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Charli frowned as she looked up from the bin, her grip tightening on the bag of rolls she’d just picked up. “What are you talking about?”
“Blake keeps looking at you.”
“I doubt he’s interested in me,” Charli said. “And even if he is, that doesn’t mean I’m interested in him.”
Janessa gave a snort of laughter. “You’re never interested in anyone these days.”
“This is true. I don’t see any reason to change things up now.”
“Except he’s cute, and it seems like he’s going to be a part of our group. Plus, he’s got a little girl who already meshes really well with Layla.”
And Charli didn’t want to think about why that might be. She knew from experience that having a biological connection to a sister didn’t necessarily mean they’d get along. In fact, she got along better with the sister she wasn’t biologically related to.
Still… there was no denying that the girls had connected for whatever reason. Perhaps it was just Layla’s big heart that allowed her to see someone else’s need. She’d done the same with Peyton when he’d arrived, uprooted from everything he had known.
Charli was proud of that quality in her precious daughter, and she hoped that never changed.
“Are we ready to eat?” Jackson asked as he approached the table, his gaze taking in all the food that was laid out. “I’m starving.”
“You’re always starving,” Janessa said.
“Yep. Especially when there’s good food around.” Jackson glanced over at her. “How’re you doing?”
“I’m fine. You?”
He shrugged. “Hungry, but otherwise, good.”
“Gone on any dates lately?”
That got a grimace out of him. “Nope. I think I’m going to take a break for a bit.”
“Really?” Jackson was pretty much Charli’s opposite when it came to dating, so she was surprised that he would take a break from it. “Why?”
“I don’t know. I’m just getting tired of going on these dates, only for them to leave me no closer to finding someone I actually want to be with.”
Charli wished she had some advice for the guy, but she had no clue what to say. He wasn’t a bad person. His joking, lighthearted personality wasn’t really her thing, but Charli was sure that there was a woman out there somewhere who would appreciate it.
“Let’s pray, then we can dig in,” Jay said as everyone gathered around the table.
Once he said amen, Misha passed out paper plates. The adults waited while the kids filled their plates, then carried them to the large blanket that had been spread out on the grass.
While the others got their food, Charli returned to her car to retrieve the lawn chairs she’d brought. When she returned, Jay said, “You should have asked me to get those for you.”
Charli gave him a quick smile. “It wasn’t a big deal.”
“Go get your food,” he said as he took the chairs from her. “I’ll get these set up.”
Glancing around, Charli saw that Blake was at the picnic table with Will. She hesitated a moment before walking over to join them. Avoiding him was just not possible and would only make people wonder what was going on.
Blake looked over as she joined them at the table. The stack of paper plates was on his side of the table, and without her having to ask, Blake picked one up and held it out to her.
“Thanks.” His consideration was a reminder of how he’d treated her when they’d been together.
Growing up in such a large family with some bold personalities, it had been rare for anyone to focus on her. There were times she’d longed for more attention, especially her parents, and in Blake, she’d found someone who had given that to her. Even when they hadn’t been public about their relationship, he’d still managed to let her know that he was watching her. That he saw her.
“You’re welcome.” Why the deep timber of his voice sent shivers down her spine with just those two words, she didn’t know. But it did.
“So, where do you work, Blake?” Will asked.
