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The point was I wanted the time to find out.
Since Claudia left, I hadn’t even considered having a relationship with someone else. Hot, nameless sex, yes. Dinner and a movie, no.
But fuck me, if I didn’t want to with Mina.
I’m not sure how long we stood there, hands joined and just staring at each other. We might’ve continued if Owen and the dog hadn’t started a howling contest behind us.
Since I didn’t want to lose the magic of the moment, I said, “I don’t think I’ve ever met a woman named Mina before.” Winking, I added, “Especially one so beautiful.”
Pink tinged her cheeks. “Thank you.”
“You’re welcome.”
“And for the record, it's German.”
Unable to take my eyes off her, I asked, “What’s German?”
She laughed. “My name. It’s short for Willhelmina.”
I grinned. “I know without a doubt I’ve never met anyone named that.”
“I’ve only met one, and she was my grandmother.”
At that moment, Macy came rushing up, out of breath and her hair a mess. Clutching her chest, she cried in relief, “Oh my God, you found him!”
Grinning, I replied, “Yes, it was a furry distraction that led him away.”
When I met Mina’s eyes, a mixture of disappointment and sadness swirled within them. I couldn’t imagine what could’ve caused the change. Especially considering how flirty we’d been.
And then it hit me. She thought Macy and I were a couple. Before I could find a way to remedy that, Cal arrived pushing Josie’s stroller with three-year-old JJ and five-year-old Jack in tow.
“Took you long enough,” Macy grumbled exasperatedly at Cal.
“Seriously, Babe? You try hauling ass with two kids and a stroller.”
Tilting her head at him, she countered, “Welcome to my world.”
When Cal opened his mouth for a comeback, I teased, “Come on, Mom and Dad. Quit fighting in front of the kids,” I teased.
With a grin, Cal threw his arm around Macy’s shoulder. “But it’s so fun making up, isn’t it, babe?”
Although she still appeared irritated, Macy did lean into Cal’s hug. “Yes, it is.”
As JJ and Jack ran over to see Ozzy, Cal and Macy clocked Mina’s existence for the first time. From the change in her expression, Mina had figured things out, and I didn’t have to make it overly obvious that there was nothing between Macy and me.
Motioning to her, I said, “This is Mina. She found Owen.”
Holding her hands up, Mina protested, “Please don’t give the credit to me. It was all my dog’s fault.”
“But you still comforted him until his parents could be found,” I challenged.
“How could I not? One tremble of that little chin, and I was a goner.”
Her words and tone sent my heart beating erratically. I could almost see an EKG readout in my mind of it going crazy. Obviously, when I’d thought about dating post-divorce, I knew how difficult it was going to be to find someone who not only loved children, but specifically loved my kid.
As a child of divorce myself, I knew all too well how many fake women were out there. My stepmother had showered me with affection until my father put a ring on it. And then her true feelings came out.
There was no way in hell I was going to let that happen to Owen.
