Page 100 of Wishing Hearts

“Last slice,” he says with a somewhat shy smile.

Oh, God.

“Did you buy a single piece of cake just for me?”

“Yes?” he says, nose scrunching. Jesus, he’s cute. “You said once that you never got the last slice anymore. That it’s one of the simple things you miss from when your life was a li’l less…complicated.”

I swallow hard. I didsay that.

“Well, here you go,” he says. “Last slice of cake. It’s all yours.”

“Sam,” I breathe out, shaking my head. First, arranging a night alone and taking me out for beers. Now, this. I’ve never had someone listen to me so clearly. Never had someone try so hard to put me first. “I love you.”

Sam’s face breaks into a beaming smile, like simply hearing those words means the absolute world to him. “Love you, too, stud.”

Damn. Yeah, not going to get over that any time soon.

“Thank you, Sammy,” I add. “For the cake.”

“You bet,” he says, giving my fork-holding hand a little nudge. “Now eat up before Winnie gets home and you lose your chance.”

I huff a laugh but get to it. At the first bite of strawberry goodness, I groan. Cake for breakfast should be a new rule.

Sam’s eyes drop to my lips as I lick the crumbs away. “Good?”

I tug him in, sharing the flavor, and he hums happily against me. So easy to please, this man.

The thought gives me pause.

“Sam,” I say slowly, plucking up another forkful of cake. “There’s something I need to tell you.” He looks concerned for all of a second before I add, “Nothing bad.”

“All right,” he says, pressing his leg against mine. “Shoot.”

I chew before speaking, using the time to collect my thoughts. So few people know about this, but I don’t feel right not telling Sam. Not anymore.

“Biologically, Winnie is not my daughter,” I finally say, the words like a heavy weight dripping off my tongue.

Sam’s eyes widen. There’s a brief pause before he says, “She looks so much like you, though.”

I nod. “She’s my niece.”

“Oh. Oh wow,” he says, moving his head up and down a little like he’s getting his bearings. “All right. You have a brother, then? Sister?”

“Sister,” I confirm, throat catching. “Danielle.”

Sam places his hand on my thigh and squeezes. “God, Harrison. Thank you for sharin’ that with me. Would you tell me what happened?”

“Yeah,” I answer, setting the cake aside. My gut hollows a bit. I haven’t said any of this aloud in so long. “Danielle… She’s always been unstable, for lack of a better word. My parents tried really hard when she was younger to get her proper help and medication, but my sister found ways to avoid taking her meds. She was just…flighty in a way that caused issues with school and friends and her own health. And she didn’t like being told what to do. As soon as she was old enough to leave, she did. She’s not a bad person,” I explain. “But she’s not balanced, either, and she was in no way ready to take on the responsibilities of parenthood. She knew that much, at least, which is why she turned up on my doorstep when Winnie was two days old. We didn’t even know she was pregnant.”

“Oh, Harrison,” Sam says, increasing the pressure on my leg.

I nod slowly as memories flit through my mind. They’re so clear, as if it happened yesterday. “She couldn’t take care of Winnie, but I couldn’t… I couldn’t not. She was this tiny thing, you know? Utterly defenseless, wrinkled, and gorgeous. Danielle left before the adoption paperwork was even finalized.”

He squeezes again, but I can’t seem to stop talking now that I’ve started.

“It was a couple months after I left Plum Valley. I was living a few hours away from here at the time, but the job I had picked up wasn’t enough to take care of me and a newborn. So, I applied all around the state and lucked into the full-time vet position here near Houston. My parents moved at the same time to help out, but it was like my entire world got flipped upside-down in the blink of an eye. All of a sudden, I was a dad. I wasn’t expecting it, and during some of those early days, I didn’t even want it. But what was I supposed to do? Danielle couldn’t raise a child. She knew it. So did we. If she wouldn’t have come to me, who knows what would have happened to Winnie? I can’t even stand to think of it, but fuck, Sam. Her choices completely changed the course of my life.”

Sam is quiet for a moment, his palm rubbing softly up and down my leg. I take a moment to calm my racing pulse as all of those old resentments flare to life, followed by guilt for even feeling them in the first place. Always with the damn guilt.

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