I watched her look around the field.
I knew what she was looking for before she found it.
Maggie was still over by the baked goods table, cider in hand, talking to the office admin. She hadn’t seen Nell yet.
Nell saw her.
She sprinted across the field before I could do anything to stop her, flinging her arms around Maggie’s legs. Maggie laughed and looked down, then she just scooped Nell up like it came intuitively to her. My girl…she needed a mom. Wanted one desperately.
She’d found one, but it would only last the school year.
“She’s really taken to Miss Laine,” Claire said. “That’s good.”
“Mmhm.”
“She’s pretty,” Claire added. “Single.”
“I sure as hell don’t think Nell’s going to start dating anytime soon.”
“I’m not talking about Nell.”
I took a long sip of my cider.
Claire waited.
That was her move—she’d drop something and then just wait, comfortable in the silence, completely content to let it sit there between us until I did something with it. I think it was a law school thing. I really didn’t care for it.
“You have a thing for her,” Claire said when I didn’t offer a response.
“I donothave a thing for Nell’s teacher.”
“Methinks the lady doth protest too much,” Claire teased.
I shoved her shoulder. “Get out of here with that uppity bullshit,” I laughed. “You’re such a smartass.”
“Iknow you,” she said. “And I’ve spent enough time talking toherthat I caught a vibe. Even if you don’t like her, she likes you.”
“I’m twice her age.”
Claire hummed. “So…you’ve done the math. Thought about it.”
“Never in a million years.”
“Liar.”
Maggie had put Nell down now and was sitting in the grass with her, braiding a strand of orange ribbon into her hair. They looked perfect together.
“You are literally staring,” Claire said.
“I love my daughter,” I drawled. “Sue me.”
Claire didn’t respond. I kept watching Maggie—I mean, Nell.
Then I heard Claire raise her voice and move away from me, footsteps crunching in the dry fall grass. “Well, hey stranger!”
I followed her voice to find Reid Kowalski walking into the festival, his second grader, Sadie, sprinting off to play with theother kids. He looked like hell—gray hair losing its previous dark color fast, overgrown, messy, beard the same way. He had a loose flannel on over a t-shirt that had seen better days, shoulders hunched forward.
But he walked toward us…gave Claire a one-armed hug, then me.
