He coughed to clear the emotion out of his throat. He spent so much time thinking about the bad parts of his childhood, he sometimes forgot about the good parts. And the time he’d spent with his grandpa was like a shining beam of hope. Memories flooded him, and he rubbed the tip of his thumb and forefinger against the pendant handing from his neck.
Celine padded in the kitchen with Parker cooing in her arms. “What’s going on in here? It’s awfully quiet for a pizza party.”
“These two are having some kind of moment.” Duke pointed the end of his pizza crust toward Suzy and Lane. “Little guy good to go?”
“Sure is. Now it’s time for Mom to eat.”
Lane hurried to her side and held out his arms. “I can take him. I already ate.”
She plopped Parker into Lane’s arm then slid a couple slices of pizza on a plate before sitting across from Suzy. “Eating with two hands is a real treat. I could get used to it.”
Her words tightened his chest. There was a whole hell of a lot about Celine and Parker being in his home that he could get used to, but he kept that sentiment to himself. He had plenty of time to make things right with Celine.
He’d keep his focus on Parker for now—proving he was serious about being a good dad. Then, if he tried really hard and had a little bit of luck, maybe he could find a way to win back Celine.
Create the family he’d always dreamed of and never thought possible.
Celine glanced at him from over her pizza. “What’s that look about?”
He shrugged and bounced Parker up and down. “Nothing. Just thinking it’d be nice to head outside and enjoy the weather for a bit when you’re finished. Maybe show Paker around the property. I think he’d like it.”
Celine chuckled. “Oh you do, huh?”
“Sure do.”
He hoped he was right. Because getting Parker on his side was step one in getting everything he’d ever wanted.
16
Celine tightened the straps on the baby carrier attached to Lane’s chest and made sure Parker was nice and snug. She took a step back and grinned. Never in her wildest dreams did she think she’d see Lane Tipton with a baby hanging from his chest. “Feel okay?”
Frowning, he circled his arms around Parker’s middle. “I guess. How do I know he won’t fall?”
“Because all the buckles are fastened and snaps are snapped. Trust me, he’s not going anywhere.” She fixed the pint-sized baseball hat on Parker’s head to keep the sun from his face. “You might get really hot, though. You can still put him in the stroller instead.”
“Nah, I’ll be fine. I want him to see everything. He has a better view from up here. Ready?”
She nodded then led the way down the porch steps onto the front yard. The late afternoon sun beat down on them, and she swiped her hair up into a ponytail. The vivid red barns loomed large ahead, with the white aluminum horse stables to the left. Beyond the buildings, acres of prairie land covered in sagegrass and wildflowers created a path to a dense patch of woods beyond. “Where did you want to walk?”
Lane shrugged, bouncing Parker along with the motion. “I wish my dad wouldn’t have gotten rid of the animals. Parker might have liked seeing all the cattle and horses.”
“I heard he sold them off a few years ago,” she said, walking with no planned direction. “I wasn’t too surprised. He was never very fond of the animals. Not like you were.”
That slow, lazy smile she loved so much climbed the side of his mouth. “True. He wanted the cash, not the responsibility. Figured investing the profit he got off the sale would be an easier lifestyle. It might have proven lucrative, but where’s the joy? The fun? The ability to get your hands dirty and be a part of the land?”
“Your dad never cared about any of that.”
He snorted. “He didn’t care about anything except the bottom line.” Stopping beside the barn door, he slid it open and peeked inside. Bits of dirt and dust sparkled in the beams of sunlight streaming down from the empty rafters. “Such a waste of space.”
The wall of hot, stale air greeted her in the doorway. “Ever think about doing something with it?”
He chuckled, the sound smooth like velvet on her skin. “Before a few days ago, I never imagined sticking around this place. The last thing on my mind was what to do with a couple of abandoned barns that hold a hell of a lot of good memories.”
She swallowed his words like shards of broken glass—bits and pieces stabbing her as he reminded her how low on his list of priorities she’d been before he’d found out about Parker.
How low she’d been to be left behind so many years ago.
Fighting back tears, she turned away and lifted her face to the warmth of the sun.
