“Almost ten.”
“Wow.” She glanced down at the girls, her expression softening. “They went down around eight. I must have crashed right after.”
Alice shifted again, snuggling closer to Emily. The movement seemed to wake Audrey, whose eyes cracked open.
“Daddy?” Her voice was muzzy with sleep.
“Hey, monster. Time for bed.”
“M’tired.”
“I know. Come on.”
I scooped her up easily, her head dropping to my shoulder. She was already drifting back off before I’d straightened up.
Emily carefully extracted herself from under Alice, who barely stirred. “I’ll get her.”
“You don’t have to.”
“I want to.”
She lifted Alice easily and pushed to her feet, rubbing Alice’s back when her arms went around her neck automatically, her face pressed into Emily’s shoulder.
We made our way upstairs and down the hall to the girl’s room in silence. I laid Audrey in her bed, tucking the covers around her. Across the room, Emily was doing the same with Alice, her movements gentle and sure.
The only light came from the nightlight plugged in near the door, casting everything in muted shadows.
Emily wearing the bunny onesie was really something. The ears hung limply to one side and her hair was mussed from sleep. She looked absolutely ridiculous.
And absolutely perfect.
It made me want to…
Don’t do that.
Dragging in a breath, I gestured to the door, doing my absolute best not to check out Emily’s ass as I followed her downstairs.
In the kitchen, Emily moved to the stove where the crock pot sat. “Take a seat. I’ll grab you some dinner.”
“You don’t need to serve me.”
“Don’t argue with me.”
Her bossy tone made my lips twitch as I pulled out a chair and dropped into it, my muscles immediately grateful for the reprieve.
She ladled the pot roast into the bowl, the steam rising up. The smell hit me and my stomach growled.
“When did you last eat?” She set the bowl in front of me, along with a fork.
“Breakfast burrito in the truck on the way to the job.”
She shook her head, settling into the chair across from me and gestured to the bowl. “Eat.”
I did as I was told, taking a bite. “Mmm, thanks. This is great.”
She smiled. “Thank yourself. You made it.”
“Fuck, I did too.”
