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Wade
“Daddy, catch!” Cooper calls out, rearing back to throw the football toward me. “I’m gonna throw it long, so you gotta run!”
I laugh, and my son’s eyes light up as he arches back. “Give me your best,” I say to him, readying myself to take off across the yard.
He whirls it into the air, and it goes soaring way off to the right of me. “Get it!”
I scramble to catch the ball, barely grabbing its base before tumbling downward and rolling in the grass. Despite me being a tuck and roll type of guy, I can feel my age creeping up on me...
Because that hurt.
However, there’s a burst of sweet laughter that fills the air, and I look up to see Callie cracking up while Harper’s got an amused look on her face.
Man, she’s gorgeous.
Callie, that is. She’s literally the most naturally beautiful woman I’ve ever seen, and the way she carries herself just makes it that much better. Not to mention, she’s managed to socialize with Harper for upwards of three hours—and Harper has actually seemed to relax around her.
It’s a miracle.
“Daddy, are you okay?” Coop’s eyes appear suddenly over my head, a concerned look on his face. “It was loud when you fell down, but you caught it.”
“It’s a well-made sacrifice then,” I grunt cheerfully, sitting up and grabbing him up into my lap. “It’s all good, but I think it’s your turn to go long.”
“Are you okay?” Callie’s voice calls out from the back porch where she was just laughing her face off.
“I’m good!” I give a thumbs up before painfully getting off the ground and dusting my jeans off with my free hand.
“Good to hear—now I don’t have to feel bad for laughing.” She bursts into another fit of giggles as she meets my gaze. I raise an eyebrow at her, before throwing the football to Coop and sprinting off toward her. “What’re you doing?” she squeals as she starts backing away.
“Payback for laughing,” I say, her eyes going wide.
“No!” She giggles, taking off sprinting away from me. Despite being little, she is fast—and her laugh is contagious. I find myself panting breathlessly and laughing all at the same time, and when I finally catch her, I wrap my arms around her waist. I pull her to me, her warm amber scent wrapping itself around me as her hair brushes my face.
“Got ya,” I say in her ear, suddenly caught off guard by the way her body feels pressed against mine. It’s ... exciting.
And for that reason, I release her, suddenly aware that I might be making her uncomfortable. Her hand stays on my forearm as she spins around to face me, her cheeks flushed. Part of me knows that she was just running in the cold, but I still hope that it has something to do with the contact we just had.
She smiles up at me. “You’re quick, Wade,” she pants, pushing her hair out of her face. Her gaze intensifies as we stand there for a moment, her hand burning on my arm.
“Daddy!” Coop calls out, running smack dab into my leg and wrapping his arm around it. “We should all play tag!”
“Yeah,” I choke out, my mouth feeling dry. “Let’s do that.”
“Will you play, Callie?” Coop asks, turning his attention to her. His eyes are alight with pleading, his bottom lip pooched out a little. “I know that Momma won’t play, but you can run real fast.”
Callie gives him a warm smile that melts my heart. “Yeah, I’ll play. I just hope that you don’t run as fast as your dad—or I don’t think I’ll be able to catch you.”
“Oh, I run faster,” he says, jumping up and down, “and you get to be it!” He takes off, running down the hill in the open backyard overlooking the rolling pastures.
Callie erupts in laughter, taking off after him, her auburn hair blowing in the breeze behind her. There’s something about her that’s just so ... right, and I find myself spitting out lyrics in my head, wishing that I had my guitar right then.
I’ve finally found my muse.
Just as I’m about to take off, I feel a hand on my bicep, and I spin around to see Harper. I nearly cringe—simply because anytime she wants to talk, it’s usually in the form of a lecture.
“I’m trying to make things right,” I say as she opens her mouth. “I really am. I know that I had a wild stent this last tour—and really all the others before it—but I’m trying Harper.”
She raises an eyebrow at me, her blue eyes looking a little more icy than normal. “You do seem ... different.”
