Page 34 of Wicked & Wildflower

“Two o’clock, I think,” Darby says from her spot next to me. She’s on her back, face tilted toward the sun. She looks at peace.

I’m the utter opposite of peaceful as I nod. “Alright, we should probably call them in. I have a feeling they lose track of time out there.”

My sister chuckles in agreement as she lifts her head, and we both look out to the horizon.

Everett stands about chest deep in the water, calm waves cresting and crashing against his perfect, golden abdomen. Leo stands closer to shore in knee-deep water. Lou takes turns paddling back and forth, coasting through the waves between the two of them.

She’s laughing the entire time, and so are they.

“It makes my ovaries ache.”

I laugh at that, throwing Darby’s dress at her as we both stand. I whistle toward the boys and motion for them to come back to shore before turning to my sister. “Can we get you through your wedding first?”

She smiles softly to herself, hazel eyes catching mine with a knowing glitter. “We can certainly try.”

I shake my head as we both giggle.

We begin folding up towels and packing our bags as Leo reaches us with both his and Lou’s surfboards balanced on top of his head, Everett follows behind him with my daughter at his side. She jumps ahead of him as she reaches me, barreling her wet little body into my arms.

“Did you see me?”

“I did, bug. You were doing so well.” I squat down to her level, brushing the wet strands of hair that came loose from her braid off her forehead.

“Why do we have to leave?”

“Everett has to get to work.”

She pouts.

“I wanted to take you to get ice cream, Lulu. But,” Leo draws, “if you don’t want any, then I guess I’ll just go by myself.”

My daughter’s face instantly brightens, lips parting to reveal a toothy grin as she looks from her uncle back to me. “Can I?”

I shoot Leo a grateful look; he must know what I have planned next. “Of course.”

She smiles as I wrap her in a towel. I notice her gaze catching Everett, who’s trying to fold up one of our umbrellas but struggling. A small smile accents her cheeks. “Is Everett coming?”

“Do you want him to?” I ask cautiously, noticing the anticipation of her answer sends a sensation through my stomach.

She nods. “Yeah.”

“Okay. I’ll ask him if he wants to come.” I pull her into me and press my lips against her head. “Why don’t you help Darby and Leo take the surfboards back to the shop? I’ll help Everett with the umbrellas and ask him if he’d like to join us for ice cream and then meet you up there, yeah?”

She nods, and I send her off to my sister, who wraps her in a hug. Darby throws a bag over her shoulder, Lou holds the towels, and Leo grabs the surfboards as they take off through the sand.

I stand up straight and face Everett, who’s been waiting with his arms crossed. A different kind of trepidation washes over me as his eyes meet mine. “You wanted to talk, Wildflower?”

I nod. “Yeah…” I take a breath, preparing myself for the conversation coming next. “I’m sorry for how I acted last week. I got a call from her dad, and I was just…”

“Don’t apologize. You’ve got nothing to apologize for.”

“Okay,” I breathe. “I just… I’m scared, I guess. He hasn’t been around in a while, and I don’t like the idea of him trying to be involved again.”

I almost hate those words as they fall from my mouth. My child deserves a father. I should want her father to be part of her life, But I don’t trust his intentions—I never have. I don’t have it in me to watch her get hurt by him again, and I can’t pretend it wasn’t part of the reason I came to California so easily: to avoid the fear of ever running into him, of having him pretend he doesn’t know his own daughter and watching that break her.

But purposely keeping her away now that he reached out doesn’t make me feel any better.

It feels like no matter what I do, I’m the bad guy.

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