Page 14 of The Challenge

“I’m being serious.”

“It’s fine. Hard heads like mine can withstand a lot.”

I chuckled.

“Anyway…” he said. “I went into work late so I could vacuum the area thoroughly. There shouldn’t be a single shard of glass left. It’s safe to walk on now.”

“Cool.” Our eyes locked for a moment, and then I nodded. “I’ll let you two finish dinner.” I started walking toward my room.

His voice stopped me. “Have you eaten?”

I turned back around. “No, actually I sort of forgot to eat today. Well, aside from a granola bar I had in my bag.”

“How do you forget to eat?” Effie laughed. “I think about food all day.”

“Just busy.” I looked over at Evan. “I went to visit Mom, looked for available rooms, and then went to the storage unit to start going through stuff. Haven’t had a moment to stop and get anything.”

He nodded, his expression softening. He gestured to an empty seat. “Sit.”

I shook my head. “I really shouldn’t.”

“Sit,” he demanded again.

Conceding, I took the seat across from Effie and watched as Evan walked over and plated some of whatever he’d made. It smelled savory, maybe even a hint of thyme or rosemary.

When he placed the large bowl in front of me, I realized it was beef stew. I took a whiff. “Smells good. Thank you.”

“It’s one of three things my dad makes the most,” Effie said. “Beef stew, spaghetti, and chicken tenders.”

“Well, that would be three more things than my dad ever knew how to cook.” I blew on the stew and took a bite. “This is remarkably good.” I licked my lips. “Fresh thyme, huh?” I winked. “You’ve come a long way from only knowing how to toast Pop-Tarts.”

He shrugged. “I try.”

Effie interrupted my staring into Evan’s painfully gorgeous brown eyes when she turned to me. “Can you French braid?”

“Effie,” he scolded.

I set my spoon down. “Probably not that well. But I could try.”

“I told my friend we could match tomorrow. She’s wearing her hair in a French braid, and Daddy doesn’t know how to do it.” She frowned. “But my dance teacher wants us all to have French braids at the recital later this year, too. So he has to learn. I don’t have eyes at the back of my head, or else I’d do it.”

This poor girl shouldn’t have to think about doing it herself, even if she had the ability. Where the hell was her mother? I hadn’t dared ask yet, and no one had offered the information, but I was getting the impression that maybe Evan had full custody.

“You need your hair braided tonight?” I asked.

She shook her head. “In the morning. I don’t want to sleep on it and mess it up.”

“We can figure it out,” I assured her.

A quick glance at Evan’s expression confirmed that he wasn’t too comfortable with my promise. But how could I say no to this sweet little girl?

I quietly scooped a few more spoonfuls of stew into my mouth as they watched.

“What was my dad like when he was younger?” Effie asked, leaning into the table.

Licking stew off the corner of my mouth, I smirked. “He wasn’t as grumpy.”

Evan glared at me with a hint of a smile.