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“Hey.” Penny extends a greasy chicken nugget hand, and Mariah clasps it without skipping a beat.

“Very nice to meet you, Penny,” Mariah says, pumping her little hand a few times.

“You too, I guess.” Penny quirks her mouth, taking in Mariah’s shorts. “How come your pants have holes in them? Are you homeless?”

My jaw drops. “Penny!”

Mariah guffaws with laughter. “She’s fine,” she says, placing her hand on my arm, then focuses back on Penny. “I’m not homeless, but I probably need some new shorts, huh?”

Penny nods. “Yeah, you should go shopping.”

I shake my head at her blunt honesty.

Mariah glances up at Sophie and extends her hand. “You must be Drew’s sister! I’m Mariah.”

Sophie stands from her seat and shakes Mariah’s hand gently with her small, delicate hand.

“Hey, great to meet you. I’m Sophie, actually. I’m just the babysitter.” She smiles.

Mariah’s eyebrows raise slightly as she takes Sophie in. She smooths her facial expression quickly and offers Sophie a smile.

“Nice to meet you.”

I breathe a quiet breath of relief. I can only imagine how she could have reacted to the fact that I have a gorgeous babysitter—who also lives in my basement. But that’s a story for another day.

Sophie gets up from the table and puts her hands on Penny’s shoulders. “You two take off for your date. We’re baking cinnamon rolls tonight.” Her lips pull up in a smile.

I quirk a brow. “You’re baking?”

“Don’t worry, they’re Pillsbury, from a can.” She winks and makes a shooing motion with her hand. “Go have fun!”

We say our goodbyes and walk outside to Mariah’s car. I squeeze into her tiny two-door car, feeling like my knees are up to my chin. I’ll definitely insist on driving next time. Not all vehicles are compatible with my six foot four frame.

Mariah drives across town and we sit in amicable silence for a few minutes. Being a single dad, I rarely get to be the passenger. It’s funny how you notice different things when you’re riding than you do driving. I never noticed how striking the Kansas sunsets are in the evening, or that you can see the reflection of them in the Wichita River.

“So, how long has Sophie been your sitter?” Mariah asks abruptly, pulling me from my thoughts.

An awkward cough escapes my mouth. “Oh, Sophie? Just a few weeks.” I pause, but continue when Mariah remains quiet. “She’s Dr. Windell’s daughter, actually. They’re like family to me.”

“Oh, no way! Dr. Windell seems nice.”

I nod. “They’re a great family.”

Thankfully, that seems to be the end of that conversation.

Mariah pulls onto a bustling street downtown and finds a parking spot in the parking garage. As we walk back out onto the main road, I notice cones blocking off one entire brick side street and it’s lined with classic cars.

“The car show!” I grin at her, surprised by her thoughtfulness. “This is incredible! I’ve always wanted to come.”

“I noticed your Bronco and figured you must like old cars.” She grins.

My heart warms at her thoughtfulness. I look up and down the street and my eyes widen. “Is that a 1967 Shelby?!”

She laughs, and I grab onto her hand and pull her towards the shiny, red sports car—hoping the physical contact will magically bring about the infamous spark I need to feel with any woman I want to date.