Page 6 of Willow Vale

There was no way I could play it off now.

I cleared my throat. “My mom mentioned she saw you working there the other day.”

“Oh, how is Amelia? And Desmond?” she asked about my parents with a fondness.

“They’re good. Same as always, staying close to the ranch and raising hell.”

A small smile reached her lips, a fondness filling her voice. “That sounds like them.”

After we broke up, not only did things change between us but so did her relationship with my family. Not that they didn’t still love Delilah or constantly wonder how she’s been.

“As much as I love to talk about my parents, I’ve got to ask…” She hesitantly looked at me, waiting for me to ask what we both knew was coming. “Why do you want to work here?”

Delilah ran a hand through her hair with a frown, embarrassment taking over her soft features. “I got fired after being late one too many times.”

I couldn’t hold back the amused tone that followed my words. “I can’t say I’m surprised about that. You always were late to everything.”

She sent me an incredulous look and I arched a brow, both of us knowing I’m right.

“I was running late taking River to school and the rest was history. Same thing that happened in January.” She muttered that last part to herself, but I caught it.

“What happened in January?” I asked, resting my hands on the bar top and leaning forward.

“Same thing that happened last week.”

“Ah, I’m seeing a pattern.” I grinned.

She huffed out a laugh. “Is this how talk to your customers? Because if it is, I got to tell you it makes me wonder how you’re still in business.”

I had to fight a smile at her little outburst. In this moment, she reminded me of the spirited and quick-witted girl I loved spending time with under the willow tree on my parents’ property.

Those moments when she was happy as a kid were rare. She was this shy kid who looked afraid of her own shadow at times. It used to bother me so much that I used to try really hard to get her to smile. It made me hate the person responsible who made such a small, fragile girl so afraid of saying how she truly felt.

That was back then.

“Did you try to see if the hardware store was hiring? I know Rick was looking for a cashier a few weeks back.” That came out exactly how I intended for it to sound. Like us working together would be a bad idea. Because I could handle mutually avoiding each other. I’d managed to do so for so long now. What I couldn’t handle was seeing her nearly every other night without fighting the urge to know more about her. Find out how she’s been managing all on her own since her grandfather passed away. What her life has been like raising her little brother.

She finally said after a beat of silence, “Look, I get that this is beyond awkward for you. It is for me too, believe me. But I just need a job to get by this summer. For River. I have to be able to provide for him, Travis. I have to. You don’t have to hire me but…I’d appreciate it if you did.”

She was right. This wasn’t exactly the most ideal situation for either of us. But for River—for the little boy I saw clinging to her whenever I caught a rare sighting of the two together in town—I knew I couldn’t say no. No matter how uncomfortable we’d both be working together, the kid had to come first.

I sighed and nodded. “When can you start?”

CHAPTER 4

Lila

I wokeup to a little finger poking my cheek.

“Lila?” River whispered my name, sounding both shy and a little concerned. “You awake now? I think I gotta go to school.”

Before even opening my eyes, I reached over to blindly pat my nightstand until I found my phone. I tugged it off the charger and willed my vision to clear up before sighing. “It’s Saturday, buddy. There’s no school.”

I barely managed to close my eyes before I felt a small weight crawling across the bed until River was lying on top of me. He shoved my hair off my face, and I cracked an eye open to find him with a goofy smile on his round face. “What are you doing?”

Why did my kid have to be an early bird? Why?

“I was trying to get some shut eye before you dragged me out of this comfortable bed. But I guess that’s not happening.” I reached up and captured him into a bear hug, rolling around the bed until he was giggling loudly. I blew a raspberry against his cheek, and he shrieked, trying to push me off him.

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