Page 19 of Secret Baby with My One Timer

“I’ve paid you in meals,” Harrison retorts.

“Five percent you told me.” Taylor elbows him.

He smiles at her, making my jealousy spike again. “When I sell, I’ll gladly give you five percent. You know that.”

She shakes her head and her voice turns soft. “I could do with you selling now.”

Harrison strokes his hand over her back. “She’s a fighter. She’ll be fine.”

“Do you mind if I steal Taylor for a moment?” Hating the moments they share.

Harrison looks at Taylor. “I’m adding some texture to the drawing. I don’t need you.”

“Uh! Story of my life.”

I know the dig was at me.

Chapter 8

Taylor

The sun dips low on the horizon, casting a warm golden glow across the sandy beach. I hold Holly’s hand as she wobbles towards the gentle waves lapping at the shore. Her other tiny hand reaches out to Oliver, and it melts my heart that she has already taken to him.

“Look at her,” he says, a smile playing on his lips as he watches Holly’s fascination with the water. “She seems to want to dive right in.”

“She’ll only go as far as the top of her boots.”

“Clever girl, Holly.” he says.

Holly raises her foot and slams it in the shallow water. “Cever gul.”

“How sick is your mom?” he asks. I find it surprising he is truly interested.

“Honestly. I don’t know. She refuses to talk to me about it and it’s her right, I suppose.”

“But she’s been sick for a while,” he says. “You needed the money that night for her.”

Tears sting my eyes. “Not all of it. If I knew then what I knew now, I would’ve saved it all for her and not bought myself stupid designer shoes.” I swallow the lump in my throat. “She never told me how bad it was.”

He looks at me like he wants to take me in his arms right now, but I don’t need his pity.

“Can I meet her?”

“My mom?” My voice is barely audible over the crashing waves. “Why?”

“I want to know everything about you and Holly.”

He holds out his hand to Holly. She takes it and then she reaches for mine. “Swing me.”

I laugh, unable to resist the invitation to hear my daughter laugh at the top of her lungs.

“One... Two.”

“Three,” Holly yells, and together, Oliver and I lift her off the ground.

Her eyes sparkle with excitement as we swing her between us like a joyful pendulum over the calm sea.

After swinging her back and forth until our arms ache, we finally lower Holly back to the ground, her little feet sinking into the wet sand.

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