feel him the closer he got. Ridiculous.
“Mallory?” he called out softly as he stopped just short of the kitchen.
She turned and met them with a grin. “Oh my gosh, you must be Liliana,” she greeted. “It’s so good to finally meet you!”
Mallory set the pan of lasagna on a cooling rack then stepped around the island to greet her guests. Liliana was standing slightly behind her father. Even though she seemed uncertain about everything, she still looked to be in a better state than shehad been when Mallory first laid eyes on her. Her sad gray eyes now had a gleam to them. Liliana wasn’t exactly enthusiastic, but she nodded a distinct hello.
“I hope lasagna is okay. There’s also cookies and brownies. Are you hungry? If you want to eat now, you guys can have a seat at the island. I’m rambling. Sorry. Make yourselves at home.” She covered her mouth in order stop herself from talking.
Liliana finally cracked a real smile. “It’s okay, I’m nervous too.”
Both Mallory and Christian looked at her in surprise. Mallory was surprised to hear her admit to being nervous, and judging from Christian’s reaction he was just as surprised. Mallory resorted to taking a few calming breaths before she responded to what Lily had said.
“You’re nervous? My house is nothing to be nervous about.”
“I’m not stupid. I know you’re my dad’s girlfriend. I was nervous you might be a bitch,” Lily said simply.
“Liliana!” Christian immediately warned. “Language.”
Mallory tried her best to keep a straight face, but laughter bubbled out. She liked this kid. And it would seem the kid might like her as well. Hopefully she did, anyway. With a clearing of her throat, she went back to setting everything out for dinner as Christian had a quiet discussion with his daughter. If she listened closely, she would probably be able to hear what was being said, but it wasn’t her business.
By the time she finished moving around the kitchen setting out food, dishes, and silverware, Lily and Christian were seated at the island. It startled her to see them there. Even though they were right in front of her, she had been so focused on what she was doing that she didn’t even notice. She let out a nervous chuckle.
“I guess this means you’re ready to eat?”
