Don’t eat all that, it’ll go straight to your ass.
Have you checked your weight lately?
Calories in, calories out.
It was constant.
I’m curvy, I have a little extra padding in a few places but I’ve come to appreciate my body after years of berating it.
Am I skinny and fit with a six pack? No.
But, I eat balanced meals, exercise when I can and do as much as I can in moderation. I hate that there’s so much pressure on women to have this ideal body type that we could strive a lifetime for and still never be satisfied.
“I would never.” Jasper leans forward, dipping his eyes to meet mine that are fixated on my plate. “Gracie’s my cat,” he says assuringly, like he can sense the words I’ve heard before.
“Oh.” I huff out a laugh.
“Yeah, she’s perfect.” He chuckles back. “One eye, two and a half legs, loves food and cuddling.”
“Loves food and cuddling, huh?” I repeat with a giggle. “I just got part of my slogan for my dating profile.”
There’s an awkward pause between everyone before Jasper chimes back in.
“Lily loves your cooking too, doesn’t she Wade?”
“Let me guess. Lily is your lizard, that’s missing its tail and loves chocolate,” I reply as I peer over at Wade.
“She’s my daughter.”
CHAPTER 5
OPPORTUNITY KNOCKS. TEMPTATION LEANS ON THE DOORBELL
MAJOR
“Oh, sorry. It’s just we were being playful, I didn’t mean to…” She pauses. “How old is your daughter?” she continues.
“She’s three,” he replies with a small smile.
I’ll never forget the day we opened up the garage bay doors and all of our eyes landed on the car seat that sat perched up against the brick wall of our station.
None of us heard the baby crying until the garage doors were opened, which led me to believe she was sleeping peacefully until she heard the creaking of the metal when the overhead doors lifted.
Wade’s face fell instantly when he recognized the seat. Lily’s name came out in a frantic whisper as he ran over to her, dropped to his knees, unbuckled the strap, and pulled her into an embrace.
I witnessed him realize so much in one moment.
His girlfriend left him.
She safe surrendered their own child tohisfire station.
He was, in the blink of an eye, a single dad.
Lily immediately calmed and cooed in his arms like she knew, too, and something shifted in him instantly. From that moment on, nothing else mattered but Lily.
Wade might be a moody pain in the ass most days, but he’s loyal and loves with his whole heart. He’s a caretaker and wears the weight of the world on his shoulders.
I continue to watch as Abby asks questions about Lily and how easily Wade opens up about her. He’s usually reserved and shares nothing, but there’s something about Abby that intrigues all of us and I see a side of Wade I haven’t seen before.
