Chapter Three: Curls and TuTu's

Hadley

My heart is breaking and my hope is dwindling as the seconds tick by, turning into minutes. The man is late, and I don't want to be the person who tells my daughter she's been abandoned again. She'd been more excited about today than I'd seen her in months, as we'd left the house. She hadn't been able to sit still as she'd twirled around the living room, her curls and the ruffles of her tutu spinning in circles with her.

"Mom," she turned to face me as I locked the door on our apartment. "Do you think he'll like my outfit?"

She'd picked it out so painstakingly – it was her favorite. A plain white t-shirt, a black ruffled tutu that I'd made with the help of some Pinterest board, and her pink Converse. Her curls, always too big for her head, were held out of her face by the clip I'd barely been able to close, and the glasses she wore made her appear more studious than her years. My heart clenched as I thought of all the moments her dad was missing out on.

With the biggest smile I can muster I look down at her. "Riles, you're the most beautiful six-year-old in the world. Of course he's gonna love it."

"Let's give him a few more minutes," Rebecca crosses her legs, folding her hands on her lap.

The way she kicks her foot to a rhythm only she hears says she's just as worried he's not going to show as I am.

I'm tempted to tell her no. I won't put Riley through the embarrassment of being left again. I can't put myself through it either, but some force I can't name stops me. Maybe I want to give this guy a chance, maybe I'm sick of breaking my daughter's heart. There's only so many times I can absorb the tears and carry the burden of her sadness.

"We'll wait," I fake an optimism I don't believe, a happiness I'm not sure I can ever feel again.

Words fail both she and I as we sit at the table. I'm begging whatever God there is to not disappoint my baby girl again. I'm negotiating to make sure things go right for once. As I'm about to lose hope, the door to the room we've been sitting in opens and I can feel his presence before I see him.

It's this shock. Like I turned a light switch off after running my feet over the carpet in the winter. You know, the one where you actually see the spark between your finger and the plastic? That spark passes through my body before I even see him.

As he makes his way over the threshold of the door, I suck in a breath, willing my lungs to let it out. Rebecca was right, he is gorgeous. Like "climb him like a tree and devour the strong column of his throat" gorgeous. He's tall. His shoulders wide, waist lean, hands have smidgens of grease on them. He's blue collar, and for that I breathe a sigh of relief. Blonde hair is short and unkempt – a little long on the top – sides shaved. But it's his face that's so devastatingly handsome it makes me want to weep. High cheekbones, angular nose, and the beginnings of a beard cover his cheeks, the hair light against the natural tan of his skin.

"About time you made it, Patrick," Rebecca stands up, striding across the room with sure steps, her heels pounding against the hard floor.

"Becky," he gives her a smile that I'm sure have made many panties drop. "We don't do first names between us. I'm Trick, remember?"

"You're late," she fixes him with a glare and a disapproving purse of her lips.

"And I'll stay to make up for it as long as," his eyes find mine, and he raises his eyebrows. "What's your name?"

"Hadley," I supply, because I'd like to hear what it sounds like coming out of his mouth.

"Hadley," he repeats and I think I may have died a little right in this chair. The sound is rough, sexy, and almost a growl, as rugged as the man himself looks. "Is okay with it."

I agree because I know Riley's going to be a tough nut to crack. She's going to be pissed he's late, and I want him to have a chance. I want him to break through her shell, like I haven't been able to. I'll help him as long as he takes interest because I truly believe he's my last hope. If he can't bring her back to me, I'm at a loss; I have no more ideas on what to do.

"We'll stay as long as we can. We have some things to do today."

"Good," he smiles at both of us. "Can I meet her?"

Rebecca hits the intercom, asking them to bring Riley in and I shoot up a prayer. This has to work. If it doesn't, I'm not sure what we're going to do.