Total pages in book: 122
Estimated words: 115706 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 579(@200wpm)___ 463(@250wpm)___ 386(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 115706 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 579(@200wpm)___ 463(@250wpm)___ 386(@300wpm)
Caleb looks deeply uncomfortable, but he forces a smile, the same as me, and says, “Of course. I saved the best for last.” He scoops up his daughter and holds her like a football as he marches out of his bedroom, while I tear myself away from the shelf of photos and follow him.
“Wowee!” Raine chirps, as Caleb enters her room. I can’t blame the kid. I’m feeling pretty wowee’d myself. The room is Girlie Heaven. A pink-and-purple Shangri-La that’s been decorated to perfection and stuffed to its rafters with every manner of toys, dolls, and stuffed animals.
In a corner, there’s a colorful, plastic kitchen, bursting with accessories. In another, there’s a dress-up station filled with all manner of glittering costumes and props. There’s a dollhouse, complete with furniture and people; a Barbie area, too, chock full of everything our plastic heroine needs to live her best life. There’s a fluffy, pillow-covered bed, and purple bubble letters above it, spelling out Raine’s name on a pink wall.
My eyes train on a framed photo below Raine’s name, and I step forward to get a better look. When I get closer, I realize it’s a shot of Caleb and Raine—the photo I snapped at my parents’ house while father and daughter colored together for the first time.
My heart hammering, I motion to the framed shot. “When and how did you do this?”
Caleb bites back a shy smile. “My friend Amy did that for me last week.” He looks around proudly. “She did this whole room for me.”
“She did a great job. Isn’t your room amazing, Rainey?”
“Mayzinggg!” Raine holds up her arms and shimmies. “Dis for me?”
“All for you,” Caleb confirms. “See those letters there? That spells Raine.”
“Dat me!”
“It sure is. And you see that photo there? Who’s that?”
Raine centers her attention and gasps. “Raine and Dadda!”
“That’s right, love,” Caleb chokes out. “The Fool and the Raine. You and me.”
Caleb and I never interact romantically in front of Raine. But this one time, I can’t keep my hands off him. As Raine runs around the room, checking everything out, I hurl myself at him and burrow my face into his massive chest. “You did so good,” I choke out. “You’re such a sweet daddy.”
Exhaling with relief, he kisses the top of my head. “I’m sorry about the photo shelf in my bedroom. With the social worker coming, I freaked out about—"
“No, you did the right thing. Please, stop feeling bad about that. Revel in your triumph here, instead.” I wrench myself away from his warm chest and motion to the room around us. “The effort you’ve put in to make Raine feel at home is really impressive and special.”
“But I want you to feel at home, too, Aubrey,” he says, his green eyes pleading with me.
I don’t know what to say, so I simply press my lips together. This place is gorgeous, but it’s going to take a long while for me to feel at home here, if ever. That doesn’t mean I’m not willing to try. But I can’t even think about starting to try, until I know the results of the damned custody hearing.
“Is anyone else hungry?” I ask enthusiastically, feeling eager to change the subject.
“I sure am,” Caleb replies. “Rainey?”
She doesn’t reply. She’s already deep in play mode at her little kitchen, whipping up an imaginary, culinary delight.
“Rainey,” I ask, “are you hungry for lunch?”
“Mm hmm,” she replies absently, not bothering to look at me.
I return to Caleb. “Why don’t you play with her, while I figure out ordering some lunch. When we’re done eating, I’ll get started on clearing out the house, while you take her down to the beach. She’ll be good and ready for a nap after that.”
“Sounds like a plan.”
I turn to leave, but Caleb stops me. “Hey, baby,” he whispers, making me stop in the doorway. “Thank you. For everything. I’ll never be able to thank you enough for what you’ve done for me. I hope you know that.”
My heart is exploding with love for him. But somehow, I manage to say, “I only want what’s best for Raine.” It’s a true statement. But it’s also a withholding one, in context, when the full truth is that I’m bleeding out with love for the man.
As Caleb’s smile fades, I turn on my heel and march into the hallway, saving myself from admitting something I shouldn’t. That I love him. If I stay in Caleb’s presence any longer, I’ll tell him so. And I can’t do that until after the hearing, if ever. Not until I know, for a fact, the feelings I’ve been experiencing are real, mutual, and, most importantly, strong enough to withstand the ruling from the judge, whatever it might be.
Chapter 29
Caleb
“This is where you plan to live with Raine for the foreseeable future?” the social worker asks.