She just had to hope that she didn't make a mess of everything.
CHAPTER TEN
NICK
The world was on overdrive.
Katie was back up on the tips of her toes.
Nick was working overtime to get all of their construction jobs organized and planned to the Nth degree so he could spend two whole weekends at the Nutcracker with his girls.
Yeah. Ruth was a keeper.
If she let them keep her.
Normally, he'd have to depend on the other moms in the dance company to make sure that Katie got to and from the theater and her dances classes during the ballet version of Hell Week.
This year was different.
This year, they had a new member of the family.
And yes, both Katie and Nick were calling Ruth family. It wasn't just a default because she was helping out, they both wanted her to stay with them.
Forever.
Ruth had an early morning order to deliver, so the night before the final dress rehearsal, Nick and Katie were fending for themselves for breakfast.
Katie stared at the breakfast on her plate and then looked up at him. "Dad, I love you..."
He sighed and looked at her across the table. "But?"
"Yes," she nodded. "But, you're just not Ruth."
Katie calling Ruth 'Ruth' was a concession of sorts.
She'd been itching to call her something else, but they'd both held off.
This wasn't something either of them wanted to rush into.
It wasn't that they didn't feel like it was right.
Instead, they'd talked about it a few nights before after Ruth had gone back to her house. Katie was already trying to find a time when they could go out and look for a ring.
It was difficult to find a nice happy medium between getting down on one knee and tossing Ruth over his shoulder and tossing her on his bed and keeping her there.
Well, he didn't want a happy medium. He wanted both.
And soon.
"Okay." Nick picked up his keys from the table and lifted his chin toward the front door. "Let's go get something to eat on the way to school."
Katie did a little twirl and waltzed her way to the front door.
When they got to the door, Katie turned around and hugged him tight, her chin on his chest so he could see her whole sweet face. "Dad, please, don't take this the wrong way."
He blew out a breath and hugged her back. "You know I love your pretty face, Katydid. What's going on in that head of yours?"
"You're the bestest dad. You know that, right?"
