Take the Chance (Top Shelf Romance #9) - Brittainy Cherry Page 0,57

feeding her—she was feeding herself, holding the bottle in her own hands for the first time.

My heart exploded with excitement.

“I was feeding her, and she wrapped her hands around the bottle and started to hold it herself,” he told me, his eyes wide with pride.

As we cheered her on, Talon started giggling and spat milk into Graham’s face, making us both laugh. I grabbed a cloth and wiped the milk from his cheek.

“She amazes me every day,” he said, staring at his daughter. “It’s too bad that Jane…” He paused. “That Lyric is missing out on it. She has no clue what she left behind.”

I nodded in agreement. “She’s missing everything. It’s just sad.”

“What was it like, growing up together?” he asked.

I was a bit surprised—we’d spent months together and he hadn’t once asked me any questions about my sister.

I sat on the couch beside him and shrugged. “We moved around a lot. Our mom was a bit of a floater, and when my dad couldn’t take any more, he left us. Lyric was older and noticed more issues than Mari and I did. Every day with my mother felt like a new adventure. The lack of a real home never bothered me because we had each other, and whenever we needed something, some kind of miracle would happen.

“But Lyric didn’t see it that way. She was very much like our father—grounded. She hated not knowing where our next meal would come from. She hated that sometimes Mama would give what little money we did have to help out a friend in need. She hated the instability of our lives, so when she’d finally had enough, when she could no longer take the person Mama was, she did exactly as our father had—she left.”

“She’s always been a runner,” he stated.

“Yes, and a part of me wants to hate her for how distant and cold she became, but another part understands. She had to grow up fast, and in a way, Lyric wasn’t wrong. Our mother was kind of a child herself, which meant we didn’t have much parenting growing up. Lyric felt as if she had to take on that role and parent her parent.”

“Which is why she probably never wanted kids,” he said. “She’d already done the parent role.”

“Yeah. I mean, it doesn’t forgive her actions at all, but it makes them more understandable.”

“I think I could tell when I met her that she was a runner. Also, I’m certain she could tell I was cold, that I’d never once ask her to stay.”

“Do you miss her?” I asked, my voice low.

“No,” he answered quickly, no hesitation whatsoever. “She and I were never in love. We had an unspoken agreement that if one was ever ready to go, they were free to do so. The marriage arrangement was just something she thought would help her advance in her career.

“We were simply roommates who happened to have sex sometimes. Before Talon, it would’ve been fine if she left. It would’ve been completely acceptable. Hell, I was somewhat surprised she stayed as long as she did. I wouldn’t have cared, but now…” He smiled down at Talon as she burped for him, and then he laid her on the blanket on the floor. “Now I call her each night, asking her to come back, not for me, but for our daughter. I know what it’s like to grow up without a mother, and I’d never want that for Talon.”

“I’m so sorry.”

He shrugged. “Not your fault. Anyway, how’s the garden?”

“Perfect. It’s perfect. Thank you again for the gift. It means more to me than you could imagine.”

He nodded. “Of course. I’m guessing you’re gone this weekend, for the holiday?” He climbed from the couch onto the floor and started playing peekaboo with Talon, which made my heart do cartwheels.

“I was supposed to be, but it turns out I’m spending the holiday alone.”

“What? Why?”

I explained that Mari would be out of town, and that I normally made the trip up north but didn’t want to do the drive alone.

“You should come to Professor Oliver’s house with Talon and me,” Graham offered.

“What? No. No, it’s really okay.”

He pulled out his cell phone and dialed a number. “Hello? Professor Oliver, how are you?”

“Graham, no!” I whisper-shouted, reaching out my arm to stop him, but he stood up and wouldn’t allow me to grab the phone.

“Good, I’m good.” Pause. “No, I’m not trying to back out. I’m calling to see if you could add another chair