Thirteen

Oakley

The look on Sarah’s face when she saw my car melted my heart. No one on earth had ever been as happy to see me as she always was. She broke into a run until a teacher blew a whistle at her, causing her to slow her pace to a fast walk. When she reached me, she jerked open the door and climbed inside.

“OH MY GOD! You talked Daddy into it! You’re here!”

I didn’t tell her I had shown up and forced him to let me stay or about the argument we’d had. I wanted her to be close to her dad. Coming between them was never something I would do. Sarah needed Wilder. She was lucky to have him. He was a great dad. He loved her and spent time with her. Things I had never had as a kid.

“Of course I’m here. Your dad was just worried about my work and not wanting to ask too much of me. I assured him that, for you, I was always available.”

She reached over and hugged me. “I tried to tell him that, but he didn’t believe me.”

I squeezed her. “Adults can be stubborn,” I replied.

She laughed and then turned to see all the things I had stuffed in my backseat. I’d spent entirely too much money at Hobby Lobby and T.J. Maxx. The baking supplies in the trunk were just as bad.

“You got Christmas decorations!” she squealed.

“Yep. Everything but the tree. I’ll leave that up to you and your dad to go cut down after Thanksgiving, but we can make ornaments and string the popcorn for it.”

This wouldn’t be her first Christmas without her mom. Sylvia had missed a couple in her life due to drugs and depression. However, it would be the first one with her mother gone. I wanted to make sure it was special. One she would have fond memories of and cherish years from now. Clearly, Wilder needed help with that.

“This is so exciting! I can’t believe you’re here. I was sad all day, and then you drove up. It’s the best day ever.”

I reached over and squeezed her hand. I felt the same. Anytime I was with her was the best day ever.

“Other than me showing up, tell me something good that happened today,” I said.

She was quiet for a minute. “Um … they had pizza in the cafeteria.”

I glanced at her before pulling out onto the main street. “Pepperoni?”

She nodded.

“That counts!” I agreed.

“What all are we gonna do while Dad is gone?” she asked, literally bouncing in her seat.

I started to list off all the things I had bought, the goodies we were going to make, and the movies I had brought for us to watch. She giggled with pure delight. By the time we pulled into the driveway of their house, I had almost forgotten that I had to face Wilder again.

Almost.

Sarah slung open her door and scrambled out. “What do I need to carry?” she asked.

I popped the trunk. “We need to get the groceries out first.”

She ran around to the back and clapped her hands giddily before grabbing some bags and heading for the house. I got as many as I could, then followed her. She was opening the door, calling out to Wilder, before I got there.

“I LOVE YOU, DADDY!”

Yeah, Wilder. You’re welcome.

Not that he’d be thanking me anytime soon—or ever. I headed for the kitchen with my bags, not waiting for Wilder to appear. He didn’t want to see me anyway.

Belladonna came rushing out of the house and straight for me. I couldn’t set my bags down to greet her because she’d go after the food inside them so I kept walking.

“That’s a much different tune than this morning.” Wilder’s voice carried down the hall.

“You let Oaky come! Thank you, thank you, thank you!”

I smirked simply because I knew he was having to fake it, like I had earlier. Act as if this were a friendly decision. Setting the bags down, I put the cold stuff in the fridge with Belladonna staying glued to my side before turning to head back to get some more.

Sarah and Wilder blocked my path. I could see the gratitude in his expression, and I bit back a laugh. Something I knew he didn’t miss.

Yep, I came and made your daughter smile again. No thanks to you.

“Is there more?” he asked, his eyes widening.

“SO MUCH MORE!” Sarah exclaimed so loudly that Belladonna barked.

“I’ll get it. The two of you can put it away or whatever,” he said, turning around.

I could go with him and help, but then that would mean I had to talk to him. I went back to the kitchen instead.

“I’ll put the groceries up,” I told Sarah. “If you want to help your dad carry the decorations in though, that would be nice.”

“Okay,” she chirped, then hurried to catch up with him.

Belladonna looked from me to Sarah, and I waved my hand at her to follow Sarah.

I finished putting all the food away just as they both appeared with the rest of it. Taking the bags Sarah handed to me, I set them on the counter and started unpacking them, not looking up at Wilder as he placed the last of the food bags beside me.

“You went a bit overboard,” he said, surprising me. I figured we weren’t going to speak to each other.

I lifted my gaze to his. “Cookies to make, pies to bake, and cupcakes to ice. It takes a lot. Besides, I have some new Thanksgiving treat ideas I saw on Instagram that I want to do with Sarah. Y’all can take them to your mom’s for Thanksgiving.”

He didn’t say anything, but turned and left. Whatever. I didn’t need to have a conversation with him. Those days were long gone. I had found closure with it already.

When it was all put away, Sarah returned with bags of decorations with Belladonna trotting beside her.

“Set them in the foyer. We will let that be our general meeting place.”

She spun back around, and I went to follow her. More than one male voice came from the front doors as we drew nearer. I slowed as I recognized the other one. It had been a few years since I’d seen him. We had never really gotten to know each other. Even if I had dated his younger brother.

“Uncle Thatch!” Sarah called out and ran to Thatcher Shephard.

He still reminded me of Satan. Beautiful yet with a terrifying edge hidden under the surface. I had told Sebastian that once, and he’d laughed so hard, then informed me I was so accurate that it was frightening.

His dark eyes met mine. He didn’t appear surprised to see me. Like always, he seemed bored, aloof, as if the rest of the world meant little to him and was in his way.

“Oakley.” He said my name with his thick Southern Georgia drawl.

“Thatcher,” I replied. “Long time.”

The corner of his lips quirked like he might smile but didn’t. “Not since you broke my little brother’s heart, I believe.”

I winced. I didn’t want to be reminded of that. I’d had fun with Sebastian. He was a great distraction when I desperately needed one. For a while, I’d almost been happy. Up until he had gone and asked me to marry him with a ring the size of a golf ball.

“No hard feelings. You did him a favor. He’s not meant for marriage. His life in Vegas is thriving. Thank you.” His words weren’t meant to be mocking. He was being sincere.

I smiled. “Glad I could give him the push to find his place in life.”

Thatcher chuckled then. Something that was rare. “You did that all right.”

His gaze swung back to Wilder. There was something unspoken there, but Wilder understood the silent conversation, it seemed.

When Wilder turned back to us, he looked at me. Not Sarah. “Why don’t you take Sarah to the kitchen and get started on one of the many baked items you plan on making? Thatcher will help me bring in the rest of the decorations.”

There was a seriousness in his eyes that had me placing my hand on Sarah’s back and turning her around.

“We have some cake pops that look like turkeys I want to try,” I told her. “Let’s leave the lifting to the men.”