Page 27 of A Simple Life

I saw the love for her child shining in her eyes. Heard it in the words as she expressed her worries. It helped unlock the small doubts I carried with me. Quinn was real. What you saw was what you got.

“Well then, let me get this installed, and she can have a surprise waiting for her.”

“I can help,” she offered tentatively.

“Great. Many hands, light work,” I responded.

Her smile was unexpected. It was like a burst of sun after a storm. Bright, full, warm.

I wanted to bask in it. Make her smile for me again.

I was so fucked.

She held the ladder as I climbed up to the perfect branch.

“Will it hold her?” Quinn asked, a worried tone in her voice.

I swung myself onto the branch, swaying back and forth. “If it holds me, it’ll hold Pumpkin.”

She gasped. “John—careful. You might fall!”

Laughing, I dropped to the ground, standing in front of her. “See? Everything is fine.”

She swatted my arm, and I winked at her. “That had the same effect as you kicking me. We need to work on your strength.”

She blushed, the color on her cheeks doing something to me. My body tightened, and I had to fight not to react.

“I shouldn’t have kicked you. I’m sorry.”

Her words helped lighten the air around us again. “Not a problem. It was more as if a fly landed on my jeans than your foot.”

She rolled her eyes. “I was having an off day.”

I chuckled and stepped back. “Have another go then, darlin’.”

She frowned. “That isn’t fair. You’re prepared. I need to get you when you least expect it. Catch you off guard so you fall like a dead tree.”

I stared at her a moment, then began to laugh. Long, belly laughs that almost hurt. They hurt more than her foot could.

“Okay, Quinn.” I wiped my eyes. “You prepare your secret attack.”

She grinned, and we shared a light moment, our eyes meeting, her beautifully colored irises gleaming in the sun. She was stunning in her amusement. The sunlight caught highlights in her dark hair, casting a red and gold hue around her. She looked relaxed and comfortable. Happy. It was a good look on her.

“I’ll try not to leave permanent damage.”

I headed to the truck for the swing. “You do that.”

We worked together seamlessly. I looped the ropes over the branch, securing them well, then added the swing, knotting the heavy rope tightly. “This would hold even me,” I assured Quinn. “You can swing with her if you want. I made it large enough.”

Quinn ran her hand over the smooth wood. “You painted it her favorite color.”

“Of course.”

She traced her finger over the decals I had added. The bright colors and big petals had caught my eye while I was picking up the paint, and I knew they were the perfect addition to the swing. Bob had side-eyed me while I was paying, but I’d refused to engage with him. I’d gotten out of the store as quickly as I could before he started to tease me.

“How did you do the flowers?”

“Oh, ah…” I trailed off, then cleared my throat. “I saw them at the hardware store and I thought Abby would like them. Jenny, the woman who ran the paint area, explained how to put them on, and then I sealed them under twenty layers of varnish. She won’t get any splinters, and the flowers won’t fade as much.”