“Let’s eat first while they get used to being outside.” He tucked Bandit’s leash under the leg of the table and started retrieving food from the bags. Jordan, as usual since her mother had arrived, sat next to Chelsea. The child’s eyes held such hero worship and love.
That was a good thing, right? No reason to be jealous of his daughter wanting to be with her mother. Little girls needed their moms, and his had been without for too long. Maybe he was simply jealous that Chelsea chose Jordan over him. At one time, she’d said he was her world. Now, her world had grown. Looking down at the pets, he would say it had grown a lot.
Jordan gulped down her meal in record time and asked to play with the kittens. She was excited about the dog but didn’t seem ready to get too close without someone else nearby.
“You can sit next to their carrier and talk to them, but don’t take them out until either your mother or I are with you. Understand?”
“Yes, Daddy,” she chirped, flopping on the ground next to the kittens.
Chelsea peeked down at the animals, then glanced back at him. “Do you think I did the right thing? Or do you think I’m crazy for taking them all?”
He laughed. “You might very well be crazy, but I also think you did the right thing. The look on your face when you made that decision, you were happier than I’ve seen you since…since before you left me.”
Pain filled her eyes, and he wanted to take the words back. He squeezed her hand and whispered, “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have said that.”
“No, it’s the truth. I left you, and I’ve regretted it every day since. Even more now that I know what my father did. He didn’t deserve the courtesy of me telling him I’d gotten married. At the time, I thought he did.” Her sad face looked off toward the ocean.
“Are you done? I’ll take care of the trash while you go run with Bandit. He looks like he’s ready.”
“Thanks.” Her eyes said thanks for more than simply letting her run with the dog. Changing the subject maybe, or not dwelling on the fact that she’d left him, which had started this whole nightmare.
As he cleaned up the trash, Jordan and her mom took Bandit and trotted around the large grassy area. Situating himself near the kittens, he opened the carrier and pulled them out to romp in the grass. They were so tiny it was doubtful they’d get far. Regardless, he kept his eyes glued to them, when he wasn’t sneaking glances at Chelsea and Jordan as they played with the dog.
Scooping one ball of fluff into his lap, he petted it. This one had a pink ribbon on her collar, so it was one of the females. There were two females and a male, and they still needed names.
Eeeny, Meeny, and Miny? No, there wasn’t a fourth to be Moe.
Of course, you could do the Three Stooges, Moe, Larry, and Curly. But what about Shemp? That didn’t seem quite fair.
Huey, Dewey, and Louie? Bibbity, Bobbity, and Boo. Peanut, Butter, and Jelly. Flopsy, Mopsy, and Cottontail. No, they were rabbits. Better let Chelsea make the decision.
As she romped around the picnic area, he noticed her gait. Something was off. Was she favoring her right leg? Just then, she glanced up, and the light in her eyes almost blinded him. This was how she was meant to be. Always.
He waved her over, and she and Jordan loped back, the dog happily at their sides.
“Are you okay?”
Dropping down next to him, she nodded. “I’m perfect. This is so much fun.” The dog rested next to her, probably not used to so much physical activity.
“You seem to be limping…or something.”
Guilt flashed across her face, and she turned away. “I’m fine.”
But her hand moved on her leg, the one she’d been favoring.
“Did you twist your ankle or something?” he asked as his hand covered hers on her shin. When she winced, he knew something was wrong. “Don’t lie to me, Chelsea.”
She shrugged. “It’s nothing. The railing on the back stairs broke when I was walking up, and I scraped my leg.”
He didn’t wait for her to show him; he simply lifted the leg of her pants. She didn’t stop him. There was a large bandage wrapped around her shin and a few spots looked like they had been bleeding.
“Did you get injured any place else?”
When he cocked his head, she pursed her lips. Apparently, she did.
“I got a little scratch on my side.” She tugged her shirt down further.
“From what?”
