by Linda Kage
"A couple," I answered, licking the droplet of milk off my thumb. I worked that much most weekdays, actually.
She shook her head, staring at my thumb as I pulled it away from my tongue. "I don't know how you do it without tumbling dead from exhaustion."
I motioned to her with my spoon before I took a big bite. "You just worked the same hours as I did yesterday. More, actually. How're you still going?"
She shook her head to disagree. "But I had plenty of down time."
I snorted. "When? When you were watching not just mine, but your own kid, cleaning my house or cooking me supper? Oh, and don't think I didn't notice you gave Fighter a bath last night. He smelled all clean and fresh when I leaned in to kiss his head just now."
"Okay, fine," she relented on a sigh. "I'm secretly Wonder Woman. I just hid my bracelets, tiara, and lasso in Skylar's diaper bag so you wouldn't find out."
I grinned. "Wonder Woman was always my favorite superhero."
"And I'm sure her breast size, tiny waist, and incredible thighs had nothing to do with it either."
I snorted out a laugh and nearly choked on the last of the milk I was drinking from my bowl. "You know me too well." Rising to my feet, I went to rinse it in the sink, only to realize how freaking spotless the sink was. Not only had she done dishes, she'd scrubbed the sink as well.
Shaking my head and thinking she really must be Wonder Woman, I turned to say, "I can drive you back to Lowe's whenever you're ready."
She looked up in surprise. "Aren't I watching Julian again today?"
I drew in a quick, pleased breath. "You were serious about that?"
"Of course." She frowned as if I was crazy for asking. "You still need help watching him, don't you?"
"Yeah, but . . . " I shrugged, suddenly self-conscious. "I was kind of an asshole to you the last time we saw each other. I don't get why you're being so amazing and helping me like this."
She shook her head, her confusion blatant. "How were you an asshole to me?"
I glanced away, ashamed. "I basically told you I didn't want you knowing I didn't have a real marriage because I didn't want you tempting me into something I knew you could very easily tempt me into doing. And then I walked out on you and never talked to you again."
"Okay, first of all, that was three days ago, not decades like you're making it sound. And your hands were full, Pick. That's totally understandable. Besides, you weren't obligated to ever talk to me again, though not calling when your wife left you hanging with a four-month-old to take care of by yourself stung a little. I thought we'd become friends. Why didn't you think I'd help you watch him?"
"I . . . " I gave a small laugh. "Actually, the idea didn't even occur to me. I'm not used to asking anyone for help. Usually, it's the other way around and people come to me when they need something."
"Then it sounds as if you need new friends. If you never get anything in return from them, they're not your friends. They're just people who use you." Before I could respond to her statement, she continued, "And besides, I totally understand why you didn't tell me about the true nature of your wedding vows. I only had to spend five minutes with Julian to know how amazing he is and how much he needs you in his life. I would never do anything to jeopardize that." A line between her brows formed. "How is that going to work out, anyway? Now that she's gone. I mean, it's okay for you to keep him, right?"
"I don't know," I confessed quietly as I leaned against the kitchen counter to wipe the exhaustion from my eyes. "But I'm certainly not going to call up a social worker to see if it's fine. No way in hell am I doing anything that might land him in the foster care system."
Her eyes softened with sympathy. "You had a pretty bad experience with foster care, didn't you?"
I shrugged and glanced down into my cleaned cereal bowl before I cleared my throat and set it on the counter. "Some places were okay. Others were fucking hell. It's all a crapshoot. Most of those people take on kids for the money. They don't care what happens to you as long as they keep getting a check. You never feel like you belong. Anywhere." When a cry came from my bedroom, I glanced toward the sound. "Julian doesn't deserve that. Not when he's got me."
I left her in the kitchen to go get my boy out of his crib. When I pulled him to my chest and kissed his head, he burrowed into me, grabbing a handful of my shirt.
Eva and Skylar appeared in the doorway. When Tink smiled at me, her gaze soft and understanding, something in my chest screwed in tight. It hurt even more, knowing she completely understood why I couldn't pursue the attraction between us.
"You sure you don't need to go back to your place to get anything this morning? Change of clothes, stuff for Skylar?"
She shook her head. "Already got it covered. Reese is on her summer break from college and she doesn't have to watch Mason's sister today. She can bring me anything I need. Besides she'll need to give me a ride to the grocery store."
My eyebrow shot up. "You were serious about that too?"
"Hell, yes. I'll starve if I don't get more food in your cabinets soon."
"You can take my car if you need to go anywhere. The garage where I work is only about twelve blocks from here."
She shuddered as if that was a horrible idea. "I kicked you out of your own bed last night. I'm not taking your ride too. Especially in this heat."
"Yeah, but you looked really hot all curled up in my sheets, so that was more of a bonus for me."
She sighed and rolled her eyes. "There it is. I was wondering where that flirty side of you had gone this morning."
I winked. "It just needed a little time to wake up and kick in."
"I don't know," she murmured, eyeing me as if she suddenly thought I was shifty. "You were telling me my voice sounded hot last night when I called you Patrick, and you were half out of it then."
"I did? Hmm, I must be better than I thought."
She laughed and laid Skylar in the crib. "You better get to work already, Rico Suave. Or you're going to be late."
"I'm always late. My boss would probably drop dead from shock if I actually showed up on time."
When she turned to me, I was tempted to lay Julian down too, so I could scoop Eva up and just tackle her onto the bed and have my sexy way with her.
"Well, Wonder Woman Eva is on the scene today," she said, completely oblivious to my lusty thoughts. "So you don't have to be late. Now give me that beautiful boy so I can spoil him rotten."
Sold. I handed Fighter over and waited until she had him settled in her arms before I leaned in to kiss my kid one last time and told him to be good for Tinker Bell. Then, I snuck to the bed to skim my fingers gently over Skylar's forehead. She'd fallen asleep, so I whispered, "Take care, princess."
When I straightened, Eva met my gaze, her awesome blue eyes expectant.
It felt wrong not to give her a special goodbye too. So, I said, "Thank you," before pressing my lips to her forehead. I lingered for longer than I should have. But she didn't push me away. She gazed up at me when I pulled back, and her eyes mirrored all the yearning I felt deep within my chest.
Turning away before I gave into temptation, I strode from the room.
After I left the apartment, the strangest fullness swirled in my chest. I was sure I could damn near float off ground and drift in my contentment. I could do anything. Because it felt as if I'd just wished my family goodbye for the day.
It was the dirtiest tease ever; I knew that. When Eva returned to Mason and Reese, I was probably going to feel more empty than I'd felt before she'd come into my life. But I refused to regret her presence, because it felt too good to have her here now.
EVA
Reese was more than willing to help me out. "I know you've only been gone a day, but I already miss you. I had to do a load of my own laundry this morning. And I actually had to cook last night. It was awful."
I laughed. "Oh, now I see why you hadn't kicked me out yet."
"I know. Not everyone has a free live-in maid. Seriously, E., I never r
ealized how much you did around our place since you came to stay with us. But Mason and I definitely noticed it after Sky was born and you were stuck in the hospital. You do realize you didn't have to take over all the cooking and housework just because we took you in, right?"
I shrugged, unable to tell her how strongly I'd felt the need to pay her back somehow. "I actually enjoyed it. I never got to do that kind of stuff when I was growing up. We always had people to cook and clean for us, and my mother made such menial tasks sound like they were beneath us."
"God, it's crazy how different our mothers are when they were raised by the same parents."
Reese braked at the entrance to the first grocery store we came across in Pick's neighborhood. Yikes, was that a prostitute hanging around just outside the entrance? When a beat up car stopped along the curb beside her, the passenger side window rolled down and the driver waved some cash at her. She hobbled forward in her tight skirt and heels and hopped into the passenger's seat. Reese and I we exchanged similar, wary glances.
"Anyway," she said as she pulled right back out of the exit and started toward the grocer we used closer to her apartment. "My mom always made me clean my room and do my own laundry once I turned sixteen. Then I had supper night and one Saturday morning breakfast a month."
Reese had no idea how well she had it by getting Aunt Andrea for her mom, and not mine. But I couldn't tell her just how fortunate she was. So I kept my trap shut and glanced back to check on both babies. They were so cute, all bundled up in their car seats, side by side. Julian looked like a hulking gorilla next to petite little Skylar, and she looked pasty pale next to his nice mocha skin tone. They made the perfect contrast, and I felt grateful to have them both with me for as long as Julian would be under my care. I already knew I was going to miss him like crazy when Pick no longer needed me.
***
Shopping with Reese and two infants was quite an experience. We needed two carts to carry around both kids, and I swear Reese had to ooh and ahh over every brand of kids' cereal and ice cream; she was such a five-year-old at heart sometimes, but I loved that about her.
I had checked Pick's cabinets before leaving for the store to see what exactly he needed; I swear, the list would've been shorter if I'd written down what he didn't need instead. The man had nothing. But he'd left a butt-load of cash with me, more than Mason and Reese had to grocery shop with. So we might've gotten a little carried away.
One thing was for sure, Pick wouldn't be able to complain about an un-stocked pantry any time soon, and Julian now had a good month's worth of diapers. Reese had to impulse buy a sucker at the checkout line. The cherry scent it emitted as soon as she unwrapped it and started in before she'd even purchased it induced me into tossing my own sucker onto the pile of groceries.
She was such a bad influence.
On the way back to Pick's apartment, the babies slept in their car seats while Reese and I sat up front, working our way through our lollipops.
At one stoplight, she popped hers free of her mouth to waggle her brows at me. "So how was spending the night with Pick?"
I rolled my eyes and pointed my sucker at her threateningly. "Don't start with me. He's married."
"So? His wife left him."
"He's still married to her, and he's not going to change that any time soon. I already told you why he needs to stay married."
She had to mumble around her lollipop when she stuck it back into her mouth. "Yeah, I still don't understand why that's keeping you from claiming him. It's obvious to everyone you two are completely into each other."
"Because he's married, Ree Ree." How many times did I have to repeat that?
"Yeah, but it's not like a real marriage. They've never even kissed."
I sighed. "But he's still connected in some way to another woman. How would you feel if Mason married me just to give Sky and I some insurance?"
Reese instantly frowned. "That's different."
I lifted my eyebrows. "Oh, is it? How?"
"Because . . . because Mason and I are already engaged."
"So?" I lifted my arms, needing more of a reason than that. "What if Pick and I started something and decided we wanted to get engaged too? Then what? He can't divorce her."
"Okay, fine. You have a point." She rolled her eyes before mumbling, "I just wanted you to have a happily ever after, like I found."
Well, so did I. But Reese and I were two totally different people, and I had a feeling I'd never end up with any of the gifts she'd been given. I just didn't deserve that, even though I'd already received the most precious bundle of all, still snoozing beside Julian in the back seat.
Reese left the issue alone after that, thank goodness. She ended up sticking around the rest of the afternoon to help me put groceries away and play with the babies.
She booted up Pharrell's "Happy" on her iPhone and danced Julian around the kitchen while Skylar napped in the bouncer and I finished the hamburger helper I was cooking. Pick made it home from the garage in the middle of our supper-fixing party.
"Hey, little man, guess who's home?" Reese smiled at Pick before letting out a low, appreciative whistle. "Yowza. You know, all you Forbidden boys look fine in those tight black T-shirts you have to wear to the club, but this greasy, fresh from the auto shop look is even better on you. Yummy."
Pick arched me a shocked glance. "Did Lowe's woman just hit on me?"
"What?" Reese asked, clueless. "I can appreciate the aesthetic appeal of male beauty whenever I see it. Mason doesn't care if I look; he knows no one else can compare to him. But seriously, I'm going to have to buy this getup for him too, so we can play Naughty Mechanic sometime."
"Wow." Pick shook his head, stunned. "You are the complete opposite of your boyfriend, aren't you?"
Reese scowled. "What do you mean?"
"At work, that boy avoids women like the plague, never checks them out, and he never shares details about you two . . . I mean, other than the jelly thing."
Reese gasped, turning a bright tomato red. "I am so going to kill him for that. Now if you two will excuse me, I need to go home and . . . punish my man, probably with a nice strawberry or grape." She touched her chin thoughtfully. "Though he does have an affinity for peach jam."
While Pick burst out laughing, I rolled my eyes. "Okay, enough. Cut that kind of talk out. Not in front of my children, please."
Reese arched an eyebrow. "Your children?"
I flushed hard, and met Pick's grinning gaze before frowning at my cousin. "The children. Grr. Just . . . quit correcting my grammar. Go home and spank your boyfriend with flavored jelly already."
Reese tossed back her head and laughed before turning to Pick and handing Julian over. "Yours, I believe."
"Thank you." He took the boy into his arms. "And thanks for keeping Tinker Bell company today."
"No, thank you for fixing up my engine," Reese shot back with a small curtsy. "It runs like a whole new car."
He sighed, disagreeing. "It's still a piece of shit, so let me know if anything ever sounds strange or acts funny, especially if you're going to keep driving my children all over kingdom come in it."
Reese glanced back at me and made a pleasantly shocked face before mouthing the words, "He's a keeper." Then, she turned back to Pick and patted his cheek indulgently. "Will do, boss. I assume E. will be playing sleepover again since I checked Mason's work schedule and already know you'll be working at the club tonight."
Pick glanced at me but turned back to answer Reese before waiting for my reply. "Sounds like a plan."
Reese winked. "Take care of my girls for me, then."
She skipped up on her tiptoes and slapped a quick kiss to his cheek, right where she'd just patted it. Then she waved goodbye to me. "Toodles, Tinker Bell. Love ya."
I rolled my eyes. "Bye, Sweet Pea. Love you too."
After Reese had floated out of the room and we heard the front door open and shut, Pick lifted his eyebrows. "Wow. Is she always so . . . "
; I laughed. "Yes. Yes, she is. But I love her to death. She's the only person I know I can trust implicitly."
His smile faded as his eyes turned warm and caring. "You can trust me too, you know. I would never let anything bad happen to you."
Even though I knew his claim couldn't possibly be supported in the real world, it was nice to hear him say it so adamantly.
"Well, you are my hero," I said, making the claim sound flippant as I tossed my hair over my shoulder. "I wouldn't expect anything less from you."
I loved knowing I could make such bold, arrogant claims, and he knew I wasn't actually serious.
He grinned and motioned toward the table that was already set with his mismatched plates and silverware, pulling out a chair for me to sit. "My lady?"
"Why, thank you." Since Julian could sit up fairly well in the high chair Pick had bought off Mrs. Rojas, I placed him in that and buckled him up. After making sure Skylar was still sleeping in the bouncer, I sat in my chair and Pick tucked me in.
He moaned and closed his eyes after he took his first bite. "I'm going to get fat if you keep feeding me like this." His voice was muffled through a mouthful of noodles.
I snorted and waved a hand, waiting until I swallowed to say, "Oh, please. I heated up frozen pizza, poured a bowl of cereal, and stirred together a skillet dinner. That's definitely not gourmet cooking. If anything, such measly meals will slim you down."
"Trust me. These have been three more meals than anyone has cooked for me in years."
I didn't like knowing that no one had ever really taken care of him. He was the special type of man who should be pampered. And I was really getting into this pampering shit. My mother would be appalled if she saw me now, but I actually loved being a homemaker.
I think the mom life completed me.
Chapter 19
PICK
That night, I came home from work to find Eva curled up on the couch asleep.
"Oh, hell, no." This was not going to fly with me.