Page 19 of York

“I’d like to. I don’t really have a lot of plans right now. Just that we needed to come see you.”

“Unlock!” Denali called, making us both jump.

I bleeped the locks and she opened her door to arrange her stuffed animals next to her seat, then came back out.

“What’s up?” I asked.

“I want more,” she said, pointing to the bags York was holding. “The motel is far away.”

It wasn’t.

But she was excited about her toys.

“Motel?” York asked as he handed me the bags he held so I could shove them into the seat next to our daughter.

My stomach clenched.

“Yeah, we’re new in town,” I reminded him. “So we’re staying at a motel.”

“With the alligator sign!” Denny explained. “But Mama says we can’t go in the pool.”

“In my defense, the pool is a shade of green I’ve never witnessed before outside of a bottle of Hawaiian Punch.”

He grimaced at that.

“Do you want to ask her if she wants to go to the fun center?” I asked. “I’m sure she’s going to be thrilled.”

He nodded at that, going around to her side as she buckled herself in.

“Hey, Denny. I was wondering if you maybe wanted to go to the fun center with me,” he said. “They have arcade games and bumper cars. And pizza.”

Her eyes went round.

“Mommy too?” she asked, tone worried.

“Of course, Mommy too.”

“Okay!” Her smile was huge. York looked blinded by it.

“Okay. Then we will go the day after tomorrow.”

“Thank you,” she said, making my mommy heart swell at her manners. “And thank you for my toys.”

“Anything for you,” he said. “Buckle up, okay?” he asked before closing her door.

I stabbed the key in the ignition and turned the car over so she had some air conditioning before meeting York at the back of the trunk.

“Thanks for letting me do this,” York said.

“Thanks for spoiling her. She deserves it.”

“Yeah, I think she does too. Do you want to meet at the fun center?”

“Yeah. Sounds good.”

“I’ll… see you then,” he said, both of us awkwardly turning away at the same time.

“Mama,” Denny called as I sat in my seat, trying to decompress.