“Goodbye, sweetheart. And don’t forget Miss Flora will be here the rest of the week.”
Daisy nodded. “You and Rocco and baby Caleb are gonna be in Seattle to see Rocco’s grandma and grandpa.”
“That’s right,” Rebecca said, walking them to the door. “And I’m sure you’ll be a wonderful angel for Miss Flora.”
Again, Daisy was nodding earnestly, and Xander couldn’t help but smile. The kid really was adorable.
“Thanks, Rebecca,” he said, giving the woman a wave.
“Keep me posted if you can,” she called out as he pressed the key fob to unlock Alvarez’s truck.
After giving Rebecca a chin lift, he bent to pick up Daisy and reached for the back passenger door.
“Xandy, your truck looks just like Daddy’s!”
He couldn’t help but smile at how she went back and forth between calling his friend Matty and Daddy. He knew that Alvarez loved the little girl as if she were his own, and he knew his friend melted every time she called him Daddy. “That’s because itisMatt’s truck, kiddo.” He opened the door and waved his hand in a ta-da gesture, which had her giggling as he’d intended. “Now hop in, and I’ll buckle you in.”
He set her down in the truck, and she scrambled into her seat. “Xandy?” she asked once she was settled.
He stilled at her hesitant tone. “What’s on your mind, peanut?”
“Are Mama and Matty gonna be at the playground too?”
The worry for Scarlet sprouted anew in his gut. He didn’t want to worry Daisy, but he didn’t want to lie to her either. “No, peanut. Matt had to take your mama to the doctor. While they’re doing all that, me and you get to hang out. They’ll meet up with us later.”
“For dinner?”
He met her gaze and did his best to reassure her. “You know, I’m not sure when they’ll be done. But after the playground, if they’re not done yet, we can get some ice cream.”
She grinned. “For dinner?”
He shrugged. “Why not? Ice cream for dinner sounds good, doesn’t it?” He furrowed his eyebrows as he paused buckling her into her car seat. “Wait? You like ice cream, right? I mean, if you like broccoli more, we can get that for dinner instead.”
She giggled again. “I love ice cream, Xandy!”
“Phew!” He mimed wiping sweat from his brow and clicked her buckle into place. “Now you hang on to Mr. Slothy, and let’s hit the playground before it gets too dark.”
Half an hour later, Xander’s phone buzzed.
The short drive to the town’s playground had been uneventful, and Daisy was running around the jungle gym with Mr. Slothy. He was thankful the place was deserted, because he didn’t want to deal with other kids. Daisy was shy, and other kids, especially the older ones, often tried to steamroll her. Not acceptable in his book.
He pulled his phone from his jeans pocket and checked his messages. It was a group text with Esme and Bean.
Esme
Scarlet and the babies are okay. According to Alvarez, low blood sugar and dehydration were contributing factors. She’ll be at the clinic for another couple hours. They want to monitor her blood pressure and administer more IV fluids.
Xan, you’re on Daisy duty for a few more hours.
Not a problem. We’re at the playground and will grab dinner after.
Bean
Thanks for the update. How’s Alvarez doing?
Esme
Trying not to freak out. Apparently, Scarlet gave him a verbal smackdown when he suggested she stop working since she’s pregnant.
