Page 26 of Fighting Chance

Who would have ever thought I’d be excited to vacuum?

Bella looks around the space littered with boxes and half put-together furniture before her head cranes to the backyard. Following her gaze, I spot Kieran sitting on the grass, his arms slung over his knees as he watches Bambi chase Emmy around the yard.

“You know what, Grayson and I have this. Kieran paid extra to have the delivery guys put the furniture together so once they unload, it will honestly be super busy in here.” A knowing glint shines in her brown eyes before she turns and starts to retie her ponytail. “Why don’t you go outside with Kieran and Emmy?”

I frown. “There’s so much to do here though.”

She waves me off, moving onto a box and pulling out pieces of what will soon resemble a chair. “I think Kieran could use the company. He’s been in his head a lot.” She points a finger at me. “Plus, you two need to get on the same page about your roles.”

“We do,” I admit.

Her smile widens. “Then off you go!”

I can’t help but feel like she’s scheming in some way, but at the end of the day, I should be making sure Emmy feels comfortable being left alone with me.

Bella doesn’t give me a chance to put up a fight, joining Grayson and the delivery drivers. I take that as my cue and step outside onto the dark wood porch. Kieran’s yard doesn’t have a view of the mountains like Grayson’s does; instead, it overlooks a large forest, and my god is it breathtaking.

Kieran does a double take when I sit next to him before a grin slowly spreads across his face. “Can’t get enough of me, can you, sunshine?”

My brows rise. “Sunshine?”

“You said I couldn’t call you Red.”

I roll my eyes. “My name would suffice.”

“Hmm,” he hums before drawling, “I beg to differ. I love your name rolling off my tongue, but I think sunshine suits you.”

A squeal rings out through the yard, drawing my attention to Emmy running around, Bambi close on her heels. She’s wearing one of the dresses we bought her last night, the soft pink pastel falling below her knees.

“She looks so…”

“Carefree?”

“Yeah,” I breathe. “It’s so different to how she was yesterday. I mean, granted, she spoke to me, but that still took a lot of convincing.”

“It’s Bambi. I swear, those two took one look at each other and that was it. I’ve never seen a dog bring out a kid’s personality like she has with Emmy.”

I can tell what he means by that. She was giggling with me, but it was quiet and hidden behind her thumb. Now, her smile iswide, her dimples on full display. Emmy looks like any other kid her age playing with a dog, certainly not one whose life was just flipped on its axis.

“Bambi’s a better parent than I am.”

Kieran’s declaration jars me so much I end up glaring at him. “Hey, don’t say that. You’re doing amazing so far.”

“So far,” he mumbles.

“Kieran, most people would have buckled under the weight of the cards you’ve just been dealt, but you have stepped up in every possible way. Don’t discredit that.”

My words create a tension I can’t put a finger on, one that fills between us. He’s staring at me as if he’s trying to discern if I’m telling the truth or not.

Kieran gets compliments all the time. Women throw themselves at him and he laps it up. Why is this compliment such a difficult pill to swallow?

He grins suddenly, a playfulness entering his gaze. “Didn’t realize you were such a fan of mine.” He leans back on his hands. “I couldn’t even get so much as a text back for over a year and yet now here you are singing poetry about me. I’m flattered.”

Snorting out a laugh before I can stop it, I mutter, “Glad to have you back. You were getting too serious there for a moment.”

His grin turns into a full-blown smirk. “So you do like my company. I knew it.”

I move my gaze forward, knowing that if I locked eyes with his mischievous glint, I’d blush. “Whatever lies make you happy.”