I beam at him. “Sounds good. I know this isn’t easy, Chad, and you’re doing great. Are you ready for another decision, or do you want to rest for a while?”
Chad slowly shakes his head. “Next step, Ivy.”
“Okay.” I shake out four ibuprofen. Chad’s closing his eyes again, so I say in a gentle voice, “Here you go.”
He opens his eyes and holds out his hand, which is shaking. “You’re good at this,” he says as I drop them into his hand.
“I hope so,” I say. “Otherwise I need a new career.”
He looks down at the medication. “Have you always wanted to be a life coach?”
“I knew I was good at talking to people, and I knew I liked helping them with things. And also, I’m pretty bossy. It seemed like a good path.” I keep the conversation casual and chill.
He chuckles.
“Ibuprofen isn’t addictive,” I whisper, a reminder to help him through this.
“I know.” His tone is resigned.
“What do you guys have planned for tomorrow?” I ask, another reminder: he needs to get well for the girls.
“Ice-skating,” he says. He stares at the ibuprofen in his hand with determination. He dumps them in his mouth and then quickly chases them with water. I scoot to the edge of my seat, worried that he did that all so fast they might come right back up, especially since he was nauseated earlier. He nods to himself, and I grin at him.
“Awesome,” I say.
He puts his hands on his knees. “Okay, let’s go get the girls.”
I eye him. The headache didn’t magically go away. Maybe he does deserve a reward. “Okay,” I agree. “You got some sunglasses? The hallway is still pretty bright for one a.m.”
“I’ll be fine.” He stands up slowly.
We prop the door to their suite open and then head across for the girls. I can tell that every step is painful for him. What would normally be a much dimmer hallway is lit by festive red and green lights strung along where the ceiling meets the walls. But if having his girls in the room will help him relax, I won’t argue.
He insists on carrying Scarlett even though she’s tiny for a five-year-old and I could handle it, and I take Zoey. Like he predicted, neither one wakes up as we carry them across the hall and into their room in Chad’s suite. He leaves their door propped open and then turns to me.
“Thanks, Ivy. You went above and beyond today.” He shoves his hands in the pockets of his sweats and looks down at his bare feet. Something about the fact that we’re standing here, so casual, makes warmth spread through my belly. It’s kind of intimate, and it makes me shuffle back a smidge, even thoughI’mwearing socks.
“I’m glad I could be here to help.” I put a hand on his arm before I think better of it, but I don’t want to snatch it back or I’ll feel stupider. I’ve landed on the bare skin just below his T-shirt sleeve, and his skin is warm.
Have I left it here too long?
Why is interacting with Chad suddenly so difficult? “Take two more in four hours, if you need it,” I say, and I finally pull my hand away. I’ve always been a touchy-feely person, and maybe it’s arriving today and seeing Law for the first time in a while and overthinking our interactions, but I feel like I can’t judge what’s normal anymore.
It doesn’t help that I’m noticing how attractive Chad is. His dark hair is sticking up in an adorable way, kind of at odds with the scattering of gray at his temples—boyish but still a sexy silver fox? I mean, it’s not like he’s all gray or anything. He’s not even forty yet. He’s the kind of guy who looks really good in a pair of sweats and a T-shirt, tall and toned. Not huge and muscled like Law, but still strong. It’s easy to picture leaning into his arms, and the way it would feel to be all wrapped up in him.
I pull my hand back before I act on that temptation. I havegotto get it together.
“Good night,” I say, nodding at him. I need to get out of this room.
After all the work I’ve done on myself before I get into another relationship, a sudden crush on Chad feels like a step in the wrong direction. Single dad, a lot older than me, dealing with a very messy ex situation. Several factors that would put a wrench into a relationship if I was ready to date again.
Which I’m clearly not, if I’m getting all hot and bothered over Chad Harrell without his shirt on.
When I shut the door to my room, I lean against it and take a second to center myself, focusing on the mini Christmas tree resting atop the desk. What did I love about today? That will distract me from my silly thoughts.
Hanging out with Scarlett and Zoey again was fun. It wasn’t just about babysitting—I enjoyed time with them. The light show was beautiful, bright colors exploding from the dormant foliage of the botanic garden. The girls’ excitement over it was contagious too. Every new color thrilled them, and all the pretty patterns delighted them. Dinner with Law was fun as well, even if it wasn’t just us. The food was delicious, and the girls love him.
I nod and step away from the door. There, good job, Ivy. Now you can go to sleep and forget that this weird attraction ever happened.
