with his hand.
Clint started to say, “Got some errands to run and—”
“We’re going to see Tara tonight!” Ashley said, cutting him off.
She skipped off to his car, leaving Clint to stare at the guys as they both raised eyebrows at him. Cheeks hot, he scowled down at his keys in his hand. “Don’t say it.”
The guys laughed and Levon shook his head. “Nothing to say, dude, except that it’s about damned time.”
He mumbled something under his breath as he turned away and headed to his car, biting back a smile as the guys yelled from behind him, “Go get her, man!”
Yep. That’s exactly what Clint hoped to do. Win back the woman of his dreams.
21
“We’re here,” Ashley yelled, managing to get out of her booster seat and out the door before Clint could stop her.
He watched her race up the front walk to Tara’s porch from where he sat, still in the car, steeling himself. He shouldn’t be nervous, not after spending weeks with Tara, but he was. Probably because this was important to him. Maybe the most important thing in his life—second only to becoming a father.
Clint glanced over and saw the front door open to reveal Tara, looking amazing as always in her jeans and a T-shirt. If he was honest, she looked better in casual clothes then any woman he’d ever seen in a full-out evening gown and jewels.
Of course, he might be a little biased too.
Tara bent and hugged Ashley and his throat tightened a little bit. He loved his daughter so much and over the years, he’d wondered if he’d ever find someone who felt the same about his wonderful little girl. She was a lot to take sometimes, with her strong opinions and her wicked smart brain, but he wouldn’t want Ashley any other way. To see Tara embrace her so completely, just as she was, only confirmed to him that he was making the correct choice.
Right. Okay. Time to do this.
Before his girls could disappear inside, he cut the engine and got out, waving from the curb before coming around the car and walking up to the house, trying to gauge her reaction with each step. It reminded him of the raids he did with his SEAL team, approaching an unknown situation where the risks were great, but so were the rewards—if they were successful.
“Daddy, hurry up!” Ashley yelled, waving him up to the porch. “We need to start planting.”
He stopped at the edge of the porch, afraid to cross the line until he was invited. He’d rehearsed a million different greetings, but what he ended up saying was, “Hey.”
Brilliant, dumbass.
“Hey,” Tara said, holding Ashley’s hand and looking at him with an unreadable expression. She wasn’t going to make this easy, but he’d never been a man to shy away from a challenge. They stood there staring at each other for a moment before she finally said, “Thank you for letting Ashley come over.”
“You’re welcome.” Clint resisted fidgeting and stuck his hands into the back pockets of the jeans he’d changed into after work, rocking back on the heels of his work boots. “Nice day, huh?”
“Yeah.”
So much for rocking her world with his eloquence. Ashley was frowning up at him like he was the hugest dork she’d ever encountered, and honestly, Clint felt the same.
Just say it already, dude.
He took a deep breath. “Look, about what happened the other day—”
“Why don’t you come inside?” Tara said, cutting him off and stepping aside to let him through the door. His heart thundered in his ears and his blood raced with adrenaline. If he didn’t get this out soon, he just might explode. If Tara sensed any of his inner turmoil, she didn’t show it. Instead, she let go of Ashley’s hand and closed the door behind him before leading them through to the kitchen with the patio doors leading out to the backyard. “Can I get either of you something to drink before we get started?”
“I want to see where the garden is going to be. I need to start planning what goes where.” Ashley bounced on the toes of her pink sneakers. “Please, can I see it?”
Tara glanced at Clint and he gave a curt nod.
“Okay,” she said, opening the sliding door for Ashley. “Be sure you stay in the yard, though. I’m thinking of putting things in over in that far corner, near the big oak tree. See what you think.”
Once the ball of energy that was his daughter was gone, an