Liev couldn’t help but smile as Hadlee talked his ear off. She was on her third cola and had polished off the biggest slice of chocolate cake she swore she had ever seen. Her manners were, if he were to be judgemental, not perfect. She cussed a bit, but he’d let it slide. She had no idea which fork to use at dinner, and she laughed too loud more than once as she regaled him stories of her friends and her mother. People had turned to stare at the exuberant child more than once and he had not cared an ounce. She was wonderful.
He wasn’t surprised to find Briar was heavily invested in Hadlee’s extra curricular activities. She apparently was the dance coach and she taught multiple dance classes at the local community center. When Hadlee was doing her cheerleading and singing in one part of th
