The After of Us (Judge Me Not #4)(21)

I can tell I’ve hit a nerve. Will looks guilty as hell, like maybe he was thinking of dragging out his time away from Lily.

He runs his fingers through his light brown hair, and I wish it didn’t look so soft and silky, so inviting. “I don’t plan on leaving my daughter here in Harmony Creek indefinitely,” he says quietly.

“Still, it’s unfair to her.”

His brow furrows. He’s probably wondering why I’m so passionate about a little girl I’ve never met. And, really, what the hell am I doing?

Before he can ask why I’m going off like this, I swish my hand in the air. “You know what? Never mind. I have no right to question you like this.”

“Hey, it’s okay,” he says. “It’s a good quality to have, putting kids first, especially when you run a daycare.”

He’s trying to be nice, even after I’ve been such a bitch.

Softening my demeanor, I revisit his reason for seeking me out in the first place. “What days were you thinking of signing Lily up for daycare?”

He looks relieved to get back to business. “Would Tuesdays and Thursdays be okay? Like, just in the mornings. Would that work?”

“Yeah, that’s not a problem.”

“Okay, then,” he says. “I’ll tell Kay to bring Lily in on those days.”

I nod.

Will appears torn on whether to stay or go, but he eventually says, “I guess I better go.”

He starts to walk away, but I don’t want him to leave, not like this. Seeing each other for the first time after all these years shouldn’t end all icy and up in the air.

Why does everything between us always have to feel so, well, unfinished?

“Hey, Will.”

He spins around. “Yeah?”

I take three steps toward him, narrowing the gap, and he cocks a brow.

Reaching for his arm, then re-thinking and dropping my hand back down to my side, I release a breath. “Look, I’m sorry. Really, I am. I didn’t mean to jump all over you before.”

I almost confess everything right there. How I purposely tried to avoid this meeting with him, how I still feel kind of embarrassed over our non-kissing incident all those years ago. How I think he’s one of the best-looking guys I’ve ever met, how I wish I wasn’t still so insanely attracted to him, and how he makes me crazy with all these conflicting feelings.

But before I get out a single word, Will reaches out and cups my face in one large hand.

I’m rendered speechless, immobile. Ooh, his touch feels nice. But what the heck is he doing?

Gently, he moves the pad of his thumb over my cheek. “There’s a tiny dab of dirt right here,” he whispers as he swipes it away softly. “It’s been driving me crazy.” He chuckles and brings his free hand to my other cheek. “And there’s another smudge over here.”

With my face in his hands, I peer into his emerald-green eyes. “Will,” I whisper.

“Emma,” he says softly, and then, “Look, I made a stupid mistake all those years ago. We were just kids…”

He trails off, and I realize we are practically pressed against one another. “Just kids,” I murmur as I close my eyes. “But we’re not kids anymore, are we?”

“No, we’re not.” His warm breaths are a gentle caress as he lowers his lips to mine. “Maybe it’s time we make things right?”

“Mmm, yeah, maybe it is.”

I am so ready for this kiss. I don’t care that we’re on church grounds, in the back of the school. I don’t care I was just irritated with him, and I don’t care he confuses the hell out of me. This kiss is seven damn years in the making. And I just know it’s going to be so good.

But then, just as our lips are about to touch, a little voice filled with curiosity rings out, “Daddy, whatcha doin’?”





Will



I am generally not this assuming or forward, but damn, Emma looks so good. And the connection is still there. There’s this pull I can’t deny, a gravitational force that’s compelling me to just go for it and kiss her.

For this one awesome moment, I feel like we’re the only two people left on the planet—the last man and the last woman. But that couldn’t be further from the truth, which I’m reminded of just as I’m about to right a seven-year wrong.

Lily’s little voice shatters the illusion and sends me straight back to reality, as I hear, “Daddy, whatcha doin’?”

Emma and I jump away from one another like we’ve been caught doing something bad. Kissing isn’t bad, though, right? I don’t know, ‘cause when I turn to face my daughter, I feel so busted.

How can such a tiny little person dole out such a look of consternation? Or is that curiosity? My kid-radar isn’t too finely honed yet.

“What’re you doing, Daddy?” Lily repeats, much more softly this time, like she knows she’s interrupted something meant for adults.

“Nothing, sweetheart,” I reply. “I was just talking with Miss Metzger.”

I look past Lily, but see no signs of Chase. He, Lil, and I walked over to the school after church when I noticed Emma’s car parked off to the side of the building. Chase was supposed to wait out front with Lily, while I spoke with Emma in the back. Kay had abandoned us by that point, having taken their kids to the minivan shortly before mass ended when Jack starting acting up.