Page 29 of Here With Me

“Mom! Mom! Watch me!” Lottie’s voice rang out with all the happiness of a carefree child, but the volume had Sadie rubbing her temples as she watched her daughter sitting backwards on top of the slide. She pushed off and slid down, landed with a thud, and then ran to the monkey bars.

Advil. If she could make it materialize in her pocket, she’d swallow it without any water.

“Look, Mom!” Lottie grabbed the bar, pulled herself up and worked herself into a sitting position on top of the bar.

Talk about making Sadie’s heart pump fast. All she’d wanted was to sit and swing for a bit, not get dragged all over the playground.

“Hi, Mr. Williams!” Lottie waved frantically, and Sadie followed her line of vision. David stood next to a gold Subaru Brat and returned Lottie’s wave.

Lottie landed with a thump next to Sadie, kicking up some sand, which pelted Sadie. Thank goodness for jeans.

Lottie ran to greet David, giving him an energetic high five.

A deep laugh sounded, and the light breeze carried it over to Sadie, doing funny things to her stomach. She hated to admit that the old pull toward David hadn’t died, and instead, it reignited with a stronger tug each time she saw him.

In his forest green flannel shirt that made Sadie want to run her fingers over his shoulders—just to find out if the shirt was as soft at it looked—jeans, and work boots, he did cut a fine figure. The perfect boy-next-door good looks only made him more appealing as his lips parted into a breathtaking grin. He could be on the cover of any outdoor magazine.

Sadie inhaled—she would calm her heart rate before he reached her. There was no reason it should be racing right now. No reason at all.

When deep breathing didn’t work, Sadie turned and walked toward the swing that she’d wanted to sit on all night and used her foot to push herself forward and back.

“Hey.” David’s velvety soft voice sent a thrill through her. “This seat taken?” He held the chain of the swing next to her.

Sadie shook her head and he sat down, swinging in time with her. The perfect relaxing moment she’d pictured in her head.

“Watch this, Mr. Williams!” Lottie jumped up, grabbed the monkey bars, and then pulled her legs through to skin the cat. She let go of the bars and landed on both feet with her arms in the air like a professional gymnast.

David’s eyebrows shot up, and he clapped. “Nicely done, Lottie.”

Lottie bowed dramatically then pointed at the old one-room schoolhouse across the square. “Can I go to the library? It’s closing soon.”

Sadie barely nodded before Lottie took off at top speed toward the library.

“I’ll be right behind you,” Sadie called after Lottie, who raised one hand without pausing her stride. At least Lottie had given her an easy out. A few minutes’ chat, and she could follow.

“I didn’t expect to see you still in town.” He’d gotten off a few hours ago.

“Unca David?” A young voice called across the square. A tiny little girl ran toward them with David’s sisters a few feet behind.

David stood and scooped up the little girl, who squeezed him around his neck.

“I can’t wait to come play in my fairy house. What kind of dessert are you making?” The little girl pressed a sloppy kiss on David’s cheek. His entire body seemed to soften with the girl’s embrace. The adoration between the two was clear as the child pressed both her hands on his cheeks and pushed his lips out, forcing him to make a face.

Rather than fight her, he wiggled his brows and spoke in a deep and silly—yet still somehow swoony—voice. “What kind of dessert do you want?”

The little girl giggled. “S’mores. Mommy said that’s what we’d have.”

“As you wish, Vangie.”

Be still her heart. David on his own was attractive, but David holding a little girl who obviously adored him? Wow.

Just wow.

Sadie’s unruly heart picked up speed again.

Caroline and Leah joined them, saying a brief but friendly hello to Sadie before turning their attention to their brother.

“You guys finished Bible study early.” Leah bumped David’s shoulder.

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