Make a Wish (Spark House #3)(24)

“Those are great ideas.” I jot them down.

“Oh my God. I can’t believe I did that. Like I know anything about architecture.” She tries to take the pencil from my hand, but I grip it tighter.

“But you know a lot of things about kids and what they like. I’m not jotting them down because I need something to do with my hands, I’m jotting them down because I can see how they could work.” I stand and roll my chair closer to her. “Here, sit. I’m picking your brain.”

“The last thing you probably want to do right now is more work.”

“Paperwork no, but design work I would do in my sleep if I could. Sit.” I nod to the chair. “Let me scavenge your head for ideas.”

She takes a seat in my executive chair, and I grab my stool from my drafting table, rolling back over to her. “Okay. Climbing wall and a rope bridge. What else do you think might work well?”

We go back and forth for the next thirty minutes, discussing potential tweaks and additions. When we’re finished, Harley has given me some really great feedback to fix some of the problems I had with the design.

“How much work is this going to make for you?” Harley asks as I start shutting down my computer.

“It’ll take maybe a day for me to input all the changes and modifications, but we won’t be moving on this structure until the spring. Our first step is creating the trails and setting up the garden and picnic areas, so I can keep making tweaks to this until the winter if you come up with more ideas.”

“As if you need me inserting myself into your projects.” She covers her mouth with her palm and stifles a yawn. “Oh, wow. That was rude.” She glances at the clock on the wall. “It’s after ten already! No wonder I’m turning into a yawn factory.” Harley rolls her chair back and stands up. “I better get home before I turn into a pumpkin.”

I walk her to the front door and out to her car. “Thanks again for watching Peyton.”

“It was way more fun than what I had planned anyway.” She unlocks her car door. “Are we still on for the zoo tomorrow afternoon?”

“We could postpone it if you have other things you need to do.”

“Not at all. And I can totally take Peyton on my own if you’re busy. I’m going no matter what, and having Peyton come along will make it way more fun.”

“Okay. As long as it’s not an inconvenience.” I shove my hand in my pocket. “Can I, uh, can I pay you for tonight?”

Harley blinks a few times and her expression shifts to something like irritation. “No. I don’t want money for spending a couple of hours with Peyton.”

I rush to explain. “I feel bad not giving you anything.”

“You can foot the bill for the zoo, how about that?” she says.

“Yeah. Absolutely.” I’m grateful for the save. “I’ll even splurge on overpriced popcorn and ice cream.”

That puts a smile back on her face. “Ice cream is a must at the zoo. And funnel cakes.” She opens the driver’s side door and gets in her car.

I wait on the front steps until she backs out and pulls away before I go back inside.

The smell of fresh baked cookies lingers in the hallway.

I’ve missed this. The hominess that comes with having someone around who bakes not because they feel obligated to, or because Peyton had to beg them, but because they honestly and truly derive joy from doing it.

I move through the house, shutting off lights as I go, and stop in the kitchen, stealing one last cookie as I survey the room, my eyes catching on the picture Harley and Peyton painted this evening, which is stuck to the fridge with magnets.

This is what Peyton has been missing. Someone in her life who loves the same things she does, who will have fun with her, be silly with her. And maybe I’ve been missing that too. I feel like I robbed us both of that when we moved to Boulder and away from Lynn and Ian and their daughter Claire, and the other friends we had here. But Karen had been right in a lot of ways. I had family who was willing to help care for Peyton; it didn’t make sense to keep paying someone to care for my daughter when she had other people who wanted that time with her. And I felt like I owed them that after losing my wife, Marcie.

But I have to admit, being back in Colorado Springs feels right. And it’s good to have Harley back in our lives.





Seven


A TASTE OF HAPPINESS


GAVIN

The following afternoon Peyton and I meet Harley and her niece, Ella, at the entrance to the zoo. I tried to invite Ian to come along, but he has a late meeting and Claire has one of her many lessons, so it’s me, Harley, and the kids.

It’s a warm afternoon, the sun is shining, and there’s a slight breeze. Harley is dressed for the weather in a tank top, shorts, running shoes, and a baseball cap to shield her face, pushing a stroller with the adorable fair-haired toddler who pooped all over Harley’s tutu at the birthday party.

“Harley brought Ella, Dad! This is going to be so much fun.” When I don’t move fast enough for Peyton, she lets go of my hand and skips the last few steps over to Harley.

She gives her a big hug, then bends down to say hello to Ella.

“I hope you don’t mind me bringing Ella along. I figured it was a good opportunity for my sister and her husband to get in some alone time, or a nap. Or both. Ella’s teething, and the broken sleep is killing London.”