Page 54 of Make Your Shot
Tella comes bounding into the kitchen, severing the moment as she wraps her arms around my legs. “Happy birthday, Mia!”
I catch Caleb’s gaze, the way his expression softens and a warmth enters his eyes as he watches his daughter. I stare down at her, waiting for her to release my legs before I crouch down and pull her in for a hug. “Thank you, Tella! Did you come down for the cookies?”
“Duh, silly!” She giggles and hugs me back. When she pulls back, her blue grey eyes meet mine. “And because it’s your birthday! Birthdays are the best days ever.”
“They are, aren’t they?” I smile back at her, tapping the tip of her nose with my finger. My gaze shifts past her, colliding with Caleb’s as he watches me from across the room. His throat bobs with a rough swallow, a ghost of a smile dancing across his perfect lips and I could swear his eyes are a bit misty.
“The cookies should be cool enough to move to the cooling rack in a few minutes,” Caleb says, his voice catching in his throat as I stand back upright and Tella marches over to the oven. “Wait until they’re cooled before you eat them,” he tells Tella.
“Aw, Daddy. You’re not even going to stay and eat Mia’s birthday cookies with us?”
I stifle a laugh, walking over to the two of them. “He has to go to practice, babe.”
“I promise I’ll eat one when I get home,” he says as he leans down to plant a kiss on her forehead. “You be on your best behavior for Mia.”
“Yes, daddy,” she says, nodding her head at him as she steps around him to head over to the fridge.
“Thank you, Caleb,” I say just loud enough for him to hear me. “Thank you for this.”
He studies my face and he takes a step closer, lifting his hand to cup the side of my face. “Thank you,” he counters, his voice barely above a whisper. The pad of his thumb runs along my jaw and he immediately drops it away as Tella closes the fridge. “Happy birthday, Mia.”
His eyes linger on mine for a fraction of a second longer before he leaves the two of us in the kitchen and heads out the door to the garage. I touch the side of my face, feeling the warmth of his fingers once more. My own fingers move down to my lips and I bite back a grin, still feeling the softness of his mouth pressed against mine.
Caleb Ford is inching deeper and deeper into the organ beneath my ribcage and he doesn’t even know it.
And I’m not so sure I’ll ever tell him how much any of this actually meant to me. But I swore this could just be casual.Who am I kidding?
CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR
CALEB
As I walk into my house, it feels weird, walking into the silence. There’s no one here and it just feels...off. Tella fell asleep at Andi’s, so Andi just said to come get her in the morning. Mia left early this afternoon after I got home from practice. It just doesn’t feel right coming home and not even seeing her.
I kick off my shoes, walk deeper into the house, and pause when I walk into the kitchen. On the center of the island in the middle of the room is a Tupperware with the cookies I made for Mia this morning. A smile pulls on my lips as I walk closer, noticing a note she left for me.
These were the best cookies I’ve ever had.
I don’t know what the secret ingredient is that you put in them, but I promise I won’t tell anyone if you decide to share it with me.
Yours,
Mia
Popping off the lid, I pull out one of the cookies and sink my teeth into it. The sweetness of the chocolate and the almond flour blend so well, it doesn’t even taste like it’s gluten free.
After finding out she has celiac disease, I found out everything I could about it. I know it’s not necessarily a food allergy, but anything that can do internal damage is worth exercising safety from. The last thing I want is for my home to be a danger to Mia and her health.
Everything in my house is completely gluten free now, just so there’s no risk to her.
Pulling out my phone, I open my messages app. My finger hovers above Mia’s name. It’s her birthday and she’s out with her friend right now, but I feel compelled to text her. I don’t know if it’s the note she left or the loneliness and silence creeping in.
I just want to talk to her.
How’s your night going?
Mia
It’s going well.
