Twist of Fate Louise, Tia (read dune .txt) 📖

“It was a fun week.”

My throat is so tight. “What are you saying?”

He walks around the store, pausing to pick up a figurine. “I came here because I wanted to see you again. I wanted to reconnect and get to know each other again. But now… This changes everything.”

“Does it?”

“Yeah, it does.” His brow is furrowed, and my stomach is tight.

I don’t know what to say. I don’t know if it’s a good change or a bad change, but I know one thing. “Remember when we were friends?”

He hesitates. “Yes.”

“Maybe we can start there. Want to be friends again?” I try to smile, but his brow is still furrowed.

“We never stopped being friends.”

“Well,” blinking down, I say a little prayer. “Then we’ve started.”

Lifting his chin, he looks around the store. “It looks like you need some help with this stuff. I’m pretty good at lifting and moving things.”

A sliver of relief filters through my chest. “We can start tomorrow.”

He nods. “Good. I’ve got some things to do today.”

Twenty-Three

Scout

I have a daughter.

She’s this magical little golden ball of three-year-old energy, and I’m trying to wrap my mind around it. She’s adorable and funny, and seriously bossy.

She’s mine, and she’s Daisy’s. I almost can’t believe it.

All that time I was alone in L.A., she was here being born, being a baby. My stomach tightens, and my chest burns because my heart has expanded so fast with love for her. I love her. She’s my little girl. And she plays football.

“Go far, brave knight!” She holds the small pink football at her chest like she actually knows what she’s doing.

Go far? I don’t know what to make of it, so I jog away from her a little distance as she hoists the ball with all her strength, kicking out her leg in the back like a ballerina.

The ball curves in a short arc, and for the second and a half it has air, it actually turns in a spiral before bouncing off the ground between us.

Melody looks at it with so much disappointment, like it’s her first incomplete pass.

“That’s okay!” I jog forward, scooping it off the ground and carrying it to her again. “We’re just getting warmed up.”

Taking a knee in front of her, I put my hand on her tiny waist, hoping to comfort her.

Her rosebud lips press into a frown. “You’re not very good at this.”

I can’t help a laugh. “I guess I’m out of practice. Let’s try again.”

“You need a lot of practice.” She says it like I’m hopeless, and I fall completely in love with her.

“I’ll do better, princess. Give me another chance.”

“Okay.” She exhales heavily, lifting the ball to her chest again. “Go far!”

This time I only take one step back as she throws it with all her strength. It makes the tiniest spiral, and I scoop it up before it hits the ground, running to the other end of the field and waving my arms like an idiot.

“Touchdown!” I yell, and she throws both fists over her head, jumping up and down.

Then she stands perfectly still and screams at the top of her lungs.

My heart plunges, and I run to her at top speed, dropping to my knees and catching her waist. “What’s the matter? Does something hurt?”

I look all around her face, her small body, wondering how you know if someone’s appendix has burst.

She stops screaming and calmly takes the football. “That’s what the cheerleaders do.”

Turning, she prances away, golden curls bouncing around her shoulders, and I do my best to resume normal breathing. She nearly made my heart stop.

“Since you’re the quarterback princess, you don’t need to be a cheerleader.”

She stops and turns, considering this. “Being a cheerleader hurts my throat. Coco can be a cheerleader.”

Thank God. “Good idea.”

“Go far!” She hoists the ball, and I lunge forward to catch it before it hits the ground.

I hit the ground, rolling onto my back and holding the ball up, wondering how much more of this I can stand. J.R. threw some stinkers when we played together, but he’s got nothing on my daughter.

“She’ll give you a workout.” The familiar male voice makes me pause, and I see the sheriff standing on the sidewalk watching us.

Putting the ball under my arm, I walk over to where he’s standing. “Daisy said you taught her how to play.”

“Didn’t take much teaching. That little girl’s a natural.” He smiles, watching her with pride, and I’m not sure how to feel about this guy.

“You’re close with Daisy?”

“I’ve been checking on her and Emberly since Melody was a baby, or a bossy toddler, I should say. She’s the first little kid who’s ever pointed her finger at me and told me No.”

Pride swells in my chest. “She’s still pretty bossy.”

“Yeah, she is.” He gives me a quick glance, and adds, “She and Coco were the little flower girls when I married Tabby.”

My eyes flicker to his left hand, where a shiny gold band sits. It releases the tension in my shoulders. He’s married. “I’ve got to meet everybody.”

“You will.” He puts his hand on his belt. “The village is pretty small, and the people are very friendly.”

The way he says it makes me think it must be like Fireside. “Friendly and curious?”

“Exactly.” He takes a step as if to go, then pauses. “You planning to be around a while?”

I look over to where my little girl is dancing around with a football under her arm picking the purple clover flowers. “Yeah, I’m not going anywhere.”

Melody has spotted us and runs at top speed to where we’re standing. “Mr. Chad, go far!”

He takes a step back before bending quickly to catch the ball my daughter just hurled at his crotch. “Good. We’re starting to get outnumbered.”

Laughter bubbles in my stomach, and I scoop up my daughter. “Come here, princess. It’s time to get some lunch.”

She squeals with laughter, and I put her on my shoulders. Yeah, I’ll be here for a