“Can I get off now?”
Immediately, I grabbed the swing, holding it steady until it came to a stop, even if it almost knocked me over and made me look like a fool.
I helped Cassie down, and the moment her tiny feet touched the ground, she was scampering off again.
“Hey! Wait up!” I called out, only to be ignored. Ducking around the metal poles in my way as I hurried after, I looked over my shoulder to see if I could find Kellie.
“Jake!” Cassie called out, pointing up at the ladder.
By the time I reached her side, I was panting, not from exhaustion but from the adrenaline rush. For a hot second, I thought Cassie was running off on me the moment Kellie turned her back and left me in charge.
“Whoa!” I sighed, bending down and putting my hands on my knees, sucking in some deep breaths. “You can’t run off like that,” I chided, hating the way her bottom lip trembled at my words, making me instantly wish I could take them back.
“Will you come on with me?” she asked, her voice wobbling.
“Come on what, princess?” I asked, testing out the way the term of endearment tasted on my lips, and as soon as it was out, I knew it fit. Cassie was my princess and would be as long as I was breathing.
She pointed at the slippery dip, and I grimaced. I was way too big to fit on that slide, but I wasn’t about to disappoint my princess. “Let’s do it!” I agreed, sticking my hand out to her. When her tiny little palm rested in mine, she might as well have reached in and taken my heart. It was hers.
Together we climbed the ladder, me behind Cassie, making sure her footing was steady on each of the rungs, my hand behind her butt ready to catch her if she stumbled. Reaching the top, I expected Cassie to sit down and slide, leaving me to slide down on my own, so when she pulled on my hand and told me to sit, I followed obediently. When Cassie settled herself between my legs, I could barely believe this was real. Wrapping my arm around her waist, I got ready to push off.
“We’ve gotta count,” Cassie instructed.
“Oh. Okay.” I was glad there were rules, and Cassie was sharing them with me. I was flying blind and just going with it. “Ready?” I asked, looking down at her, and when she stared up at me with a beaming smile, I forgot about everything else. I didn’t care if I looked like a fool. I was here with my little girl, and she was happy. Nothing else mattered.
“One. Two. Three,” Cassie counted, and I pushed off, and we slid down, Cassie squealing with delight.
A moment later, it was over. Cassie was giggling, and I couldn’t have wiped the smile from my face even if I’d wanted to.
“Again!” Cassie cheered, grabbing my hand and dragging me back to the ladder.
Three slides later and I begged for a break. Thankfully, Cassie conceded and let me go sit on the park bench while she spun the pirate’s wheel.
“Hi,” a sickly-sweet voice cooed, and I looked up to see an overly made-up redhead standing beside me. She wore a pale pink T-shirt that was about three sizes too small, bright red lipstick, and the look in her eye was one I’d seen before.
“Hi,” I replied politely before glancing toward Cassie, trying to dissuade her from hanging around.
“I haven’t seen you here before.”
“First time.”
“I’m Cheryl.”
“Jake.”
“Is that your niece?” she purred, and I wanted to cringe.
“My daughter.”
“Lucky girl.”
I spotted Kellie coming back toward us, two coffee cups in her hand and a strained look on her face.
Bouncing to my feet, I turned to Cheryl. “It was great to meet you, Cheryl. I better go help my wife,” I offered before heading toward Kellie.
Checking on Cassie, she was talking animatedly with a little boy who’d wandered over to where she was playing.
“Here you go,” Kellie offered, holding out a paper cup to me.
