“Thanks! They’re my favorite.” She takes this time to do a little twirl, and I grin at the move. Damn, she was cute.
“Okay.” Elizabeth’s voice hits us, and I turn for a second to give her my attention, and my jaw comes unhinged.
When I showed up, she was in shorts and a button-up shirt. I thought that was her outfit for her date.
But no. Hell no. It was not.
Now, she’s sporting a black dress that hugs her curves in all the right places, rests just above her knees, and accents her ass gorgeously. I don’t even know if that makes sense, but I’m not really able to form coherent sentences, even in my mind.
Her long honey-brown hair hangs over her shoulders, past her breasts in long, big curls, and she’s wearing a sexy pair of black heels.
“Honey, you remember Derek from the wedding, right?” She squats in front of her daughter, giving me a view I don’t deserve, and somehow, I find my manners and look back to the little girl.
“Yup. He’s my friend.”
I smile at the girl, happy for the distraction.
“Well, he’s just going to hang out with you for a while until bedtime. Mommy will be back in a couple of hours, and I’ll be here all night, okay? So you can sleep soundly, there’s nothing to worry about.”
“Okay, Mommy,” she says sweetly, looking back at me. “Derek, want to draw?”
I nod my head. “Absolutely.”
I look back at Elizabeth, who waves me over, and I stand, making my way to her.
“So, the other night she had a night terror.” I frown and look back at the girl. “They’re really rare for her, but if it happens when I’m gone, call me right away and don’t wake her. I know that sounds crazy, but it’s the only way to deal with it.”
“Okay, no problem,” I say, looking at the sweet girl. “Why does she have them?”
“I’m not sure. She had them when she was two, and then just this one recently. I’m hoping it was a fluke.” Elizabeth bites her bottom lip and looks at her daughter with concern. “Gosh. Am I a horrible mother? I shouldn’t be leaving her right now.”
I may be a glutton for punishment, but I reach over and rub her arm. “You’re not a terrible mother, trust me. You deserve some time for yourself.”
She looks back at me and nods. “Yeah, okay. Well, you have my number, and I wrote down my sister’s and parents’ numbers if you need them. I should be back at nine, her bedtime for the weekend is eight, so don’t let her give you any grief. She needs to brush her teeth for thirty seconds, and I usually count for her. And she likes a story for bedtime.” She turns to go out the door and turns back quickly. “Oh, and she can’t sleep without the blue plush elephant on her bed. Make sure she has it.”
Again, she turns, and I try to usher her out the door. “Oh, she also can’t watch scary movies.”
I give her a look and can’t help myself when I say, “So noFreddy vs. Jason?”
For a moment, she looks horrified until she sees my expression. “Sorry. Sorry. I know I’m being ridiculous.”
“No, you’re just being a really good mom.”
Her eyes soften, and she finally opens the door. “Thank you so much, Derek. I owe you.”
“Not a thing. I’m happy to help.” I smile at her, and for a second, she seems indecisive and looks between my eyes. Finally, her shoulders release their tension, and she steps out the door, calling one last “I love you, bye” to Aurora, who returns the sentiment.
I watch her walk to her car and get in, and once she’s safe, I turn back to the little girl sitting at the table drawing and wonder how I got myself here.
Chapter Eight
“Raising kids is like a never-ending comedy show. Sometimes they laugh at your jokes, and sometimes they throw things at you.” - Quinn
DEREK
I swipe a hand over my brow and look down at the cards in my hand. The eyes across from me narrow, the left eye twitching slightly as they do, and I try to hide my smile at the look.
“Do you,” I start, looking from the cards to the little girl and deepening my voice, “have a six?”
