Free Leap of Faith by Jamie Blair Page A

he would have. He’s an accident waiting to happen. Thanks for catching him.” She chuckles and shakes her head. “I’m Gail.” She reaches out and shakes my hand.
    “Fai—” I cough, covering up my near-blunder. “Leah.”
    She looks down at Addy. “What a beautiful baby.”
    “Thanks.” I brush Addy’s wispy hair back. “Her name’s Addy.”
    “Where do you live? I haven’t seen you around here before.”
    Her little boy comes back out and begins to stomp through the flower bed. I point down the street toward the white cape cod with the black shutters and green awnings.
    “We just moved in down the street.”
    She follows my finger and her eyes widen. “With Ken Buckridge?” Then she peers down at Addy again. “Oh. I didn’t know Chris had a girlfriend.”
    “No! No, I’m not.” I indicate Addy. “She’s not. I’m only renting their upstairs. We just met yesterday.”
    Gail smiles, but the corners of her mouth are tight, and there are creases between her eyebrows. “I didn’t know they were renting the upstairs.” She squeezes Addy’s teeny foot, and her jaw quirks, relaxes. “You two will be good for them.”
    I have no idea what she’s talking about, but my leg’s throbbing and starting to swell, and I just want to sit down. “Well, it was nice meeting you. I think Addy’s going to start fussing soon, so I’m going to get her back home.”
    “Okay, well, stop by and visit sometime. I’ll introduce you to some of the other women in the neighborhood.”
    “That sounds nice.” I give the stroller a nudge and try not to limp as we head back down to the sidewalk. I wave and smile, attempting to hide the pain I’m in. “Bye.”
    Halfway to 356 Maple, I see a black pickup truck pulls into the driveway. Music blares from the open windows. Chris’s hair blows around in the breeze.
    My heart jumps to life.
    How have I become so hooked on a guy I met yesterday? But watching him park his truck and hop out, I know how. Nobody’s ever done half as much for me, and he doesn’t even know me. He’s a good person, and I haven’t known many of those.
    On his way to the front door, he stops when he spots us. “Hey!” His smile’s genuine and fills his whole face. He jogs across the yard to meet us.
    After seeing his room, I half expect him to be wearing a superhero T-shirt, but he just has on a plain white T-shirt covered in dirt. He’s filthy. “All moved in?” he asks.
    “Yeah.” I watch his tall frame moving toward me, his jeans shifting with each stride, his shirt hugging his chest. I stop the stroller as he reaches us. “I love the paint color and the privacy wall. Thanks.”
    He bends down, leaning his head into the stroller. His fingers wrap lightly around Addy’s arm. “You’re welcome. Listen, I’m really sorry about what happened. My dad can be . . . I don’t know what’s wrong with him sometimes. Do you need help moving anything in?”
    I ignore the jab in the pit of my stomach at the mention of Chris’s dad. “No, we’re good. We don’t have much, so it wasn’t difficult.”
    He unbuckles Addy and lifts her out of the stroller. “Is it okay if I carry her in?”
    I cringe at the dirt on his shirt, but he’s already got her pressed against his chest. “Sure.” I can always give her a bath.
    She turns her head toward his neck and snuggles into a ball. Somehow she feels how I do with him.
    Safe.
    Secure.
    Home.
    All those months inside my mother must’ve made her feel unloved, unwanted, adrift. Now she has me to take care of her, and Chris, too, I guess. It’s a mystery what he’s providing her with—us with—but whatever he’s offering, we’re taking it.
    I follow behind him, pushing the stroller alongside Mom’s car, which makes my stomach lurch. I have to do something about those Ohio plates. Will they even be looking for a stolen car from Ohio in Florida? I don’t know, but I can’t chance it.
    At the front steps, Chris hands Addy over to me,