“But little girls do. How about we clean this up and get you ready for bed?”
“Daddy sings to me before bed,” she announced.
“Sings?”
She nodded. “You know, the caterpillar song.”
“I don’t know that one.”
“You know….” She started to sing. “Silly little caterpillar, you’re very fuzzy and long. You dance around and around then become a butterfly.”
“All right.” He gathered the toys and tossed them back in the bin. “I’ll do my best.”
“Yay!” She danced around and sang some more of the song. The words were different this time, but the rhymes were just as bad.
He scooped her up in his arms and she giggled. “Let’s find you some pajamas.” They climbed the stairs and he set her down in the hallway. She ran to her room. He thought she was headed for the dresser, but instead she jumped onto her bed and pulled the comforter over her.
“Lacey?”
Muffled laughed sounded from the bed.
He picked up the comforter and she grinned up at him. “Pj’s?”
“You pick.”
Great. “Okay. Will you tell me where they are?”
“Nope.” More laughter.
He started opening drawers and hit pay dirt on his third try. He pulled out a pair with kittens on them. “These okay?”
“I want the doggies.”
“Okay. Doggies.” He rummaged through the pile and pulled out another pair.
“Those are puppies,” she said and frowned. “I want the doggies.”
“These aren’t doggies?”
“No.” She crossed her arms over her chest and frowned at him. “Those are puppies.”
“These are puppies,” he said as he looked through the drawer again. “We want doggies.” Great. Five minutes later, having emptied the drawer onto the carpet, he pulled out a pair with blue dogs on them. “Is this the right one?”
“Doggies!” She jumped up and down on the bed, causing it to groan.
She got changed pretty quickly, only needing his help to line up her arms with the sleeves.
“Time to brush your teeth.”
She jumped off the bed and scampered into the bathroom.
“Need some help with the toothpaste?” he asked.
“I can do it myself,” she said, chin high.
“Okay.” He watched as she squeezed enough blue sparkly toothpaste on her brush for several adults. When he tried to help her, she pulled the brush away and some of the toothpaste dripped onto the counter. She looked up at him and he smiled. “You’re doing fine. We can clean it up later.”
“Daddy sings the ABC song.”
“He sings when you brush your teeth?”
She nodded. “Three times.”
“Okay.” He waited until she put the toothbrush in her mouth, then sang, “A, B, C, D, E, F, G, H, I, J, K, L, M, N, O, P….”
“You’re a good singer,” she said after she rinsed her mouth.
“Thanks.”
“Daddy is a really bad singer.” She covered her ears and made a face. “He makes me laugh.”
“He does, does he?”
She nodded solemnly and set the toothbrush in its holder and hopped back to her bed. “Read me a story?”
“I thought we were going to sing.”
“Stories are better.” She slipped under the covers and giggled again.
“Got it.”
“You’re silly.” She cocked her head to one side.
“I’ll take that as a compliment.” He scanned the bookshelf. “Any book in particular you want?”
“You choose.”
“Okay.” He traced his fingers over the spines, “How about The Wind in the Willows?” He’d loved the book as a kid.
“Mmm-hmm.”
“Okay.” He pulled the only chair in the room, a kid-size version, over to the bed.
“Daddy sits on the floor,” she announced. “There.” She pointed to the big pile of pillows and stuffed animals at the foot of the bed. It looked a lot more comfortable than the too-small wooden chair.
“Okay.” He kicked off his shoes and sat on the pillows with his back against the wall.
“Chapter One, The River Bank. The mole had been working very hard all the morning, spring-cleaning his little home….”
Chapter Nineteen
DAN locked the door behind him and rubbed his eyes. He yawned and set his overnight bag down. The clock over the sink read nearly 4:00 a.m. He inwardly kicked himself for not just driving directly from the hearing. Instead, he’d eaten dinner and settled into his hotel room. By midnight, he realized he wasn’t going to be able to sleep.
He wasn’t worried about Lacey. She’d do fine. But he’d tossed and turned thinking about Graham. Lately getting Lacey to sleep had become more of a challenge. He didn’t want Graham feeling bad if she refused to get into bed.
“I’ll be heading out to pick Lacey up in a few,” Graham had told him when he’d called to fill him in on court. The judge hadn’t ruled from the bench, so Dan had given Graham a quick play-by-play.
“Are you sure you’re okay with this?” he’d asked, knowing Graham was determined and that there wasn’t an alternative, but feeling guilty all the same.
“We’ll be fine. I can do this.”
Now Dan made his way through a spotless kitchen—even Lacey’s crayons had been put away and her drawings neatly stacked—and into the living room. He’d expected to see Graham asleep on the couch, but there was no sign of him. The pillows were neatly arranged, and the pile of toys that usually lay strewn across the carpet had been returned to the plastic bins by the wall. The house had never been so neat.
Impressive.
Dan kicked off his shoes and headed up the stairs to Lacey’s room. He quietly opened the door and peered inside. Lacey was fast asleep, hugging her favorite stuffed animal, a giraffe he’d bought her before they’d moved. Graham slept on the floor by her bed, his head resting on a teddy bear, body curled up much like Lacey’s. Dressed in his suit pants, his usually pressed dress shirt rumpled and open at the collar, Graham snored softly, his face obscured by a tumble of reckless curls. Absolutely adorable. Both of them.
Dan padded out of the room, returning a moment later with a blanket that he gently placed over Graham. Graham mumbled something unintelligible and pulled the blanket against his chest, hugging it much as Lacey did her giraffe. Dan stifled a yawn and sat near the doorway. He watched Graham and Lacey sleep. Just a few minutes, then I’ll haul my sorry ass into bed.
DAN woke to the smell of coffee and bacon. He’d fallen asleep. The blanket he’d covered Graham with was now tucked around him. Someone had tucked the ends between him and the wall so it wouldn’t easily fall off. Lacey’s bed had been made and her bevy of stuffed animals arranged in rows from largest to smallest.
“Coffee?” Graham stood in the doorway, carrying a tray.
Dan rubbed his eyes and groaned with pleasure as Graham handed him a mug.
“One sugar, extra milk, right?”
“God bless you.” Dan inhaled the aroma and took a happy sip.
Graham chuckled. “I’m sure you wouldn’t say that if you were fully awake.” He ran his fingers over his stubbly jaw.
Graham looked amazing with his dark shadow and rumbled clothes. Way too sexy for his own good. But Dan wouldn’t embarrass him. Instead he drank some more and moaned his pleasure. “This is amazing,” he said and set the cup down. “When did you have time to run out for the good stuff?”
“I didn’t.” Graham’s green eyes flashed with pride.
“Trade secret?”
“I’m not telling.” Graham’s expression reminded Dan of a child’s—happy, unconcerned. Free. He wished Graham always looked that way.
“I’ll forgive you. This time.”
“Daddy, Daddy!” Lacey flung herself into Dan’s arms. “Can Mr. Graham babysit again next week?”
“I’m sure Mr. Graham has other thing
s to do.” He kissed her head and picked her up. “Besides, I’m not planning on being away.”
“I had fun,” Graham said, his pale cheeks coloring.
“I’m guessing you didn’t get much sleep.”
Graham shrugged. “Breakfast’s on the table.” He looked away and added, “I should get going.”
“Keep me company while I eat?”
“I…. Okay.”
Dan had been sure Graham would say no. His attraction to Graham aside, he wanted to properly thank him for all he’d done. “Great. Give me a minute to wash up and I’ll be right down.”
He set Lacey down and she ran over to Graham, took his hand, and led him toward the stairs. “We’re going downstairs, Daddy,” she announced.
“A woman who knows her mind.” Graham’s smile seemed genuine. Dan wished he saw that more. From the few conversations they’d had about life outside of the office, Dan had an inkling that somewhere along the line, Graham had been badly hurt, although how and by whom, Dan could only guess. He smiled to himself at the thought that for all the effort he’d put into getting Graham to open up, Lacey had already made inroads.
Leave it to an almost-five-year-old to go where grown men fear to tread.
“We’ll wait for you,” Lacey announced from the landing.
Graham met Dan’s gaze and smiled again. Yep. Her daddy might not have carved any inroads into the Fortress of Solitude, but his little girl had already found her way inside.
Chapter Twenty
“YOU weren’t kidding when you said you could cook,” Dan said as they sat at the breakfast counter a few minutes later. The look of rapture on his handsome face had Graham thinking of things far more sinful than blueberry pancakes.
“They’re hardly from scratch,” Graham pointed out.
“Yeah, but these are better than when I make them.”
“I might have added more than just the blueberries.” Graham normally would have made them from scratch. His mother had taught him to cook, and since she’d worked late hours at the local Denny’s before she’d married his stepfather, Graham had more often than not cooked breakfast and dinner for both of them.
“Another secret?” Dan asked.
Graham laughed in spite of himself. “A little vanilla. That’s it. Promise.”
“I can’t thank you enough.”
“It’s nothing. I needed to eat too.”
“I meant for everything,” Dan explained, his relief palpable. “Filling in at the last minute with Lacey. Helping me prepare for the hearing.”
“You’d have done the same if it had been my hearing,” Graham said, the embers of embarrassment rekindling. “And Lacey…. To be honest, I get along far better with children than adults.” Why did he admit these sorts of things to Dan? He should be more careful around Dan, not less.
Dan glanced over to the living room, where Lacey had pulled out the box of blocks and dumped them on the floor. She sang as she sorted them into shapes. “Silly little caterpillar, you’re very fuzzy and long. You dance around and around, then become a butterfly.”
“Lacy taught me that song,” Graham told Dan.
“More proof that I’m a terrible singer.” Dan said with a snort. “And probably why the melody is impossible to follow.”
“You wrote that song?”
“Guilty as charged.” Dan’s laughter was contagious.
Graham wanted to kiss Dan, but as usual, he fought the urge. “Dan, I….”
“Hmm?”
“Nothing.” This was childish. They were two grown men. He enjoyed spending time with Dan. And Lacey? She already had his heart. Being with the two of them filled something empty inside. A place he’d tried to ignore for so long….
Tell him how you feel.
“More coffee?” Dan asked.
“No. Thanks.” Graham took a deep breath. If he could argue a case, he could handle telling someone how he felt about them, couldn’t he? “Listen, Dan, I realize this might be a little complicated, what with us working together, but I’ve been thinking that maybe we should see if this might work. Us.” Totally bungled—uptight, explained like it was a business deal he’d been working on and this was a negotiation.
He was just about to try again when Dan leaned over and kissed him. Dan’s lips tasted like coffee and syrup. The scratchy stubble on his cheeks felt good. Real. Better than the last time they’d kissed, because this time Graham knew it wasn’t a mistake that Dan regretted.
“I’ve been wanting to do that since the last time,” Dan said as their lips parted. “I worried you might have second thoughts.”
“I did. But I’m glad you kissed me.” Graham chuckled. “For someone who makes his living talking, there are certain topics I’m truly terrible at.”
“You got your point across.” Dan leaned back in his chair and yawned.
“I really should be going,” Graham said.
“Why? You already agreed to dinner tonight, remember?” He grinned and added, “I’m holding you to that.”
“I could let you sleep and—”
“By the time you make it home, you’ll just have to turn around. Besides, you could use a nap too,” Dan said. “My bed’s plenty big for both of us.”
“What about Lacey?” Graham realized Dan might misinterpret what he’d said. “I meant, who’s going to watch her?”
“She can play in her room or watch a movie. She’ll be fine.”
“Oh. Okay.” Graham felt like an idiot.
“I was more worried about you,” Dan teased.
“Oh.” Graham laughed in spite of himself. “I think I’ll be fine too. Assuming we’re just napping, that is. I’m quite capable of restraining myself.”
“I don’t doubt that,” Dan parried. “But I promise. Today, at least, my bed is just for napping.”
That might be a challenge, although as tired as Dan looked and as he felt, maybe it wouldn’t be so difficult. “You’ve got yourself a deal.”
“You and Mr. Graham are taking a nap?” Lacey asked after Dan explained that Graham was staying. “Can I nap with you too?”
“Do you really want to nap now?” Dan asked. “You only woke up a little while ago.”
Lacey appeared to consider this, then said, “I’ll watch The Little Mermaid while you and Mr. Graham take a nap. After that, can we go to the park?”
Dan looked to Graham, who nodded his approval. “Sure.”
“Yay!” Lacey jumped up and down a few times, then ran into the playroom.
“She’s exhausting,” Graham admitted. “Adorable but exhausting.”
“You get used to it. I think I take more naps than she does, though.” Dan gestured Graham into his room. “Sorry it doesn’t look like much at the moment. We finished unpacking the last box about a week ago, but other than Lacey’s room, I haven’t had a chance to hang any pictures.”
“I’m impressed you’ve had time to finish unpacking, as busy as you’ve been at the office and with Lacey.”
Dan shrugged, then looked Graham up and down.
“Something wrong?” Graham asked.
“Only that you look different today.”
Graham laughed. “Must be the wrinkled shirt and the stubble.”
“I like the look.”
“You might not like the smell.” Graham made a face. “Mind if I shower first?” He needed a shave.
“Not at all. Help yourself to whatever you need.”
“Thanks.”
“None needed.” Dan walked over and put his arms around Graham’s waist.
Graham laughed again and dropped the small overnight bag he’d picked up so he could reciprocate. “No fair.”
“Plenty fair.” Dan leaned in and brushed his lips. “If I’m expected to behave myself with a gorgeous man in my bed, the least I should get a taste of what I’m missing.”
Graham kissed Dan and pulled him close. He pressed his tongue into the heat of Dan’s mouth and moaned. The image of the young Danny faded with the pleasure
of the more mature man. It was probably crazy to think that, so many years later, he and the man whom he’d dreamed of as a kid might actually have a shot at happiness. But this moment felt far removed from high school. They were different people.
You have to tell him! He owed it to Dan before this went any further. If he kept avoiding the truth—if he kept lying to Dan—the fallout would be worse. And if Dan still wanted him afterward….
The kiss ended.
“Dan?”
“Hmm?”
“There’s something you don’t know about me,” Graham said before he lost his nerve. “Something you really should know before—”
Dan kissed him, then put his hands to Graham’s face. “I know enough. We’ve got time for the rest. I know how hard it is for you to let go.”
Graham hesitated. “I…. It is.” He didn’t want to ruin things between them. Still, they both knew where this day might end, and Dan had a right to know.
“I’ve seen how you are with Lacey,” Dan said before Graham could figure out how to broach the topic. “You’re kind. Patient. A good man.” He took Graham’s hand and led him to the bed.
“Dan, I don’t want you to think I’m playing games.”
“You aren’t like that.” Dan squeezed his hand. “I know that about you.” He smiled and Graham’s heart nearly burst. “This is about getting to know each other. Bit by bit.”
Graham sighed and allowed himself to relax into the moment. Still, the echo of Jimmy Zebulon remained.
Chapter Twenty-One
DAN slipped under the covers and listened to the sound of running water from the shower. In just a few days, everything had changed. The thought left him breathless and wanting to savor every moment together.
He was thankful he really was exhausted and that Lacey was in the next room. He might be ready for far more than a nap, but he sensed Graham wasn’t. From the way he kissed, Graham didn’t lack experience. But the awkward fits and starts to their physical relationship signaled that he had little or no experience in dating, let alone the lasting relationship Dan hoped for.
And then there was Graham’s obvious insecurity about their relationship. Maybe by reassuring him that they would take it slow, Graham could relax and let himself go. Graham needed time before he would be comfortable opening up.
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