“Earlier you met Nicky, her twin,” he offered, straightening.
“Twins? Wow. That must be so cool,” I said to the little girl.
“Sometimes it is and sometimes not. You know when other children say I look like my brother or my brother looks like me. Then we fight because Nicky wants me to look like him. But he’s my brother,” she rattled on her tone matter-of-fact. “Please, say you’re staying with us. You can sleep in my room. We can do all the girly things daddy can’t. Will you show me how to wear make-up, please. I want to dress up all pretty just like you and then...”
I met Trent’s gaze and he mouthed, “Sorry.” I shook my head, trying to convey it was okay.
“Would you like a flapcake?” Neha asked, drawing my attention again.
Curious, I glanced at Trent who’d moved to the stove where he poured batter into a pan. “Flapcake?” I asked him.
“Yes, daddy’s made more because he burned the others,” Neha’s gentle pout had me smiling.
“I have a British butler.” Trent looked at me over his shoulder. “He would occasionally interchange the words flapjacks and pancakes. One day he made the mistake of calling them flapcakes while joking with the nanny and Neha picked up the word. She was three at the time. It’s stuck ever since.”
“Flapcakes it is then. I’ll consider adding that name to my menu at the restaurant.” Trent laughed at my suggestion. I looked at Neha. “Thank you, Neha, I’ll have some flapcakes, please. Are they any good or does daddy burn them a lot?” I teased.
She giggled while setting a plate on the table. “They are so good. You have to try the one with chocolate ice cream and sprinkles, it’s the best.”
“Thank you, I will.” I slipped off my jacket, hung it on the back of a chair, and waited. She began helping me assemble the sweet treat on the plate. I looked up to find Trent watching us and I winked. He grinned. I’d thought he looked delicious in a suit, but nothing beat knowing that the gorgeous man cooking in the kitchen was also a father, it gave me the shivers.
Trent finished up at the stove, moved closer to me and slid an arm around my waist. “You want me to save you?” he whispered in my ear. I shook my head, making him smile. “How did you find my home?” this time he spoke at a normal level.
“Jenson’s a pretty...oh shit.” I slapped a hand to my mouth when Neha looked up from her artwork. “Sorry,” I blanched. Shaking her head as she walked off. Puzzled I turned to Trent. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to.”
“It’s okay.” He laughed. “As long as you have five dollars, you’re good.
“Five dollars?” I frowned as Neha returned with a jar in her hand.
“Five dollars, please.” She lifted the jar to me.
At my baffled look, Trent responded, “it’s a swear jar. Each curse word costs you five dollars.”
“I haven’t heard of that before, limited memory and all that.” I grinned. “Am I right to assume that all that money belongs to you?” I gestured to the almost-filled jar and reached for my purse.
Laughing, he nodded. “Guilty as charged. Although the majority are due to phone calls. I don’t curse unnecessarily in front of my kids. Well, I try not to and quite a bit belongs to my cousin, Rayden.”
“Hmm, will ten dollars do, I don’t have a five,” I asked Neha.
“I’ll keep it as a credit. Daddy does that sometimes for his next curse word.” She took the money and walked away.
I burst out laughing. “Oh, my God, she’s precious. Credit for my next word? How old is she?”
Trent grinned. “They’re seven.”
“You have beautiful children, Trent. Why did your son run off?”
“Come on, we can talk while you dig into your pancake. Coffee?” He gestured to a chair at the kitchen table.
“If you’re the owner of the Crystal Oasis, how do you find time to take care of the kids, prepare meals and run a successful business?” I asked, sitting down.
“I don’t.” He chuckled. “I wish I did, though.” He shrugged and I got the feeling he wished to spend more time with his kids. “I have a nanny, a butler, a cook, and a grandmother who visits occasionally. Together they all make me look like Captain America.” He set down a mug of coffee in front of me. “I couldn’t do any of this without them, and today I gave all of them the day off so I could be at my kid's beck and call.”
“Wow, that’s generous of you.” I laughed, then remembered Jenson. “Oh, shit.” I quickly covered my mouth and glanced around. Trent noticed I was looking for Neha and grinned. I’d never had children around me other than diners. “Jenson’s outside. I forgot all about him. I should—” I moved to stand, and Trent stopped me with a hand to my shoulder.
“Relax, eat up and I’ll go invite him in. There’s plenty of room.”
“Room?” I frowned.
