Page 65 of Wishing Hearts

She nods, helping hold the trash bag open as Harrison tilts her volcano inside. With a little push on his part, it topples into the bag, a mess of clay and soapy liquid.

“Besides,” she says, wiping her hand on her dress, “Daddy needs the pans back to make cookies.”

I bark a laugh, looking at Harrison, who’s smiling to himself. “And what kind of cookies are your dad’s favorite?” I ask.

“Sugar,” she answers immediately, helping her dad dispose of the second volcano. I say a quick goodbye to my creation. “With sprinkles.”

Harrison is blushing a little now. Sugar cookies with sprinkles. Noted.

“I’ll go toss this outside,” Harrison says, knotting the top of the trash bag. “Winnie, why don’t you take a quick bath?”

“Okay, Daddy,” she says around a sigh, sliding off her chair.

I grab the sheet pans to clean up.

“Can Sam listen to story time?” Winnie asks before Harrison can clear the room.

He stops, eyebrows popping up a bit. “If Sam wants to, sure.”

There goes that little bubbling volcano inside my chest again. “I’d love to,” I answer.

Winnie nods, like it’s all settled, and Harrison continues outside to dump the trash. As Winnie heads upstairs for her bath, I clean up our mess, my eyes stinging a bit.

A minute later, Harrison reenters the room. “Sam,” he says gently, grabbing hold of my shoulders from behind and resting his cheek beside mine. “You okay?”

I nod. I’m not surprised Harrison picked up on my emotions today. This whole evening has been…well, something special.

He kisses my cheek. “Come on up when you’re ready. I’m going to help Winnie dry her hair.”

I give him another nod, and Harrison’s touch feathers away. I listen to him walk upstairs and finish in the kitchen before I follow. When I stop outside Winnie’s bedroom, the pair isn’t there yet. I take a seat on the floor near her bookshelf, flipping through her books as the blow dryer starts up down the hall.

When the pair come into the bedroom, Winnie hops onto her bed, pajamas already on. Harrison follows at a more subdued pace, sitting beside her, legs stretched out in front of him.

There they are again. One big. One small. A matching set.

“What are we reading tonight?” Harrison asks Winnie.

“Sam’s choice,” she replies.

“Really?” I ask.

Winnie nods, looking a little shy, so I turn my attention back to her bookshelf, plucking a book that caught my eye earlier. “How ’bout this one?” I say, passing it off to Winnie.

She nods, giving it to her dad. “Good choice. Daddy does all the voices, even the dragon. Just wait. You’re gonna love it.”

Harrison groans a little, but there’s a smile on his face as he opens the book. “Just remember what you thought of me before this moment, Sam.”

I huff a laugh, knowing there’s no way my opinion of Harrison would worsen in the least. In fact, as he starts to read the story—silly voices included—my respect for the man only grows. I listen along with Winnie, transported, for a brief time, to a world of dragons and wonder. And I know—I’m certain of it—that this is different. What I’m building with Harrison, what I’m feeling right this moment, is unlike anything I’ve experienced before. It’s new and exciting and quite possibly the most magnificent thing I’ve ever had the potential to lose.

When Harrison finishes the story, he gives me a little nod. “I’ll be down soon, okay?”

I take my cue, standing up. “Night, li’l miss. Thanks for invitin’ me to story time. I’ll see you soon, all right?”

“Night, Sam,” she says quietly, fidgeting with her blankets.

When I step outside the room, I pull the door closed all but a few inches and make my way downstairs. Tigger is on the couch, not yet having made her way into Winnie’s room, and with a deep sigh, I sit down beside the dog. She climbs halfway onto my lap, even though she’s certainly not a lapdog, and I dutifully rub her ears. Harrison has the best girls in his life.

“I’m fallin’, Tigger,” I tell the dog, looking down at her rusty orange eyes. “I’m fallin’ harder than I ever have before.”

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