Page 78 of Love Me Boldly

“Mommy!” Jonah shouted.

He’d stopped in the parking lot and then threw his arm out in my direction. “My coach is here! From camp! Can I say hi?”

As predicted, her smile fell. She followed where Jonah’s arm was gesturing to, and her shoulders slumped a fraction.

Dang. I didn’t want to cause her stress. I wanted her to know I was there to make her life easier. Not harder.

I lifted my hand as our gazes met and smirked.Come on, come sit with me. You know you want to.I silently pleaded with my eyes,daringher to take the risk.

She said something to Jonah, and his arm fell. Together, the two of them headed straight for the bakery, Mellie’s Cakes, next door.

Right before I lost them from sight, she looked back and smiled at me, shaking her head like I was ridiculous.

Nowthatlook, I was used to. Typical Holly. She might have walls, and she might try to act tough, but deep down, she was as tenderhearted as they came.

I took it as a small win that she didn’t ignore me completely.

My food would come. If they hadn’t come out by the time I was done eating, I’d go after them. Scratch that. If they came out while I was still eating or waiting, I’d go say hi.

Wouldn’t want to disappoint Jonah, after all.

TWENTY-FIVE

HOLLY

“What’s he doing here?” Jonah asked, peppering me with this thousandth question of the day as he scanned the large menu board in front of us and drooled over all the cupcakes, beignets, donuts in the cases. “Camp is done, and he doesn’t live here. That’s weird, right, Mommy?”

Not so weird, actually. I should have known he wouldn’t leave. Should have known hoping he would leave would make my hopes come true.

He’d said he was staying. He was staying.

So much for avoiding him.

“Promise we can go say hi when we get our treats?” He bounced on the balls of his feet as he asked.

“I promised, Jonah, and you know I keep my promises.”

“It’s the right thing to do,” he sang.

I closed my eyes and shook my head. What a great kid. Sometimes I wondered how much I was actually teaching him, how good of a person I was raising, but then he said things like that in his sweet little voice, and I wanted to trap him at this age forever.

Although I was pretty sureeveryage he hit so far was my favorite.

I said a quick prayer I’d keep feeling that way as he grew and turned into a preteen and then a teenager.

“Well hi, friends!” Millie pushed through the back door, her blond hair pulled back into a bun, her eyes glimmering with excitement. To date, I wasn’t sure I’d ever seen her frown. She had that perpetual happiness about her that made me envious. “Early for treats today, isn’t it, Jonah? You must have been averygood boy.”

He gave her a serious nod. “Yup. I was. Made my bed without being asked and everything.”

He flung out his arms as wide as they went.

“Well.” Millie laughed. “Sounds like you definitely earned a treat. How can I help?”

“Only two and some ice cream, Jonah,” I reminded him.

The extra two treats were bribes. Our friends couldn’t join us at the park, and he’d been so disappointed. Maybe it wasn’t the best parenting strategy, but it worked in a pinch.

“Andtwoscoops of ice cream in a bowl. Superman and bubble gum.”

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