I walked to Nick’s house within the first hour of waking. He welcomed me, heavy bags beneath his eyes that revealed just how late he had stayed up and how early he’d woken up. A new painting waited in the living room, paint still fresh and bright. So, he’d gotten bit with some sort of inspiration, which meant he had stayed up until odd hours watching another slasher film. I could only hope that Abby hadn’t watched it as well.
“She’s still sleeping,” Nick said, motioning toward the room where she stayed. “Want me to wake her up?”
“Nah, I’ll let her sleep in a little longer,” I said and made myself a cup of espresso in his kitchen.
“So, how was it?” Nick asked, straight to the point. He hadn’t been all for the date, but he was still the supportive best friend nonetheless.
“Started off perfect,” I said. “She was beautiful, we flirted. It felt like a date, not like a boss taking his employee out to test meals.”
“You took her to Lumiere, right?” he asked. “You haven’t even taken me there.”
“I’m not dating you,” I said pointedly. “You want to take one of your women there, just use my name.”
He nodded. “I’ll let you know when I finally find one I like enough for a second date,” he said and nudged my arm. “Go on? It started off good?”
“Well, and then halfway through dinner, guess who showed up?” I looked at him.
“Let’s see.” He furrowed his eyebrows in concentration. “The only other people who go to Lumiere who would ruin a date would be…oh, no.” He shook his head.
“Yup,” I said. “My parents. And of course, Everly was more than okay with making room at the table and inviting them over.”
“Aww man,” Nick shook his head. “What a drag.”
“For a minute there, I thought I was in the clear. Mom loved her, Dad doesn’t hold opinions on anything really, and Everly was getting along with the both of them. And then, after I was starting to breathe again, Mom pulled out her phone.”
Nick gasped. He knew where it was going.
“Showed her pictures of Abby. Bragged about her beautiful grandchild. Even said Everly and Abby should go see a Broadway show together.” I sighed, reliving the moment in my head.
Nick’s eyes bulged, and I finished my espresso as he struggled to speak.
“I don’t even know what to say,” he said. “I mean, I know you were planning on telling her sometime, but that’s a real shitty way of finding out.”
“I know,” I agreed.
“What did she say?” he asked. “Was she pissed off?”
“Not much. My parents left, and she apologized for what she said on Thursday. We talked a little about Abby, and Everly’s niece, who is two years older. I said I’d see her on Monday, and dropped her off at home.”
“No first kiss?” Nick asked with a grin. I placed my mug in his sink and rolled my eyes.
My eyes widened, remembering the tension and how the air had seemed to go thick with it around us. “It definitely wasn’t the time for that,” I said.
“Damn. That’s tough.” Nick made his own cup of espresso as Abby walked out of her room. She rubbed her eyes and ran to me, her bare feet slapping against the stone floor. Her hair was a mess, and she still had on her pajamas.
“Daddy!” She hugged me, and I asked her how her night was.
“Fun. Uncle Nick helped me paint,” she said. “I’m not done, though.”
“Think you’ll finish it this week?” Nick asked. She nodded. “Good, then I can sell it at my next gallery, and you can finally start paying me for babysitting you.”
“Daddy pays you!” She giggled. Nick gave her a cup of milk and she chugged it.
“How was the date?” she asked.
Nick laughed, knowing I couldn’t exactly explain what happened to Abby.
“It was good,” I said, not wanting to get her hopes up. She was becoming way too invested in Everly, not to mention curious about my dating life.
“Thanks for keeping her for the night,” I said to Nick as Abby ran to her room and gathered her things. She came back dressed in mismatched clothes, but thankfully had managed to slip on her own shoes. She hugged Nick goodbye, and we hurried off to home.
“What’s for breakfast?” Abby asked as we entered our house. She threw her shoes on the floor, and I raised my eyebrows. “Sorry.” She whined as she picked them up and placed them neatly inside the closet next to the front door.
“How about French toast, egg and mushroom muffins, and home fries?” I offered, and Abby perked up. She absolutely loved French toast, and was starting to really enjoy the egg and mushroom muffins. “I’ll even let you deliver some to Uncle Nick when we’re done.”
“Okay!” she said and removed her own coat. She was at that age where she wanted to do everything herself.
“Go brush your teeth first and get changed. I’ll start with breakfast,” I said.
“But I want to help!” She crossed her arms. She also was at the age where she wanted to help me do everything.
“Teeth brushed, clothes changed. Now,” I ordered, lowering my voice. She instantly responded to what Nick liked to call the dad voice, and ran upstairs. I chuckled and started prepping the kitchen. No matter what my mood was from the night before, my little girl always put a smile on my face and warmed my heart.
I poured the egg and mushroom mixture in a muffin tin and placed it in the oven, and whipped up a quick French toast batter for several thick slices of old bread that I’d been meaning to turn into breadcrumbs. The potatoes were blanched and diced and waited on an oiled skillet to heat. With everything ready to cook, I took a moment to breathe, and leaned against the counter.
I couldn’t believe what I had gotten myself into. How could a woman like Everly, with so much potential in her future, ever be interested in a man like me? I had lied to her, technically was still lying to her about not knowing how to cook. Maybe the one lie was a deal breaker. Maybe she was just waiting to tell me.
I had just dropped the potatoes in the skillet and dipped a few pieces of bread into the batter when the doorbell rang. I couldn’t find an apron to wipe my hands with.
“I’ll get it!” Abby yelled as I heard her tiny feet thump down the stairs. “It might be Uncle Nick!”
It wasn’t unusual for Nick to stop by in the mornings looking for some breakfast. It was a good thing I had made extra for that very reason.
“You’re lucky we didn’t go out to eat,” I called as I heard two footsteps enter the house. I found an apron and was wiping my hands when I turned and walked out of the kitchen. “You’d starve every morning if I didn’t feed you.”
“I would?” Everly stood in the entryway of my house next to Abby. “I find that very hard to believe.”
“Everly,” I said, letting the apron fall to the floor.
“Everly!” Abby squealed and looked up at the beautiful redhead next to her. She had trouble saying Everly, and it came out more as Eh-veen.
“You’re Abby, right?” she asked with a tight smile.
“Yup!” Abby said.
I glanced between the two of them.
“It smells good,” Everly said and looked toward the kitchen. She wore a white turtleneck and slim fitting jeans with fur-lined boots. Her hair was loose, thick, wavy strands falling around her shoulders, and I wondered how they would feel between my fingers. Her eyes were still barely smudged with makeup from the previous night, and her cheeks were lit with a small amount of blush. She was beautiful, and there was something about seeing her smiling at Abby that made her seem even lovelier.
“Daddy cooked breakfast,” Abby said. “You want some?”
Everly raised an eyebrow and glanced at me. “He did?” she asked. “Is it safe to eat?”
I chuckled. “I’ll get the plates ready.” They followed me into the kitchen, where Everly casually checked out the breakfast. I knew I was going to have to come up with an excuse, but she seemed more interested in helping me finish the Fr
ench toast and potatoes than questioning me about my sudden cooking skills. I pulled out the muffin tin, and her eyebrows had raised slightly as I set two egg and mushroom muffins on each plate.
“Thank you, Daddy,” Abby had said as we sat at the table with full plates.
“You’re sweet,” Everly said as Abby stuffed her face. “My niece is a little older than you.”
“What’s her name?” Abby asked.
“Belle,” Everly said.
“That’s a pretty name!” Abby swallowed a piece of her muffin.
“Well, I think Abby is a really pretty name,” Everly offered, and she seemed surprised when she bit into her muffin. I couldn’t stop myself from grinning as Everly and Abby spoke. Everly wasn’t bad with kids; in fact, she was wonderful.
Abby blushed, and she looked at me with wide, blue eyes.
“It’s not a bad name,” I joked.
“Daddy.” Abby frowned.
“Don’t listen to him,” Everly said. “Dads never know anything.”
“Does your dad know anything?” Abby asked, and I choked on a potato.
“He actually doesn’t,” she said.
“How do you like your breakfast, Abby?” I asked, desperate to change the conversation.
“It’s good. But Uncle Nick makes cinnamon rolls that I like better.”
Everly laughed.
“She’s an honest girl,” I muttered. “Abby, those cinnamon rolls are prepackaged. Anyone could make those,” I said.
“Then you make them, Daddy,” Abby said. Everly smiled at me.
“She has a point, Maddox. Prepackaged cinnamon rolls are the best.” She flashed me a warm smile.
“I don’t know if I like the both of you ganging up on me,” I said. “It’s not fair.”
“It’s not fair,” Abby repeated, and I groaned. Everly watched with amusement in her eyes as Abby ate the rest of her breakfast as she repeated my words over and over again. “It’s not fair. You’re not fair.”
“Abby,” I said, but Abby ignored me.
“Do you have a parrot, Everly?” Abby asked.
“No.” She smiled.
“Daddy says he has one,” Abby said.
“I think you’re the parrot,” Everly said, and Abby tilted her head.
“I’m a kid,” she argued. “A parrot is a bird, silly.”
“Abby, go put your plate in the sink,” I said.
“But I’m talking to Everly,” she whined.
“Abby, plate, sink, now.” My tone had grown demanding, and Abby pouted as she slid off of her chair.
“I’ll be right back!” she said, not wanting to miss a moment with Everly.
“I’m sorry,” I said when she was out of earshot. “She loves talking to new people, which I’ll admit, isn’t often.”
“She’s cute,” Everly said. “Not nearly as awful as Belle was at that age.”
“You haven’t seen her tantrums.” I shivered. “You’d be running for the hills.”
“Do you want to watch a movie?” Abby asked as she returned. “I’ll ask Uncle Nick for Chainsaw the Two.”
“Chainsaw the Two?” Everly asked, shooting a sideways glance toward me.
“She means “Saw Two.” I sighed. “Nick watches horror movies at night for inspiration when she’s supposed to be asleep. She fakes it, of course.”
Everly laughed. “Maybe next time, Abby,” she said. “But let’s pick a different movie. That movie is too scary for me.”
Abby crossed her arms and tried thinking of another movie to watch.
“Abby, is your room messy?” I asked as I took Everly’s plate and set both of ours in the sink. Everly and Abby followed me into the kitchen.
“No,” Abby drew the one syllable out.
“Abby?” I asked again.
“Maybe a little,” she admitted with a blank stare.
“Do you think you should go clean it? You know you usually keep things clean. Let’s not change that, okay?” I said.
Abby glanced at Everly with worried eyes. She really didn’t want to leave her.
“I’ll come back, I promise,” Everly said, and it meant more to me than she could have realized.
“Okay,” Abby relented. “I’ll clean my room, Daddy.”
“I should probably get going,” Everly said as Abby ran upstairs. She grabbed her purse from the entryway table, and I followed her outside.
“Is everything okay?” I asked.
“Yeah, I just wanted to apologize again. For what I said.” She offered a small smile, and I realized then that she truly felt bad.
“I’m sorry I kept Abby a secret from you,” I added.
“I sort of understand,” Everly said. “It really isn’t an easy thing to tell someone.”
“Especially not someone you like,” I said before thinking. Everly blushed, and I stuffed my hands in my pocket. I felt like a silly schoolboy with a silly crush.
“What was up with the breakfast?” she asked, changing the subject. I was ready for this question.
“Cooking breakfast is a necessity when you have a kid,” I said. “It’s about the only thing I can manage, though.”
Everly nodded. “That makes sense. It wasn’t bad, at all. You have more talents than you realize, Maddox.”
My name on her lips did more than she would ever realize.
“Thanks,” I breathed.
“Well, I’ll see you tomorrow,” she said with a smile. “Last night gave me a new idea to try.”
“I look forward to it,” I said honestly. She bit her lip.
“Good.” She turned and walked down toward her parked car in my circular driveway. I wasn’t used to seeing her leaving my house in the daylight, and I tried to memorize how bright her hair was beneath the sunlight. I glanced up at the sky.
Odd. It wasn’t cloudy or rainy.
Everly got into her car and drove off. I couldn’t wipe the silly grin off my face as Abby met me outside several minutes after Everly was already gone.
“She’s pretty, Daddy,” Abby said, and I held her hand and nodded.
“She is,” I said. “She really is.”
Chapter Eighteen
Everly
My phone wouldn’t stop ringing, but despite running my arms around my bed, I had no idea where it was. I opened my eyes and glanced at the floor, where my phone was lit with an incoming call from Lacey.
“Hello?” I groaned into it and realized I hadn’t pressed Accept. “Hello.” I tried again.
“I lost my key,” Lacey said. “Open the door.”
I rubbed my eyes and slipped on a pair of pajama shorts along with a T-shirt and opened my door, where Lacey and Belle waited.
I moved aside to let them in. “Maybe losing the key was a sign,” I said and got myself a glass of orange juice.
“A sign that Belle needs to stop going through my purse looking for lost Shopkins?” Lacey offered. Belle smiled sheepishly and apologized.
“They’re just so tiny,” she said.
“That’s why I keep buying you carriers for them,” I said. “I’m guessing you're here for breakfast?”
“Can I put an order in now?” Lacey joked. I rolled my eyes and started getting out my pans. Without thinking, I started making my version of an egg and mushroom muffin, and realized that I had all the ingredients for French toast as well. A few minutes later and I was frying two diced potatoes in a skillet. It seemed Maddox was the one giving me inspiration for menus.
“I’m giving up on men,” Lacey said as she leaned against the kitchen counter. “I’ve had three awful dates in the past month. Three, Everly. Who has this kind of bad luck?”
“Someone who goes on three dates in a month? I don’t know,” I said. “You’re the one who always told me I needed to put myself out there.”
“I might have been wrong about that,” she said. “I might try again next month.”
“How’s kindergarten?” I asked Belle, desperate to change the subject.
“It�
�s fine. We’re making these weird macaroni drawings.”
“I remember doing that,” I said. “Your mom tore mine up and ate the raw noodles just to be a butt.”
“I wouldn’t trust the memory of a 5-year-old,” Lacey added as she scrolled through her phone at the breakfast bar.
“And yet you happen to remember the exact age I was when it happened.” Belle and I laughed. Lacey rolled her eyes and reminded me that she was the older sister, and therefore always right.
“You’re lucky you’re an only child,” I said to Belle. “Or else you’d have to deal with someone like her.”
“She says I’m too much like you,” Belle said.
“She’s right.” The more Belle had grown, the more she resembled me. I finished up the French toast and pulled the muffin tin out of the oven.
“So, have you started looking for another job?” Lacey asked as we ate breakfast. I hesitated. I didn’t want to have this conversation with her again, and I didn’t think it would end any better this time.
“Since 18 hours ago when you first suggested it? No,” I said. “And like I said last night, I’m not sure if I want to find another job.”
“Everly, don’t be like that. The guy purposefully lied to you about having a kid. That’s reason enough to quit. If he’ll lie about that, what other kinds of things will he lie about?”
“She really isn’t that bad,” I said. “I met her yesterday. She’s a good kid.”
“It doesn’t matter if she’s royalty,” Lacey argued. “It’s the fact that he hid her from you, and probably wasn’t going to tell you about her until way later, if he was going to come clean at all.”
“I really don’t think he was planning on hiding her forever,” I said. “He’s not a bad guy. He’s just a little nervous to be dating again. He hasn’t since he had her, and I can see why it might intimidate someone. I remember you weren’t so keen on getting back out there.”
“He’s a bad father,” Lacey said, and I felt the sudden urge to defend him. “Has he told you anything about the baby mama?”
I realized he hadn’t. “Well, no. But I figured that might be a hard topic to bring up. What if she died?”
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