She huffed, obviously a bit miffed at the situation. “It’s stupid. I wanted to go give the people in charge a piece of my mind, but my sister forbid it.”
I grinned. Damn, she’s got some spunk then. “In that case, welcome to the overflow section for the disposable extra parents.” I gestured to the table, where I'd spread out the frosting tubes and various small cups full of candy.
“With an invitation like that, how could I say no?” She rolled her eyes, but I caught her lips curving upward into a small smile.
I moved over to make some space for her.
She immediately got to work rearranging the frosting and candies. I had organized them by size, but she seemed to have a different system in mind.
I let her go for a while before I spoke up. “I’m Sasha.” I held out my hand. “Here with my goddaughter.”
She raised an eyebrow and gave me a deliberate once-over.
I tried not to squirm under her intensity.
She rewarded me when she finally held out her hand and shook my still outstretched one. “Sasha? Should I ask pronouns?”
I laughed. “Nah, Mom just wanted a girl, so I was blessed with the name.”
“I see. I’m Kaylinn. Here with my nephew.” She nodded over her shoulder to where a woman and a young boy, both with matching blonde curls, meticulously laid out their decorative items.
“Handsome little guy, isn’t he?” I smiled.
“He’s great.” She sighed. It felt heavy, like Angie’s when we talked about Mark missing out on some of Zoe’s best times.
“Is everything alright?” I asked, trying not to pry.
Just then, Mrs. Beasley, the woman running the competition, stood at the front of the room and started making her announcements, including the $100 grand prize for the winner of the contest, which sent all the kids into a frenzy.
“Yeah,” I heard Kaylinn say after a moment. “His dad left in May, and I’m trying to help them both find a new rhythm. It’s still a bit of a struggle. I just want to make the holidays go perfectly for them.”
I didn’t hesitate before gently taking her hand from where she was picking at her nails, and I squeezed it. “I think you’re doing a great job.”
She looked up at me then, giving me an unimpressed look that was shockingly similar to Angie’s many looks.
I laughed. “I’m serious. You obviously love them, and you’re here, aren’t you? Making a gingerbread house with a stranger so that your nephew has a good time.”
She paused, studying me again. “I guess you’re right.”
I grinned and winked. “Of course I am. I’m a godfather. We know everything.”
She scoffed. “Oh, now I know that one’s not true.”
“What? Prove it, then. Ask me anything about Zoe.” I uncapped the tube of frosting and began tracing a scallop pattern over the roof shingles. It was time to get this show on the road.
Chapter 3
Kaylinn
“How much did Zoe weigh when she was born?” I challenged.
“Seven pounds, three ounces,” Sasha responded without hesitation, casting a playfully smug glance my way. “Come on then, help a guy out, will you?” He nodded to the cups of candy.
He was even cuter up close. His eyes were a very green shade of hazel, and he had a dimple on his left cheek. He wasn’t tall, only an inch or so taller than me, but I found that I liked that. My ex-girlfriend was probably a little taller than him, so at least I knew I had a height preference.
I picked the mini M&Ms to hang from the roof’s overhang and pressed them in a blue, green, red, and yellow color pattern.
“Alright, lucky guess,” I teased. “Moms talk about that a lot in the first year or two.”
