Freya nodded. “Even though it’s cold out, ice cream is my favorite.”
“We’re heading to get some now.” He tapped the top of Daisy’s head, and she looked up at him. “Should we invite my friend to join us?”
Daisy’s doe eyes widened. “She saved Mr. Slothy from drowning in the puddle. She should get ice cream for a reward.”
He met Freya’s gaze. “What do you say? Care to join us?”
“Sure,” she said, flashing him a shy smile. A smile that did something to his insides. But he didn’t want to think too hard on that.
They set off toward the ice cream shop, and Freya asked Daisy what flavors she and Mr. Slothy were getting. The walk was filled with Daisy’s little voice debating whether it would be cookies and cream or chocolate.
They entered the shop, and the scent of freshly made waffle cones filled his nose. He wasn’t much of a sweets guy, but for these two ladies, he’d make an exception.
“Xandy,” Daisy called out, lifting her arms.
He scooped her up and set her on his hip, and they perused the ice cream flavors. He gestured for Freya to order first. She went with a scoop of strawberry cheesecake in a waffle bowl.
“What flavor do you want, peanut?” he asked.
Daisy’s lips pursed in thought. “I don’t know. I like chocolateandOreo.”
“Let’s go with both.” When her eyes went as wide as saucers, he bit the inside of his cheek to keep from laughing. “Do you trust me, kid?”
She nodded, a grin blooming on her cherub face.
He turned to the woman behind the counter. “A scoop of cookies and cream and a scoop of chocolate in a cup for the little lady.”
“Regular scoop or kids’ scoop?”
“Regular,” he said, and then he quickly and silently mouthedkidto the woman.
She chuckled and grabbed the smaller scoop. “And for you?”
“I’ll take a scoop of rocky road in a cup and a waffle cone on the side.”
He caught Freya’s curious look, and he shot her a wink. “Daisy and I have a thing. You’ll see.”
As the woman scooped the ice cream, he moved toward the register. Noticing Freya reaching into her purse, he set Daisy on her feet. “Peanut, why don’t you take Freya and pick out a table for us, okay?”
“Okay!”
“Are you sure?” Freya asked, pulling out her wallet.
“I got this. Besides, it’s your reward for saving Mr. Slothy.”
“Come on, Faya!”
While the two decided on a table, he paid for their ice cream and grabbed the tray with their treats. After distributing the bowls, he picked up the extra waffle cone, wrapped it in a napkin, and placed it in front of Daisy. “Go for it, kiddo.”
With a giant grin, she crushed the cone, keeping it inside the napkin.
“Interesting,” Freya murmured, taking a bite of her ice cream.
He forced his attention to focus on the crushed waffle cone andnotthe spoon entering Freya’s mouth. “This isn’t our first ice-cream rodeo together,” he said, sprinkling a third of the crushed cone over Daisy’s ice cream and the rest of the crumbles on his. “As much as this little lady loves her ice cream and waffle cones, she’s not the fastest eater.”
“It’s ’cause I’m just a little kid,” Daisy declared, digging into her treat.
The corners of his lips twitched. “Exactly. So we do this instead. Plus, it avoids both ice-cream-melting sadness and brain freeze.”
