“I’m not here every day, but we’ll be able to hang out if you want. Danny said you didn’t eat dinner or breakfast. Are you hungry?” He shrugs, staring at the carpet. “Do you like pancakes?”
“Mommy makes them on Saturday mornings.”
“I’ll bet your mom’s a good cook.”
A tiny smile cracks through the despair. “She is. She was going to make me a birthday cake, but…” His lip trembles.
“I’m sure your mom will make you the best cake ever when you get home. I know it won’t be the same as your mom’s, but I make a pretty good cake, especially if I have some help.” I grin at him, and his smile widens.
“Can we?”
“After we have some breakfast, okay?”
“Okay.”
When Danny brings the twins in for lunch, Matty is sitting at the counter with chocolate batter smeared across his mouth as he licks the beater. “Something smells good,” Danny remarks.
“Birthday cake!” Matty exclaims.
“Awesome. Do I get a piece?”
“Sure.” Matty grins up at him. “Hope you like it crunchy.”
Danny’s confused expression makes me laugh. “We may have lost a chunk of eggshell in the mix.”
Danny ruffles Matty’s hair and says, “I like crunchy. How about you go wash your hands and face before lunch?”
“Okay.” Matty hops off the stool and follows the twins to the restroom.
“Ev, you’re a lifesaver. He needed you.”
“He just needed someone to talk to.”
Danny moves beside me as I’m washing the dishes. He’s so close his hip is touching mine. “No, he neededyou. You have a way with these kids. You should become a counselor.”
“I appreciate the thought, but I enjoy working with myother charity as well. I couldn’t give either of them up.” His warm hands fall on my shoulders, rubbing. “Danny, we’ve talked about this,” I warn, drying my hands on a dishtowel.
He grabs my arms as I turn around. “Go out with me Friday night.”
“No, I told you, I’m not looking for…” My words are interrupted when his lips land on mine. Have you ever kissed your own hand? Yeah, that’s pretty much what it felt like. Just blah, nothing. I step away from him seconds before the kids charge back into the room.
With a satisfied grin I’d like to remove with a ball of steel wool, he turns to face the fridge. “I’ll make lunch.”
My phone buzzes with a new text as I return to the living room with the kids. After finding a rerun of Spongebob they all agree on, I’m able to slip away a moment.
-What are you making me for dinner tonight?-
I can’t help but smile at the sight of Mason’s name. The way he kissed me sure wasn’t blah. I swear I can still taste him, and just the thought sends tingles racing across my skin.
-Sorry, sir, you must have the wrong number.-
-So this isn’t my beautiful brunette spitfire who lives to be difficult?-
Hisbeautiful brunette? Maybe he really does have the wrong number.
-Nope, sorry, no one like that here. Just a run of the mill woman with a top notch bullshit detector.-
-I like Italian. Seven o’clock okay?-
