The girls snag some chairs a few feet away, and I watch Adley gently remove one of Heather’s ponytail holders, run a brush through the hair, and section it off. Chloe follows the same steps and observes carefully as Adley starts doing something fancy with her fingers.
I should find Johnny or one of the other kids, but I can’t pull my eyes away from the two women in my life.
Chloe tries to mimic what Adley is doing with the other half of Heather’s hair, but she messes up and has to start over three different times until she finally gets it. The girls hoot, and Adley holds her fist up, but Chloe hasn’t mastered holding all those strands with one hand so she gives Adley a little hip bump.
My heart expands in my chest, pushing painfully against my rib cage, and I know in this moment that I made the right decision yesterday morning when I went after Adley.
Adley is perfect. Perfect for me. And it’s not because she’s gorgeous with a killer body or because she’s insanely smart. It’s because she’s kind and sweet and good.
She’s good for me, and maybe she’ll be good for Chloe.
And now I can’t wait to get her home so I can show her how good I can be for her too.
8
Adley
“Oh my gosh, you did it.”
Chloe looks at her hands and glances at me. Her smile is so much like her brother’s that it takes my breath away. I can’t believe I didn’t see the resemblance in them when I first noticed her.
“Woohoo!” she sings, shaking her rump.
I laugh and tuck the strands of the braid I’m working on in one hand so I can hold the other up for Chloe, but when she tries to do the same, she loses a chunk of the braid.
“Sorry,” she laughs, “but I’m really proud of this braid, and I’m not letting go.”
Instead, she bumps her hip against mine, and I feel like it’s some sort of secret handshake. I’m probably reading way too much into it, but I don’t care. Lincoln introduced me to his sister, and I’m pretty sure she likes me, and I don’t think today could get much better.
“That’s okay. Let’s keep going and see if you can finish this braid.”
I grab another section of hair, adding it to the intricate braid, and watch Chloe do the same. We keep working our way down, stopping a few times along the way so Chloe can work out what she’s doing with her fingers.
Lincoln disappeared somewhere, but I know he hasn’t gone far because every few minutes the hair on the back of my neck stands up, so I know he’s looking at me.
Chloe must notice it too because she grins. “He’s circling us like a hungry lion, and you’re the gazelle. If he wasn’t my brother I’d think it was sweet, but he is, so it’s kind of disgusting.”
We both laugh and she says, “Who did you think I was when you first saw me earlier? An old girlfriend? Someone hitting on your man?”
I feel my cheeks flush. I’m not normally a jealous person, but when I turned around and saw her wrapped in Lincoln’s arms, I about died.
“I wasn’t sure, but I didn’t like it. It’s a good thing you guys came over and talked to me because I was seconds away from going all Lara Croft on you in front of a bunch of kids.”
Chloe tosses her head back and laughs. “I’m glad you didn’t. I’m a lover not a fighter.” Her voice softens. “But I love that you’d fight for Lincoln.”
I finish the braid, secure it with a ponytail holder, and smooth a few wayward strands. “He’s wonderful.”
“I know.”
“And kind.”
“I know that too.”
Biting my lip, I look at Chloe and tell her something I’ve yet to tell Lincoln. “He makes me feel special.”
When Chloe finally looks over at me, her eyes are shiny. She blinks a few times and nods. “Just don’t hurt him, okay? He may act all tough, but he’s really just a big softy, and he’s been through a lot in his lifetime. He deserves some happiness.”
“I won’t. I promise.”