“Did I say anything?”he says, playing coy.
I throw him a glare over my shoulder, and I see that he’sbringing a cup of coffee to his lips. Turning back to Lola, I smile.
“How are you feeling today, missy?”
“Itchy,” she says, and she doesn’t sound great, but at least her bagel is getting attention. That’s a good sign.
I kiss the top of her head and leave her to grab coffee. Hayes beats me to it and is already at the machine making me a cup before I make it to the finish line.I’m grateful because the machine seems confusing. I stand next to him and watch, making mental notes for next time. But the problem with this situation is that we are too close to one another. His closeness means my body is floating, but there’s a tightness between my legs, and my heart races too.
“You know I could point out that you slept in my bed because you feel it’s the right place to be.”
“Coffee,” I flatly reply.
“It’s good to know that you picked a side of the bed. For future reference and all.”
The sound of the machine grinding covers me when I snort a laugh at his morning antics. “Our daughter only wanted you last night. I might as well enjoy sleep.”
He turns halfway with that suave look that weakens me. “Nothing to do with you feeling safe in my bed?” he asks softly before the machine stops right on cue. “Or were you waiting for me?”
My jaw slackens from this circle of taunts that should make me blush because I am the one who voluntarily went to his room. Glancing real quick at Lola, who is staring at her strawberry, debating if it should be eaten, I return to stare at the smug man who is a natural pro at being a dad.
I’m going to stand my ground. “Look, you may have been inside me less than 48 hours ago,” I say in a hushed tone.
His jaw drops, and his eyes blaze, thoroughly entertained. “Elodie, what a dirty little mouth you have, and it isn’t even 8AM.”He hands me my coffee.
I roll my eyes. “Hayes,we are damn good about focusing on Lola when she’s around.” I splay my arm out in the direction of our daughter. “Guess who is around. And while you’re at it, put on a damn shirt. I can't handle it.”
His chuckle doesn’t help the situation, nor does his little salute to me. “Your wish is my command.” He walks away and sweeps his shirt off the counter, then pulls it back on.
It’s in that moment I realize that minus the pox, this is what Saturday morning with him and Lola feels like. It’s cozy is the first thing that comes to mind. It feels normal, too. And for a speck of a second, it's a glimpse of the future if I want it.
I inspect our daughter from afar. “She seems to have multiplied in spots. Some aren’t looking pretty. We’re probably going to need to change her sheets again from all the lotion.”
“I have extra sets of everything. So, no chance of you trying to find an excuse to go home.”Hayes casually sips his coffee while stirring the pot.
A mind reader and apparently a cook. “What is that?”
“Chicken soup made from scratch.”
Blinking my eyes a few times, I wasn’t expecting him to say that. “Homemade? You just happened to have a spare chicken lying around? Andyoucook? And match the recipe choice with the sick occasion?”
The corner of his mouth snags up. “I had a delivery for the ingredients, and yes, I do cook. My mom’s recipe that she sent me. I only got to have it when I was sick growing up. Figured I would give this a try. Throw in some ABC-shaped pasta and hope it passes Lola’s test, right?”
Taking a quick sip of my coffee as I rest against the counter, the wheels begin to turn in my head about one aspectof our new dynamic. “We can only hold off our parents for so long.”
“I’m aware. The clock is almost up on my end, to be honest. My mom’s about to lose it.”
I set my mug down and take a deep breath. “My parents, too. The holidays are coming up. Plus, you have your travel calendar for work.”
“Thanksgiving. It has to be. It’s already tough on my mom since my dad passed. They loved the holidays. She still probably does, it’s just not the same. But there is Lola, and I think?—”
“Of course, it’s fine. A good idea,” I encourage.
Appreciation floods his face. “I’ll let her know. If you hear shrieking from Boston, then you’ll know why.”
I smile at him. “My parents will be…”
He shakes his head. “Just do it. Let’s just take this all in one go.”
