“There you are,” she said.
“Yeah. Didn’t know if I should stay or go but didn’t want to ghost while you were taking care of Gracie.”
“Thanks for that. I don’t mind if you stay,” she said. Actually, she wanted him to stay. There was something so homey about this moment. She wanted it to last.
“I can stay until midnight,” he said. “I’ve got the early shift tomorrow.”
“Great. Um…did you pick a movie?” she asked him.
“Nah, this was on.”
She glanced at the screen. It was one of the Marvel movies with the superheroes. “I haven’t seen this one.”
“I might have. It’s hard to remember them all.”
“Yeah. I think this is my favorite superhero movie.” Ava sat down next to him, and Gracie, who had her pacifier in her mouth, reached for Chay. He took the baby, holding her against his chest, and then reached for Ava and pulled her up against him.
“So I what I remember is that Bucky killed Tony’s parents and Cap knows but hasn’t told him. And then the general wants them all to sign some kind of accord, which basically limits what they can do.”
“And they don’t want to?” she asked.
“Well, half of them don’t,” he said. “Setting up an epic battle.”
“Good, I like to see my superheroes battling,” she said, curling her legs under her and putting her hand on his stomach as they watched the movie.
Chay was so warm and comfy next to her, and as she watched Gracie, the little girl started to get sleepy again. Maybe she’d just been lonely. Ava felt her own eyes getting heavy as the movie played on. She put her hand next to Gracie on Chay’s chest, and Gracie wrapped her fist around Ava’s finger.
Closing her eyes for just a second, Chay’s hand rubbing her shoulder and the soft sound of the television lulled her to sleep.
Carefully, Chay adjusting the sleeping Gracie higher on his shoulder and moved Ava off his shoulder so he could stand. But he didn’t want to move from the couch. It felt like home in a way that he’d rarely experienced. There were only a few moments in his life he could remember feeling like this. Always they had been with his grandmother.
Ava Colton was weaving some kind of magic around him, and he was helpless to stop her. The rational part of him knew that this wouldn’t last. The baby was only temporarily in Ava’s care. She was only in his life because of a case and the baby she wanted him to adopt. Something he knew he wasn’t going to do.
So letting himself feel anything toward these two women had stupid written all over it.
While he wasn’t the smartest man on the planet, he’d always been wise enough to steer clear of emotional entanglements.Had promised himself when his mom walked out of his life that he wouldn’t give anyone the power to hurt him like that again.
He was self-sufficient, took pride in the fact that he didn’t need anyone, but damn. He hugged both of them closer to him. He wanted them to be his.
Want was so different. So dangerous. It made him believe that if he took a risk then he’d…what? His mind wasn’t going to let him form that thought.
The movie was over. He’d muted it so the noise didn’t wake either of them. He knew he had to leave to drive home and get some rest before his shift tomorrow. But the couch felt so comfy and these two sleeping ladies held him in a net that he wasn’t even trying to break free from.
Ava stirred, her eyes opening sleepily. “Hi.”
“Hey, there. Enjoy your rest?” he asked.
“Yeah. Your shoulder is comfy.”
He wriggled his eyebrows at her, tempted to tell her she should try the rest of him. But he felt vulnerable. Something he really hated. So kept his mouth shut.
“Oh, look at the time. You said you had to leave at midnight,” she said, getting up and then reaching down to take Gracie. A strand of her hair brushed against his forearm, sending a tingle of awareness through him.
“I’ve got her,” he said, getting to his feet. “Also, it’s okay. I didn’t mind.”
Oh, he a thousand percent hadn’t minded holding her while she slept. The only thing better would have been in if they’d been in his big king-size bed and he’d made love to her before she drifted off.
“Well, thank you,” she said, wiping her hands on her jeans. “What do you say I return the favor and cook you dinner at your place tomorrow night?”
