Page 23 of Like A Daydream
“I’m normally not that big of an idiot,” he replies, “I haven’t exactly been talking to just about anyone for the last month. I’m Andrew.”
“I’ve heard,” Danielle says, turning to look at him and trying not to let her immediate attraction show on her face. He’s tall, easily 6’3, with broad shoulders and soft, dark hair that falls in waves around his ears and ends just above his shoulders. It’s the kind of hair you want to run your fingers through and tug on, just to see what sound he would make.
She’s not sadistic, she swears. She just really likes a man with grabbable hair.
He has a sharp, square jaw, with the slightest shadowing of a beard along it and she’s immediately wishing she had never noticedthatdetail.
This one right here, he’s aman.
Not one of the boys in this town she’s wasted her time with. She’s looking at an honest-to-goodnessMan.
She clears her throat and holds her hand out. He takes it, and she takes note of a leather bracelet wrapped around his opposite wrist. “I’m Danielle. It’s nice to know your name, first.”
“Yeah,” Andrew says, running a hand through his hair again. A nervous tick, maybe? “I’m usually not one to word-vomit all over the place. It’s been tough out there.”
“Join the club,” Danielle replies.
Jet’s warning echoes in her ears, but seriously. What does this guy even know about life being hard? He’s an NHL player with more money than the entire town is worth. Millions of people fawning over him and giving him whatever he wants or needs, while playing a sport he loves.
She doesn’t think the word ‘tough’ could even be in his vocabulary. And if it is, it’s certainly not with the definition the rest of the world goes by.
The bell above the door jingles again, and Danielle looks up to see Erick following Harper into the store. She’s running down the center aisle, dirty blonde hair trailing behind her as she does.
“Hey, Sparrow!” Danielle says, setting her remaining books down on one of the ladder steps just in time for Harper to crash into her and fling her arms around her waist.
It takes her all of two seconds for her to realize that Harper is crying. Big, wet tears that she’s trying to hide in Danielle’s shirt. She glances over at Erick and he sighs, shrugs, and runs a hand over his face. He’s still in his emerald green scrubs, and she thinks that might be blood on his pants.
“I picked her up from school like this,” he offers in explanation. “They called me. Said they tried to get a hold of you but you didn’t answer.”
“My phone was in the back,” she replies.
“Make sure you keep it on you,” Erick says. “I have to get back to work, but I’ll stop at your place tonight to make sure everything is okay.”
“Thanks, Erick.”
He gives her a nod before heading back out the door and to his car.
Danielle crouches down so she can pick Harper up, and Harper buries her face in Danielle’s shoulder.
Jet and Andrew are watching her, with matching expressions of concern on their faces. Jet looks sad, and Andrew looks slightly confused by the whole thing, but his eyes are soft and on Harper as Danielle adjusts her in her arms.
“It was nice to see you, Jet,” she says, “and nice to meet you Andrew. Maybe I’ll see you both soon?”
“Don’t forget what I said,” Jet says as she starts to walk towards the back office. “Anything you need, just call.”
“Thanks,” she says over her shoulder, “tell Ainsley I said hi.”
She shuts the office door behind her and sets Harper on her desk. She’s stopped crying, but her eyes are red-rimmed and wet with tears. Danielle runs her thumb under Harper’s eyes to wipe them away.
“What happened, Sparrow?” she asks softly. Harper sniffs and hides her face behind her hands.
“I was in art class,” she says between sniffles, “and the teacher asked us to draw our families, and I didn’t know who to draw.”
Danielle’s heart shatters, and then falls out of her chest onto the wood floor of her office as Harper begins to cry again. She doesn’t know what to say, she can only hug her again and let her cry.
“Why did my mom and dad have to go?” she sobs into Danielle’s shirt. “It’s not fair, everyone else has their mom and dad.”
“I know it’s not, Sparrow,” Danielle says softly, trying to hold back her own tears, “I know. You can still draw them when they ask to draw your family.”
