“If we do, we’ll yell.” He kissed her temple. “I promise.”
“Okay,” she said. “I’ll get out the toys we’ll play with later.”
I cracked up as she scurried down the steps.
“Are you okay?” Lee asked. “I didn’t mean to upset you.”
“You didn’t. I just got emotional.” I waved a hand. “But I promise it was in a good way.”
“Good,” he said, his smile deepening. “I hate what happened to you.” Lee took a seat next to me. “Not that this makes up for it, but?—”
“It does. More than you know. It’s great.” I kicked at a balloon as it bounced toward my feet. Before I could help myself, I leaned over to kiss his cheek. “Thank you.” Lee’s stubble scraped against my lips as I pulled back, the spicy pine scent of his usual cologne hitting my senses. “I love it all.”
“Good,” he said, grabbing my hand. “Don’t get too attached.” He nodded toward the floor. “I’m sure my daughter will steal most of these before she goes to bed.”
“That’s okay,” I said. “The thought is what matters.”
My gaze snagged on Lee’s, his wide smile shrinking as his hand still held mine.
“Good,” he said, giving my hand a squeeze before he dropped it. “This all had a lot of thought. And we’re both glad you’re here.”
“Me too,” I said, bumping my shoulder into his. “Let me unpack while Bennie is distracted. That way, we can go over everything I need to know tonight.” My eyes fell on a second dresser in the corner that was a different shade from the rest of the pieces. “Is that new too?”
“I didn’t know how many clothes you’d have, so we picked it up along with the rest. It didn’t take long to put together.”
“So you decorated my room, built extra furniture, and blew up balloons for me.” I crossed my arms over my chest. “Do all parents do this for their live-in babysitters? I’ve been in the wrong job,” I teased.
“Not sure,” Lee said, his blue gaze holding mine. “But I wanted to do it for you.”
His raspy whisper triggered the flutter of butterflies in my stomach, just like when I was a teenager. They didn’t flutter for anyone else, because this weakness was as permanent as it was chronic.
Even if I’d managed to keep it mostly dormant for the last few years.
“Unpack and rest a little while you can.” He motioned to the hallway. “I’ll come get you when dinner is ready.”
I waited until he shut the door behind himself to flop onto the bed face first.
I rolled over, my eyes landing on the lamp. I chuckled to myself while I reached over to pick it up, a surprising heft to it as I held it in my hand.
Two men had given me this sweet and innocent gift. Without realizing it, I’d altered my life because they both hadn’t been in it—at least, not the way I wanted them to be.
If I wanted a life with any kind of direction at all, even though I’d love them both, I had to start to let them go.
TEN
LEE
My eyes popped open as my alarm blared from my nightstand. I was almost grateful for the long flight to Arizona this morning to maybe catch up on the sleep I hadn’t found until less than an hour before I had to get up.
Restless nights before a road trip were nothing new, but I usually managed to get enough sleep not to feel like shit in the morning.
I’d gone over everything with Stella last night regarding Bennie’s routine, made sure she had all the appropriate emergency numbers and contacts, and had given her a list of the simple dinners Bennie would eat without too much of a hassle.
But Stella had been the reason why I’d tossed and turned for most of the night.
It had taken everything in me not to pull Stella into my arms last night after I’d spotted the tears in her eyes. They’d been good tears, or so she’d insisted, but it made me wonder what else she’d been through that she wasn’t saying.
Never mind the years of history we shared and howgiving in to whatever was simmering between us would upend all that. I couldn’t be furious at other men for hurting Stella, knowing that was exactly what I’d do if I ever took things to where my mind was wandering lately.
