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“He is, for the most part,” David agreed. “But he can be a typical little boy, too.”
Shortly after that, as if to illustrate David’s point, Jacob started to argue with the girl about something, which brought her to tears.
“See?” David asked. With a sigh, he got to his feet and headed over toward the pair, where he was joined by the girl’s mother. Paige watched as tears were dried, questions were asked and answered, and after the ‘dispute’ appeared to be resolved, the girl and Jacob were apparently given the green light to continue playing. To Paige’s amusement, they ran off in different directions … ostensibly in search of new (and better), playmates.
What wasn’t amusing to Paige was the fact that David and the girl’s mother continued talking to one another long after the kids were gone. With a frown, Paige noted every telltale sign of flirting, from the woman’s coy smiles and laughs, to her incessant hair flips. And while Paige couldn’t really blame the woman (because David was hot, and hot, good single dads were probably like unicorns), she was only going to put up with that shit for so long.
The moment the woman pointed with concern to David’s bandaged hand, then looked like she was actually going to reach out and touch it, Paige decided she’d had enough. “For God’s sake,” she muttered, grabbing her phone to fire off a quick text.
PAIGE: Get away from that woman.
She knew the second David got her text, because he gave the woman an Excuse me smile, then proceeded to dig his phone out of his pocket with his good hand and read the text. When he was done, he returned the phone to his pocket with a smirk on his face, then did his best to clear it before looking at the woman again. Whatever he said next was clearly a disappointment, and he offered her a polite nod before turning and leaving.
“Sorry about that,” David said, as he sat down next to Paige.
She didn’t know if she believed him, because he seemed pleased. “Are you really?”
“Yes,” he answered. “But I’m not going to lie. I like it when you get territorial because it’s a huge turn-on. Not to mention, it helps me think that I’m still yours.” He gave her a long, serious look. “Something I desperately need right now.”
She felt her eyes sting a little and quickly glanced away. “So what were the waterworks about?” she asked, stepping over his admission and changing the subject.
“It was Jacob’s fault. The little girl asked him if he liked something that she liked. I’m not exactly sure what it was, but it was something purple and he said no. He then told her he thought it was ugly, and she didn’t like hearing that, so she started crying.”
“You haven’t taught him to agree with everything girls say yet?”
“Am I supposed to?”
“Yes. And the sooner the better. Life lessons are important.”
“What if it was genuinely ugly?”
“Doesn’t matter. He made a girl cry.”
“Maybe she was just being overly sensitive.”
“Again, doesn’t matter.”
Shaking his head and stifling a laugh (because the banter felt so good), he reached over to take her hand, then held onto it for the next hour, only letting go when it was time to pack up and leave. Then, he held it as he and Jacob walked Paige to her car, wanting to maintain that contact for as long as possible.
“This was nice,” she said, addressing both of ‘the boys’ (as she had started calling them in her head) after opening her car door. “I had a really good time.”
“So did we,” David returned. “Didn’t we, Jacob?”
Jacob nodded. “I really liked the Moon Pie.”
Paige smiled at him. “I’m glad.” Then, kneeling down, she leaned in to whisper, “Do you go to the grocery store with your dad?”
He nodded again.
“Good. Next time you go, make your dad buy some—maybe put a box in the cart when he’s not looking. Make sure you stick to the chocolate ones, though.”
“Okay.” He gave her a smile, then surprised her by asking, “Will you make us brinner again?”
Paige could tell by David’s expression that he was surprised by Jacob’s request, which made it sweeter, knowing he hadn’t been coached into issuing the invitation. “Absolutely.”
“Today?”
“Jacob,” David admonished.
