Just The Girl (under editing)

Chapter Fifty One - Let's Make Cookies

Over the past few days I'd gotten to know Blake a lot better. He made me smile, he took my mind of things. I was actually kinda starting to like him.

He was flirty without pressuring me or being in my face, he was kind, strangely protective, and just.. Blake.

I smiled to myself, bouncing Anna on my hip gently as she gurgled her baby noises.

''What are you smiling about?'' Blake smirked, taking her from me as he walked into the family room.

I blushed, shaking my head, ''Nothing.''

''Nothing?'' he raised his eyebrow.

''Nothing!'' I giggled, hitting his arm.

''Hmm.'' he smirked, walking back out, only to return a second later with the rest of the kids following close behind, shouting and laughing and running.

He winced.

''We got left with all of them.'' he informed me, ''Park?''

''Sure.'' I smiled, excited to spend the day with him. Yeah, there would be like a zillion kids there, but they'd be too busy playing.

I helped all of the children get their coats on and got their hats and scarves secured, discreetly smiling at Blake every so often as he interacted with them. He was so childish, yet mature at the same time, as he talked animatedly with them all, his eyes wide, his smile big and friendly, goofy, at the same time as he fixed their hats and scarves and zipped up their coats.

He was going to make someone a lucky wife one day, and his children were going to love him.

When everyone was ready, we all joined hands, Blake and I on the outside of the chain of children as we made our way across the road to the park. It took us all of 60 seconds to get there and the kids dispersed, running in different directions to all the swings and slides and roundabouts, quickly joining in with other children their age they must have known from school and nursery.

I laughed under my breath at them, shaking my head.

I missed the days when you didn't care who a person was, what they were into, who their family were, where they came from, you just saw the good in them and could make friends instantly.

I felt a warm hand engulf mine, and blushed, looking up at a smiling Blake, cheeks rosy from the cold.

''C'mon.'' he gestured, pulling me towards the swings, where we sat in a comfortable silence, watching the kids running around. This was a great park, and I'd come here a lot when I was growing up, but it'd been so long since I'd seen it.

''So.'' Blake said suddenly.

''So?'' I asked, grinning.

''Why are you here?'' he asked.

''What do you mean?'' my brows furrowed.

He smiled, as though he was laughing at his own private joke.

''Come on, a gorgeous girl like you, mysterious and quite all the time, randomly shows up at her home she hasn't been to in months and doesn't expect questions to be asked? Surely there's more to it than a visit...?'' he said, trailing off curiously.

My smile fell a little, I tried to pull it back but he noticed.

''You don't have to tell me.. I was just curious.. You seem a bit troubled sometimes and I don't like it. I like it when you smile, it's beautiful.'' He grinned.

I blushed and looked down at my hands.

''I just want you to know you can talk to me.'' he finished, taking my hand in his again.