“I guess she’s better?” He shrugs. “Atlas took care of her, not me.”
You’re damn right, I did. I’ll always take care of her.
Laughing, I gesture toward the sky. “You ready to go? Looks like rain.”
“Yeah. Bye, Dane.” He waves in parting.
“Hey, can you let Cora know I’m canceling practice? The field is probably going to flood,” Matt asks Noah, ignoring me.Pussy.
“Yep.” He nods, then, looking toward me, asks, “Do you think I can hang out with Dane?”
“Not sure, that’s up to Cora, but we happen to have plans tonight.”
“Really?” He eyes me in confusion.
Enjoying the way Matt’s face pinches, I nearly laugh because it looks like Rhett’s did the time he ate a lemon when we were kids. “Yep. I’ll tell you on the way home. See you at the game Saturday… coach.” I wave to Matt and head toward the parking lot. From here on out, Cora’s nights will be filled with me.
After getting Noah into the car, I drive us back toward their house. The music plays low as we pass through town, and Noah’s sitting in the back seat, staring out the window. He doesn’t talk a lot, and I’m not sure if it’s a good thing. I always thought kids his age never shut up. I want him to be comfortable around me, but he doesn’t know me yet.
Lost in my thoughts, I almost miss it when he asks, “Are you really coming to my game Saturday?”
Pausing to gauge his reaction, I take my time answering. “Yeah. That was the plan. Is that okay with you?”
Cora is mine; there’s no reality where she isn’t, so I need Noah to accept me. The two of them are close, and considering I plan to be a permanent fixture in their lives, I want him to like me.
“Yeah, I guess.”
“My brothers and I are going to come.”
“You have brothers?”
A smile lines my face as I glance at him in the mirror. “Yep. Three brothers.” I leave out the foster part because not only am I not explaining that to him, but they are my brothers in all the ways that matter. I know they love having Cora around, so I have no doubt they’ll enjoy Noah, too.
“Lucky. It’s just me and Cora, and oh, Grandma.”
Grandma?If they have a grandmother, why didn’t she step in, so Cora didn’t have to? Wouldn’t she have been the better choice? Before I get the chance to ask, we make it back to their house.
As I pull in, I take in the property as a whole. I haven’t had much of a chance to really look at her home, but it’s cute. It’s perfectly sized for her and Noah. The light exterior and dark shutters look nice together. The large window at the front looks inviting, like you could spend hours there watching the world pass by. I wouldn’t mind being snowed in with my girl, watching it blanket the street white.
My daydreaming about our kids and snowmen building is derailed when I notice a sunflower sun-catcher glittering in the afternoon sun on the porch, Cora standing right next to it.
“What are you doing out here?” I scold her as I get out of the car. She looks the same as when I left. She may be sick, but she still takes my breath away. “You should be inside. It’s chilly out.” Turning toward Noah as he crawls out of the back, I ask, “Do you need any help?”
“Nah, I’m good. Hey, Cora Bora, Matt said hi, and no practice. Oh!” he shouts. “Atlas said we have plans. Can I have a snack?” His voice disappears into the house as I stand in front of her on the steps. Since I’m still standing at the bottom, she looks down at me after glancing at Noah’s retreating form.
“Well, that was a lot.” She coughs. “So, no practice?”
Closing the distance between us, I climb the stairs and pull her close. Inhaling her scent, I pick up the faint smell of apples. Bending my head, I quickly kiss her lips and nod. I want more from her, but until she’s in better health, I’ll patiently wait. “Yes. Emma’s expecting us for dinner. We have a while, though, so you can lie down if you want to.”
“I don’t know if that’s a good idea, Atlas.” Her arms cross over her midsection.
Pulling back, I tip her chin to look directly into her blue eyes. “It’s a great idea, Firefly. Let’s go. Inside, you’re already sick enough. Emma promised something light.”
Grabbing her hand, I pull her in behind me, closing the door. Heading into the kitchen, I find Noah already there in the fridge.
“Do you care if I have this?” he asks, holding up a sports drink and granola bar.
“No, it’s fine, go ahead, bud.” She nods. “Nothing too big. We apparently have plans later.” Her eyes slide to mine.
