Christian shook his head with a chuckle. It never took much to please her. He turned his focus back to Isla.
“Two scoops?” She held up two fingers.
“Two scoops,” he confirmed with a decisive nod.
“And sprinkles?”
He huffed out an overdramatic sigh. “And sprinkles.”
“How about gummy bears?”
“Gummy bears?” His voice rose a few notches in pitch.
This ice cream date would lead to a major sugar rush if he wasn’t careful.It’s my own fault.No one could accuse him of being above bribing his kids.
“You drive a hard bargain, little lady.” His horrible attempt at a country accent made Isla giggle. “Fine, you can have gummy bears.”
That brought a smile to his daughter’s face. “Okay, I’ll go to the park. Can I bring a book?”
“Sure. Go get dressed.”
As Isla left the kitchen, Christian ran a hand down his face, the day-old stubble on his jaw scratching at his palm. That could’ve gone a lot worse. He constantly walked a fine line with her. She resembled that superhero baby inThe Incredibles. One moment, sweet and cooperative. The next, she’d burst into flames. Not real flames, obviously.But still just as hot. Luckily, he’d navigated through this difficulty without getting torched.
Within an hour, Christian found himself twisted in an unnatural angle, his cheek flattened against the plush fibers of the pink shag rug on Penelope’s floor.
“Ah, there you are,” he muttered, spotting the glittery sneaker underneath her crib. He attempted to fit into the tight space far enough to grab it from the farthest corner. How had it gotten there? She’d worn it yesterday.
Grabbing it, he carefully shimmied out from under the crib, tossing the shoe next to its mate on the rug.
“Let’s remember to put your shoes away next time.” He spoke the words out loud, even while directing them more toward himself. Sitting back on his haunches, he glanced at the spot where his daughter had been a moment ago. The empty glider chair underneath the collage of Penelope’s baby photos swayed gently back and forth on its base. “Nellie?”
Where’d she go?That sweet girl had more energy than she knew what to do with.
“Christian?” Danica called from downstairs. “I’m here.”
Just in time.
He grabbed both shoes and left the room, finding Penelope outside the door playing with the shape sorter blocks she’d left in the hallway. Princess Pumpkin, her loyal follower, sniffed at the colorful shapes scattered on the floor.
Although Christian had originally agreed to the idea of a dog to help with Isla’s anxiety, he was pretty sure the retriever preferred the youngest Gustafson because of the likelihood of pilfering a treat. Dogs really were the smartest animals.
“Come on, Nellie.” He picked her up before continuing to the stairs, Pumpkin trotting behind them. “Aunt Dani’s here.”
“Yay!” Penelope bounced in his arms. “Let’s go!”
Once downstairs, they found Danica sitting next to her niece on the couch in the living room. Their heads were bent together watching a show on the tablet in the younger girl’s lap. Isla’s headphones hung around her neck, and she pointed at something on the screen, drawing a laugh from her aunt.
“Hey, sis.” Setting Penelope down, she scurried around the couch to climb up next to Danica. He gave his sister’s shoulder a squeeze. “Thanks for coming on such short notice.”
Danica leaned her head back to look at him. “I’ll never pass up an opportunity to hang with my favorite nieces.” She poked Penelope in the side, and the toddler bent over giggling.
“We’re your only nieces,” Isla said, scrunching her face in confusion.
Danica smiled at her with genuine auntie devotion. “You’re still my favorites. Besides, my roommates decided they wanted to dye their hair in our bathtub. I thought it was best to leave before they tried to convince me to become a redhead. Can you imaginemewith red hair?” She flipped a honey-colored strand back from her ear and shuddered.
“That would be a mistake, for sure.” Christian tossed Penelope’s shoes onto the floor in front of the couch. “Have you talked to Mom recently? She hasn’t answered the last few times I’ve called.”
Danica wiggled her way out from between the girls. Penelope filled the gap quickly, scooting over to cuddle with her big sister.
