Strawberry Fields for Never: An Enemies to Lovers Sweet Romantic Comedy (Sweet as Sugar Maple Book 1) by Kate Watson

Author:Kate Watson [Watson, Kate]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Little Biks Creative
Published: 2023-08-23T16:00:00+00:00

Lottie has a tantrum when Millie and Ash get in their rental. She screams and begs and cries for Millie not to go. I see the pain on Millie’s face as she waves at Lottie, but they don’t have a choice but to leave. Lottie is inconsolable. Jane asks if I want help, and although I do want her to stay with me, I feel bad putting babysitting duty on her, on top of everything else. Truthfully, I also feel sick about all of my assumptions. So I let her off the hook. I can’t tell if she’s relieved or bummed when I do.

Unfortunately, I don’t have time to think about Jane’s reaction. Lottie grabs on to me and won’t let go. She cries so hard and for so long that my shirt is soaked. She screams that something is going to happen to Millie, to her dad, to Grammy and Pop or Auntie Reese. She falls asleep in the middle of crying on me and wakes up crying again. Neither Rusty nor Anita nor the animals can help her this time. It isn’t until Duke gets to the house at ten p.m. that she finally lets go of me. She collapses into an exhausted heap on his shoulder, screams for Millie, and falls asleep right away.

Duke looks alarmed. “What happened? What’s a ‘Miwwie’? I thought she’d been doing well with you.”

“Not Miwwie, Millie. She’s Jane’s friend. Lottie was fine until she left earlier. You’d have thought it was Carlie leaving all over again,” I tell him. And then I mention what Millie told me by the reservoir, right before we reached Lottie. “Have you considered she may have separation anxiety disorder?”

Duke’s features harden. “Of course she has separation anxiety. All three-year-olds have it.”

“I mean something beyond typical toddler behavior. She’s experienced a lot in three years, Duke. It may be of some worth for you two to talk to someone.”

Duke tightens his hold on his daughter. “Tripp, you’re like a brother to me, but you’re not her father. I know what Lottie needs, okay? She’s just tired. She’ll be fine after a good night’s sleep.”

I back off, nodding and telling him he’s probably right. Since Millie brought it up several hours ago, though, I know this isn’t the last time someone will have this conversation with Duke. Lottie is hurt and scared, and she needs help. I hope Duke will be more receptive to the idea in the future, but I also know he can’t hear this from me.

“How did things go?” I ask. “Did they try to negotiate?”

“Not as hard as I did.” He gives me a wolfish smile. “Five years, $200 million, fifty guaranteed.”

I pat his shoulder, congratulating him on the monster contract. Duke is one of the top quarterbacks in the NFL, and the Carolina Waves have a good chance of making the Super Bowl next year with him leading. When Duke heads out, I’m left in the house where I grew up, alone with my thoughts, wishing Jane was here.

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