Page 58 of Dare to Dance
I grabbed her hands, which were cold and clammy. “I was in a different place than you back in high school.”
“And now?”
“I’ve told you how I feel when I’m around you.”
She dropped her gaze to her feet. “I need to hear it again.”
Even though that knot in my stomach grew tighter, I grinned because she was wearing the new Nikes I’d bought her. “Hey.” With a finger under her chin, I guided her to look at me. “The more I’m around you, the stronger my feelings get. But why do you sound so desperate to hear how I feel?” Visions of high school surfaced. She’d been insistent, asking me how I felt about her then. Only now, I didn’t want to run, even though I didn’t like when someone backed me into a corner and demanded an answer. “We’re not sixteen anymore. I’m not running if that’s what you think. I was serious when I said I wanted to rekindle what we had.”
“No matter what?” She searched my face in earnest.
I glanced past her to the lagoon. I didn’t scare easily, but she was doing a good job of making my pulse soar, and not because I loved the way her auburn hair blew in the light breeze, or how her long lashes fluttered when she shied away, or how her pouty lips called my name.
“I thought so,” she said, hurt washing over her features as she walked to the gated entrance.
I followed her. “Ruby, wait.”
Just past Ruby, a woman walked through the gate, holding a little girl’s hand. Before I could get another word out of my mouth, the little girl ran up to Ruby. The child had jet-black hair pulled into two ponytails with pink bows, and the bluest fucking eyes I’d ever seen. I faltered where I stood. Then I shook my head, closed my eyes, blinked several times before I set my gaze on the little girl again.
She jumped into Ruby’s arms. “Mommy.” She planted her tiny hands on Ruby’s face. “I missed you.”
The world around me spun. The sky darkened. My heart leapt out of my chest.Mommy?
A hand landed on my arm. “You must be Kross Maxwell,” the woman said.
I wasn’t sure who I was, or who the woman was standing beside me. I couldn’t take my eyes off the little girl. My hands began to shake as I stood stock-still, my mind and limbs frozen. I would have sworn my heart stopped.
Ruby set the girl down, grasped her hand, and walked up to me. “Raven, I would like you to meet a friend of mine. His name is Kross.”
She waved and beamed with a smile, revealing a lone dimple just like the one I had and on the same right side. I was a tough, powerful man. I punched men out for a living, hardly cried, knew what death felt like, and knew what heartache felt like. But at that moment when Raven smiled, I was reduced to nothing. Tears burned, hot and fierce, before they spilled out like a rushing waterfall.
Raven walked up to me. Automatically, I squatted down as though she had some magical abilities over me.
“Why are you crying?” Her sweet voice slid over me, creating a surge of goose bumps. “You know, the swans and ducks always make me smile. Do you want to go with me to see them?”
I glanced up at Ruby. Tears slid down her face. I couldn’t tell if she was happy or sad at the moment. Then I set my sights on Raven. “Can I talk to your mom first?” I was ninety-nine percent sure she was my daughter. But I wanted to hear it from Ruby.
The lady next to me cleared her throat. “Hi. I’m Ms. Waters. I’m Ruby’s social worker.”
I pushed to my feet on shaky legs as several emotions plowed through me like a bulldozer on steroids—happiness, sadness, anger, fear, joy, and confusion. My brain was too foggy to figure out which one took control of my body.
Ms. Waters pushed her glasses up higher on her nose.
I blew out a long breath. “Social worker?” I pinched my eyebrows together. Questions piled up on the tip of my tongue.
Ms. Waters glared at Ruby. “You didn’t tell him?” Irritation scraped her tone.
Ruby shook her head as fear swam in her eyes. “I haven’t. I didn’t have time.”
She’d had all the fucking time in the world.
Raven hugged Ruby’s leg. “Mommy, can we go down to the water?”
Ruby patted Raven’s head. “Just a second, baby.”
“We talked about this on the phone,” Ms. Waters said. Then she addressed me. “I’m sorry. If I knew she hadn’t told you, then I would’ve said no to this meeting.”
“Does it matter?” I asked.
