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“Well, I’m self-employed and have no need for another job, so to speak, but I like your girls and would love to hang out with them.”
Leaning forward, I set her with a firm stare.
“But see, that’s just it, you wouldn’t behangingout. You would be taking care of my children. Feeding them, driving them around, helping them if they needed something…this isn’t some fun hobby. My kids aren’t a trendy thing you can start and stop whenever you want to.”
Her beautiful face flushed an even prettier color of pink. “I know…I didn’t mean”—that flush deepened—“I just meant, I like being around them.”
The girl’s mom liked being around them too, until she didn’t.
Haley must have read my expression, which was essentially telling her to do fucking better. My daughters would not be left with someone who would just pawn them off or leave them somewhere.
“I’m—well, you don’t know anything about me really, so I understand your hesitancy. I’m from Malibu…I’ve lived there my whole life. I have taken several CPR classes and am well versed in what to do with allergic reactions. I’m a decent, not perfect driver—no accidents, just a few tickets. I have a valid driver’s license and insurance on my car. I carry pepper spray on my keychain and would never take them anywhere unsafe.”
“You don’t know what places are unsafe in Macon. You just got here.”
Her head dipped, making more of her hair fall out. Damn. It looked silky, and my fingers twitched, practically begging to touch it.
I sunk back into the chair, kicking my leg out. I was being too hard on her, I knew that I was, but a part of me also wanted to know how hard she’d come back swinging. She had fight in her. I saw it earlier in the gym, and even tonight at Cole’s. I liked it. But her face was so pink, and those beautiful green eyes almost looked like they were watering, so I knew I had to back off a bit.
“How about we just try things out tomorrow…keep it casual. The girls can come over for a few hours, and Cole will take them off your hands around three. Is ten to three okay with you?”
“Yeah, sounds good.” Her voice trailed off, her eyes fixed on the floor, and I knew I’d offended her by bringing Cole into this, but this was new. What if she wasn’t as great at taking care of kids as she thought she was? What if she couldn’t do this? Thankfully, Cole was right next door, and better to not overwhelm her with an entire day of stuff. No, this was better.
“Well, okay then, I’ll see you tomorrow.”
Nodding again, she gave me a flat smile as she stood from the table.
Her perfectly manicured nails were curled into her palms as she walked toward the entryway. It was a quick conversation, much faster than I had anticipated, and for some reason, it felt like she needed to be here longer. I needed to know more about her and why there were parts of me that seemed to crave pieces of her.
“One more thing…”
Green eyes with flecks of gold looked up at me, waiting.
Swallowing around the thickness in my throat, I cleared it.
“Are you involved with someone?”
I didn’t need to know—it wasn’t my business—but if she was going to be around my kids, I had a right to know. Especially if he was some rich asshole from California who may decide to surprise Haley on a whim.
She shook her head. “I haven’t dated anyone in a while.”
Why did I suddenly need to know how long a while was, and if she did casual hookups, or if she was pining for someone from her past?
“Okay.” I finally said, stepping away from her.
“See you tomorrow?”
I gave her a nod, “See you tomorrow.”
Maybe by then I’d finally be over whatever it was that kept making me want to kiss her.
CHAPTERFIVE
Fresh Snow
Fur-lined gloves
Face Masks
