Fallen: An Everyday Heroes World Novel (The Everyday Heroes World)

by Rebecca Barber

  Pulling my hair up in a ponytail, I swiped a coat of gloss across my lips before checking my reflection in the mirror. I didn’t want to look like I was trying too hard, but I couldn’t go out there looking like I’d just crawled out of the gutter either. Satisfied it was as good as it was going to get, I stepped out of my bedroom and followed the noise, pausing just inside the door to listen to Zach talking to Ava.

  “What are we going to do about this, hey, pretty girl?” Zach murmured, his thick Australian accent making everything he said sound sexy.

  “Do about what?” I asked as I pushed open the door and stepped out onto the porch, finding Ava curled in Zach’s arms, a pink blanket draped around her. Damn he was good with her.

  “Oh, hey there. You feel better?”

  “Absolutely. It’s amazing how good a hot shower can make a girl feel.”

  “I’m glad.” Zach smiled, his dimple popped, and I sucked my breath in.

  “Anyway, what are you two talking about?”

  “Your porch needs some work. Some of the wooden boards have rotted through and they need to be replaced.”

  “Yeah. It’s on the list. This place is old and needs a bit of work. Hopefully, I’ll get to it soon,” I lied. There were so many things that needed to be done in front of replacing whole sections of the porch, I doubted it’d be anytime in the next year, let alone soon, but Zach didn’t need to know that.

  “Ah, okay.”

  “So, did you want to stay for dinner? It’s nothing special. I was just going to make pasta.”

  “Thanks, but I actually can’t,” Zach declined, moving towards me and handing over Ava only for her to whine and squirm as he settled her in my arms. His hand grazed my boob as he let go, and our eyes snapped up, meeting as my cheeks burned.

  “Sorry about…”

  “Don’t even worry about it,” I dismissed quickly, not wanting this moment to get any stranger.

  “Okay then. Well, I should go. I’ve gotta go pick up Mom…”

  “Your Mom lives here?”

  “She’s over in Kellyville.”

  “That’s nice,” I replied automatically, swallowing down my jealousy. What I’d do to have family close by.

  Ava started to fuss, and I adjusted her in my arms, but she wasn’t having it. As her complaining escalated, I knew it wouldn’t be long before she was in full-on meltdown mode, something I’d prefer to avoid.

  “I better get her inside.”

  “I’ll leave you to it. Have a good night, Lily.”

  “See you later, Zach. And thanks for the flowers.”

  Flashing one final smile, Zach bounced down the steps and headed towards his truck. When he pulled open the door, I turned and headed inside. I needed wine. Wine and chocolate.

  “Hey, Lily?”

  “Yeah?” I replied, spinning around to find Zach leaning on the hood, his cheeks red.

  “Can I take you out tomorrow?”

  “Take me out?”

  “Yeah.” He rubbed the back of his neck, and instead of making him look nervous and awkward, it just made him look even more desirable. “You and Ava?”

  “Okay,” I agreed. I didn’t know him, not well anyway, but there was something about him that had me agreeing to go out with him, no matter where he was taking me. Zach was the kind of guy you’d agree to go anywhere with.

  “Great. I’ll pick you up at ten.”

  “See you then.”

  Standing there smiling like a loon, I watched as he backed out of the driveway. If it hadn’t been for Ava’s cries, I’m not sure how long I would’ve stood there, staring like a moron with hearts in my eyes.

  “Come on, little girl. Let’s go get you some dinner,” I cooed, leaning down and kissing Ava’s forehead, not missing the scent of Zach’s cologne lingering. Was there anything about that man I didn’t find attractive?

  It wasn’t until I was slumped in the lounge, Ava sucking happily on her bottle as I nursed my wine, that it hit me. I had a date tomorrow. A date with the sexy, tattooed firefighter Zach Higgins. Shit! Was it a date? Or did he just want to spend time with Ava? Ugh! I didn’t date. I didn’t know how to do this. What was I supposed to wear? Where were we going? What did he expect? Maybe dating in Australia was different to dating here?

  Grabbing my phone, I shot a text to the only people who could talk me down off the ledge. The devil and angel that sat on my shoulder. Sage and Sarah could help me figure this one out. They had to. God knows I couldn’t do it on my own. I’d go crazy trying. Not even bothering with pasta, I reached straight for more wine.

  11

  ZACH

  This was a bad idea. A very bad idea.

  I was supposed to be picking Lily up in twenty minutes, and instead of being filled with that nervous energy that usually kicked in when I knew I was going to see her; I was shitting bricks.

  “This is a bad idea,” I grumbled again, taking another sip of my fourth coffee for the morning.

  “It’s not. And you’re going,” an authoritative voice from behind me told me straight.

  “Mom…”

  Her head came to rest against my arm. Glancing down at her, I hated how old she looked. Yesterday when I’d shown up at her place, I hated what I found. She was vague and not really with it. After a half-hearted argument, I convinced her to pack a bag and come and stay at my place for a bit. My plan hadn’t been to move Mom in so quickly, not while the house was still a construction zone, but I couldn’t leave her there. Not like this.

  “Zachary James Higgins. You are not standing that lovely young woman up because you’re scared…”

  “I’m not scared,” I argued, the blatant lie falling effortlessly from my lips. “Besides, you haven’t even met Lily. How do you know she’s lovely? She could have a pink mohawk and ride a Harley for all you know.”

  “Nice try, son. I might not know Lily, but I know you. Even if you’d prefer to pretend that I don’t. You wouldn’t give someone like that the time of day. Besides, it takes someone special to bring a precious baby into their home and care for it.”

  “You’re not wrong,” I agreed, the image of Lily nursing Ava springing to mind, making me smile.

  “You know, I think I’d like to meet her.”

  “Mom,” I groaned.

  The last thing I was ready to do was introduce Lily to my mother. We hadn’t even shared so much as a kiss yet. Bringing her home to meet Mom was a bit of a leap, and one I wasn’t ready to make. Not any time soon anyway.

  “No, not Lily. I know you won’t want me to meet her…”

  “It’s not that…”

  Stepping back, she waved off the argument. “Ava. I’d love to meet the little girl who’s captured your heart.”

  “She hasn’t…”

  “Keep lying to yourself, Zach. You love that little girl.”

  “I can’t. She’s not mine to keep.”

  “Doesn’t matter. It’s written all over your face. Every time you mention her, your whole face lights up. But I’m disappointed in you, Zach.”

  “Disappointed in me? What the hell did I do?” Damn it. That hurt. Mom was the last person on the face of the earth I’d ever want to disappoint.

  “You should know that blood isn’t the thing that makes someone family. It’s love. And whether you’re ready to admit it or not, that little girl has captured your heart and you love her.”

  Bloody hell. I hated it when Mom was right. Especially when I really didn’t want to hear it.

  “Now, stop trying to convince yourself you’re not going. Get your butt inside. Clean your teeth, change your shirt and get a move on. You’re not going to be late. Us women, we hate it when our dates are late.”

  “It’s not a date.”

  “Yeah, yeah. Keep telling yourself that, my boy.”

  Mom pressed up on her toes, kissed my cheek and ruffled my hair like she did when I was a kid. Turns out, I might’ve celebrated more than a dozen birthdays since she towered over me, but she was still
my Mom and my conscience. Tossing the dregs of my coffee over the railing onto the garden, I headed inside to get myself organized.

  By the time I turned into Lily’s street, I was nervous. The thought repeating over and over in my head was, ‘did Lily think this was a date?’ and possibly even more worrying, ‘was it?’. The more I thought about it, the more I tried to rationalize it, the more tangled and confused I got.

  Pulling up in front of her house, I saw her standing on the porch, pushing the stroller back and forth. She looked absolutely beautiful. With her knee-length white dress, with bright yellow flowers and her hair tied back in a ponytail with a matching yellow ribbon, I realized I wanted it to be. If Lily thought this was a date, then that’s what it was. I wasn’t going to force the issue, but just seeing her standing there, looking so effortlessly beautiful, I realized it didn’t matter. If this was a date, then I was more than okay with it.

  Jumping out of the truck, I headed up the path to Lily. The closer I got the more beautiful she appeared. Her lips were stained with a deep red and her cheeks rosy.

  “Morning,” I greeted, wiping my sweaty palms against my thighs.

  “Hi, Zach. You look good today,” Lily offered, catching me off guard.

  “You too. And how’s my favorite little girl this morning?”

  “Oh, I’m fine.”

  “I meant…” I pointed at Ava who was covered in a pink blanket with tiny white rabbits on it, sucking on her fist happily.

  “I know who you meant, Zach.”

  “Oh.”

  “So… should we go?”

  I was acting like an idiot. I couldn’t string a sentence together and I was tripping over myself. I needed to get my shit together or this was going to be a disaster.

  “Do you mind if we take your car? It’s got the seat for Ava…”

  “Absolutely.”

  Lily bent down and pulled her bag out from the shelf underneath the stroller, and my eyes followed her legs. From her creamy thighs, right down to her painted pink toenails, she was gorgeous. Even her strappy silver sandals were cute. I’d never met someone so girly in my life, but despite appearances, Lily wasn’t at all precious. She absolutely was delicate and should be treasured, but she didn’t complain and wait for someone to do things for her. I hadn’t known her for long, and there was so much more I wanted to know, needed to know, but I knew she wasn’t afraid to take on the world and demand what she wanted.

  While she locked the door, I lifted the stroller down the steps and started towards Lily’s car. A moment later she was beside me, her scent surrounding me and making my mouth water. The smell of berries and vanilla reminded me of muffins, and suddenly I was starving.

  Without a word, we worked like a team. Neither of us felt the need to give instructions or ask questions. While Lily settled Ava in her seat, I folded the stroller and put it in the back of the car, pulling the blanket out and handing it to Lily.

  “You drive,” Lily advised, dropping her keys into my hand.

  Turning them over in my palm, I noticed the daisy key chain which made me smile. “You sure?”

  “Yep,” she replied, popping the ‘p’.

  Knowing I needed to treat her like the lady she was, I opened the passenger door for her, waiting until she tucked the skirt of her dress in around her legs before closing it and rounding the car.

  Trying to fold my long legs into her car had us both grinning.

  “Sorry, I’m short.” Lily giggled with a shrug.

  Grabbing the leaver, I pushed the seat back, letting out a breath of relief when my knees stopped knocking against the steering wheel.

  “All good. You ready?”

  “Yep. Where are we going?”

  “You’ll see,” I told her, hoping I’d made the right decision and she wasn’t going to hate this.

  After a twenty-minute drive where we chatted mainly about Ava, I turned into the busy parking lot and came to a stop. “Is this okay?” I asked nervously.

  “The farmers’ market?”

  “Yeah.”

  “I haven’t been here forever.”

  “We can go somewhere else…” I offered, mentally kicking myself. I should’ve trusted my gut and gone with brunch somewhere fancy with silverware and napkins. Not walking around an unused field, browsing stalls of fresh produce and homemade jams.

  “No way! I love the farmers’ market. I just never think to come out here. Sunday’s usually my only day off and by the time I sleep in and then run my errands, I’ve completely forgotten it’s even on. I hope they still have those funnel cakes covered in the powdered sugar. They’re so good.”

  “Funnel cakes?” I asked, having never heard of them. It was definitely not something we had in Australia.

  “Oh my god. Have you never had a funnel cake?” Shaking my head, I couldn’t help but be sucked in by Lily’s excitement. It was infectious and she looked absolutely gorgeous. The more animated she became, the more I wanted to grab her hand and drag her through the crowd to find her funnel cake. Whatever the hell they were.

  “They’re the best. They’re like a donut but so much better. They’re delicious and so very bad for me. But they’re my weakness. And I don’t remember the last time I had one. I mean, I know I shouldn’t, I don’t need the extra calories… and I’m shutting up now.”

  “Why?”

  “Because you’ll think I’m a crazy lady. I’m sitting here practically drooling over the thought of all sugary deliciousness.”

  “Well then, crazy lady, let’s go find you a funnel cake, and maybe you can convince me they’re as good as you’re making out,” I challenged.

  “Zach Higgins, you’ve got no idea what’s coming your way.”

  “Well then, challenge accepted. Let’s do it.”

  After getting Ava out of the car and settled in her stroller, we walked through the markets, Lily waving to stall holders as we passed. After she bought some apples and stopped to talk to an old lady I didn’t recognize who was selling lavender in every form imaginable, Lily spotted the food truck selling her precious funnel cakes.

  “Stay with Ava,” she instructed, not giving me a chance to answer as she scampered away, joining the line.

  Ava started to fuss, and I tried to settle her, but she wasn’t having it. Unclipping her, I picked her up, rocking back and forth on the balls of my feet.

  “What’s the matter, pretty girl?” I asked Ava, only to have her blow a bubble in answer.

  “Someone looks very comfortable playing daddy there, Higgins.”

  Spinning around, I came face to face with Grady and Dylan. “Hey, guys. Didn’t expect to see you here,” I replied, feeling a little embarrassed being caught out.

  “Good lord. She’s adorable, Zach.”

  “Yeah, she really is,” I replied, not at all bothered by the fact I sounded like a proud father.

  “May I?” Dylan stretched her hands out in front of her, making grabby hands in front of me. As much as I didn’t want to hand her over, I didn’t want to be rude either. Placing Ava carefully in Dylan’s awaiting arms, I tucked her blanket around her, trying to keep her protected from the breeze that was whipping around.

  “How’s she doing?” Grady asked, nodding towards Ava.

  “She’s doing really well.”

  “Have you heard anything?”

  “Not yet.”

  “Hopefully you will soon.”

  “Yeah. I’m just not sure what Lily wants the answer to be,” I answered honestly, but it wasn’t just Lily who was getting anxious not knowing what was going to happen. We didn’t know if we’d have Ava for another day, another week or another month. As much as the not knowing sucked, it was also a blessing in many ways. Pretending there was no end date was in a way, easier.

  Lily appeared beside me, powdered sugar on her face and waving about a napkin in each hand.

  “Grady just asked if we’d heard anything about Ava’s forever home.”

  Lily’s face scrunched up at
my comment. I didn’t have to ask to know she felt the same as I did about the situation. It was incredible how quickly the adorable bundle of bubbles had wormed her way into our hearts. Handing her over wasn’t going to be easy, and I dreaded the day we had to. But for now, she was here with us and she was beautiful. I wasn’t about to ruin it by thinking about what comes next. Or when.

  “Nothing yet,” she replied, reaching for Ava.

  “Well, she’s absolutely beautiful.”

  “Thanks.”

  “Come on, Dylan. Let’s leave them to get on with their day.”

  “Are you going to buy me a funnel cake? They look soooo good.”

  “If that’s what you want, that’s what you’ll get.” Grady wrapped his arm around her shoulders and led her towards the food trucks lined up along the end of the field.

  “See you around.” I waved them off.

  With one departing barb, Grady tossed out in my direction, “You guys look like a very happy family. Enjoy your day.”

  Shaking off his comments, I focused on the sugary goodness Lily was handing me. Taking a bite, I did my best not to moan loudly.

  “So good, isn’t it?” Lily asked excitedly.

  “Not bad. Not bad at all.”

  “It’s okay. You can say you like it. I promise I won’t tell anyone.”

  We wandered amongst the stalls, Lily buying more than I think she was planning on, to the point the stroller was overflowing with her purchases and I was carrying Ava, who’d fallen asleep against my chest. A few times we’d been stopped by people I didn’t recognize as Lily was asked why she didn’t have a stall. In true Lily style, she was polite and thanked them for their support. Damn, this woman was someone to admire.

  When Ava woke and started to fuss, it was time to call it a day. I didn’t think Lily could’ve fit another thing in. Heading back to the car, we loaded up her purchases and buckled Ava into her seat, ignoring her rumblings. Once she was settled, I pulled open the passenger door and waited for Lily to get in.

  “Hang on a second,” I stopped her, grabbing her arm and swiping my thumb across her bottom lip.

  “What?”

  “You had powdered sugar.” Licking the sugar from my thumb, Lily’s pink tongue snuck out and wet her lips.