He tickled her side and kissed her again. The move was natural, easy and strange all at once. Strange because she was comfortable taking their relationship on this path. Not to mention how secure she felt. Sure, her side wasn’t as firm as it had been before two kids, but she didn’t care when Judd pinched her and felt the padding. With him, she was comfortable with who she was and didn’t need to pretend to be anything more or anything less.
Wynn laughed with the freedom, letting go of years’ worth of stress and mommy-ing and starting a business and feeling undesirable, lost, and alone. For this moment, she was just a girl kissing a boy.
It felt so good.
Chapter 13
Wynn
“Mom!” Wynn jerked as Miles tugged on her arm. He’d stopped in front of Choco-Latte.“We’re here.”
“Oh. Yeah. Let’s go in.” She held fast to Laney’s hand but let Miles open the door for them.
The place was packed with tourists who came for the festival and then wandered down Main Street to see the quaint businesses. Since she hadn’t spent much time with the kids this week, she’d promised them a trip to the chocolate store and the park. The weather was nice; they could tromp around town in hoodies and hats and not get cold until the sun set. Then the air turned crisp, and she reached for her electric blanket.
They joined the line, and Laney held her finger while spinning in ballerina circles.
Wynn tried to get them to focus so they didn’t stand, undecided, at the counter when their turn arrived. “What do you guys think? Should we try the pumpkin cocoa or stick with our regular order?”
“I want everything.” Laney grinned up at her.
Wynn did a double take. “Wait a second, sweetie.” She put her hands on both sides of Laney’s face and used her thumb to pull her bottom lip down, revealing a loose tooth. “Is your tooth wiggly?”
Miles crowded in, eager to see the new development in their lives.
Laney pushed her tongue against her bottom teeth. “I don’t feel it.”
The tooth sat at an angle just off enough that only a mother would notice. Wynn grinned. “Let me try to move it.”
Laney clamped both hands over her mouth and shook her head.
Wynn paused. “Why not?”
“’Cuz I don’t want to lose it!” she wailed loud enough for the people in front of them to stop and look.
Wynn ignored the stares. “It’s a baby tooth, sweetie. When it comes out, it means you’re getting bigger.”
“Yeah. Besides, another one will grow in.” Miles was full of I’ve-been-through-this knowledge.
Wynn refrained from rolling her eyes. Miles lost his first tooth in a tree-climbing accident. It had gone gray and then fallen out. But as a boy, he’d hardly noticed, and all the while he’d thought he was the toughest thing since gorilla glue.
Laney silently pleaded with Wynn.
“If you don’t want me to check it, I won’t. We can look at it tonight when you brush your teeth, okay?”
“Okay.” Laney shuffled her feet.
Wynn stood up, her back groaning from having hunched over for so long. They stepped forward as another customer left the store with a smile and a bag of chocolates. Wynn pointed to the display case. “You two go up and see what they have, then come back and tell me what you decide, okay?”
Laney perked up—really, who wouldn’t when they had so many delicious choices laid out in front of them? Presley glanced up as the kids crowded the glass and waved. Wynn waved back.
Aunt Michelle came from the back, carrying a tray of chocolate almond bark. She dropped it on the counter to break the bark into pieces and then began arranging them in the case.
Wynn took a picture of the kids and sent it to Judd.Are you up for some chocolate and park time?she texted. They spent a lot of time together, but she couldn’t seem to get enough of him lately.
He didn’t respond right away, and she tucked her phone in her back pocket so she could order. The person in front of her paid and then stepped aside.
“Well?” she asked the kids. “What do you want?”
