“Hailey’s sick?” I asked. Tap hadn’t mentioned anything about his daughter being ill.
“She’s been up since about three a.m. with a stomach ache and a fever. Seems to be letting up now, but she’s lying on the couch, milkin’ it for all it’s worth. I didn’t tell her we had a visitor, so you two should go surprise her.”
Hailey was a sleepy little thing with a head of dark curls and skin that was a few shades lighter than Tap’s. She also had his eyes, his lips, and his jawline.
“She’s like a younger, feminine version of you,” I whispered. “She’s adorable.”
He beamed me a smile heavy with pride and admiration. “Yeah. I’ve made a lot of mistakes in my life, but she’s one thing I did right. She’s my world.”
And he was introducing her to me. Knowing how difficult that must be for a man as private and secretive as Tap, I stayed back as he brushed a curl away from her cheek and woke her up.
“Hey, princess, we have company.” He felt her forehead. “You still feel a little warm.” He glanced at his watch. “It’s almost time for more medicine.”
Hailey wasn’t looking at her dad, though. Her gaze was glued to me. “You’we weawing my daddy’s clothes,” she finally said. Before Tap or I could respond to that, her eyes widened, and her face lit up. “Awe you my mom?”
Tap
OUT OF ALL the random, bizarre questions I’d expected Hailey to ask Sasha, “Are you my mom?” wasn’t even on my radar. Now that it was out in the universe, my toddler’s inquiry made sense because of the promise I’d made to tell her about her mom after she came home from the lodge. Of course, her mind would go there at the sight of the only woman I’d ever brought home, who also happened to be wearing my clothes.
Sasha stood a few feet away, her eyes wide and her mouth agape. She was just as flabbergasted as I was, only she was an innocent bystander, and this was my mess to fix.
Awkward silence charged the air as Hailey’s hopeful little face stared up at Sasha, waiting for an answer. I didn’t want to crush my daughter, but I also didn’t want her to be confused. Time to nip this in the bud before it could bloom. Struggling for the right words to say, I patted Hailey’s arm. “No, baby girl. This is my friend, Sasha. She’s just visiting us for a while.”
“But you said you’d tell me about my mom.”
I nodded. “I did, and I will, but not today. Today, we have company, and we don’t wanna be rude.”
Mama snorted from the kitchen, muttering something under her breath that sounded a lot like, “No, your dad’s already got rude covered.” I ignored her and kept my attention on my daughter.
“I want my mom.”
This was a new and interesting demand, and not something I was prepared to deal with. Hell, I couldn’t even deal withmymom right now. As I was still trying to figure out an acceptable response, Sasha kneeled beside me and put her hand on my arm.
“Hi, Hailey. I’m not your mom, but I love to play with dolls and ponies and Popsicle sticks. If you’ll let me be your friend, we can have a lot of fun together.”
Hailey seemed to consider the idea for a moment before asking, “Do you wike Incwedibues?” She looked at the television.
Sasha followed her gaze. “The Incredibles? Are you kidding me right now? I love them. How can I not? They’re innnncredible.”
Hailey giggled. “Wiw you watch ’em wif me?”
“I’d love to, sweet girl,” Sasha replied.
“After lunch,” I cut in. “Mama made some special soup to help you feel better.” I held out my arms to Hailey. “Come on.”
She ignored me. “I want Sasa to cawwy me.”
Sasha looked to me for permission. Her eyes were bright, and her smile was infectious. I knew I shouldn’t allow some woman I’d known for such a short time to cozy up to my daughter, but I didn’t know how to avoid it.
I shrugged and stepped back.
Hailey practically jumped into Sasha’s arms, eliciting a grunt of pain.
“Be careful, baby girl. Sasha has some owies on her stomach.”
“You do?” Hailey asked, her eyebrows furrowing in an almost comical level of concern.
“Yes, but holding you makes me feel better. You’re basically medicine, kiddo.”
