“Dean!” She reached up to hug his neck, and he beamed back at Kenzie and me.
“Um,” she started as she looked back from me to Dean, then to Emma, and back to me. “Wait,” she said. “Is that?” I didn’t quite follow where she was going with it at first. “You did not tell me everything.” She trailed off as she openly stared at Dean.
“Hey Kenzie,” he said smoothly. “How are you?”
She tossed her long blond hair and smiled back at him without losing a beat.
“I’m great, how are you?” she said politely. She glared at me as if there was something else going on that I failed to tell her about.
“Never better,” he said instantly as he looked to me.
“Oh my god,” Kenzie said as she looked back and forth between us. “Is she…” She trailed off before she could finish her thought, but she was staring straight at Emma.
It took me a moment to realize what she was thinking and I wanted to die of shame that my best friend was trying to embarrass me in front of Dean even though she knew full well that Emma wasn’t my child, let alone my child with him.
“Oh no,” I said quickly as I went along with her. “No, no, no. Emma’s my stepsister. I’m just watching her right now,” I clarified.
Kenzie put a hand over her heart and breathed a sigh of relief. She was utterly convincing.
“Oh bless your heart,” she said laughing, “That’s a relief. I’m used to what goes on below the Mason-Dixon line, and here I was thinking maybe somewhere along the line you had forgotten to tell me about your long, lost four year-old that you miraculously hid from me all these years.”
“Not the case.” She knew this, but I bit back what I really wanted to say.
Dean just looked at both of us and then burst out laughing.
“What’s so funny, Dean?” Emma asked as she lightly laughed with him, then reached out to touch his nose with her finger.
He managed to subdue himself and looked back down at her.
“Oh nothing,” he told her. “Grown up girls are silly sometimes.”
“Silly?” she said, looking at me.
“Yeah, super silly,” As if I had done it a thousand times before, I put my own finger to her nose and she giggled. This nose thing was kind of magical. Immediately, I felt more of a connection with her, as strange as it was.
Kenzie cleared her throat as silence blanketed the four of us.
“Well, you should come on our little weekend ski trip with us. It’ll help you meet some new people here.”
She didn’t have to ask how long I was staying, but I thought it was clear that I wouldn’t be skipping town just yet. I wanted to make sure Chase, Emma, and Callie had someone to take care of them before I left.
“Yes, come.” Dean said quickly, although it didn’t sound as much like a suggestion as it had when Kenzie said it.
“Come!” Emma said excitedly as she echoed him, looking from Dean to me.
“When is it?” I asked, somewhat confused. I knew I didn’t want to go on a ski trip, but I didn’t want to sound rude.
“This weekend,” Kenzie told me, adjusting her shopping basket. “Don’t worry, we have it all planned out already. One more person won’t change anything, right Dean?”
“The more the merrier,” he said, now looking down at Emma.
I had never seen someone look as peaceful as he did, standing there, watching her smile back. It was one of those things that made a man insanely attractive, even though I wasn’t a kid person. “Definitely come.”
I couldn’t help but feel pressured by his attitude, but I wasn’t sure I could just ditch the kids so early in the game. Especially Emma.
“I’ll think about it and let you know,” I told them both. I decided it was diplomatic enough to get them off my back, but vague enough that I couldn’t be charged with actual commitment.
Dean leaned down and put Emma back in the cart.
“Emma, let’s go get some ice cream,” he told her as he winked at me as if he knew that’s why we were here. As if he had been listening to me talking to Emma before we found Kenzie. I stood there with my mouth hanging open as I watched him roll her away without another word.
I was sort of appalled at myself that I just let some random man take my stepsister away from me like that, but part of me trusted Dean even though I barely knew him. At least I would know on whom to put out an AMBER Alert if they weren’t back in less than three minutes. Plus, Emma was happier with him than she was with me.
It comforted me that Kenzie seemed to trust him with Emma too. Hell, he was probably better for her than I was since he seemed to know her so well.
Kenzie punched me in the arm, breaking my reverie.
“Oh my god,” she gasped. “How come you never told me you knew Dean Powell? Or that you could possibly have a love child with Dean Powell? She looks just like you, minus the hair.”
“Ow,” I told her pointedly as I rubbed my arm. She packed a harder punch than she looked like she was capable considering her tiny frame. “I don’t know Dean Powell. And you know I don’t have a child!”
She crossed her arms and I knew I had a whole lot of Southern sass headed my way.
“That sure looked like a whole lot of ‘not knowing’ to me,” she said, gesturing to where Dean had just been standing.
“I just met him last night,” I said defensively. “He’s just… really forward.”
“Well, he is forward,” she told me. “But I’ve never seen him like that before.”
She raised her eyebrows as if to make her point more solid.
“What do you mean?” I asked, curious to know what he was like when he wasn’t charming the absolute hell out of everyone, namely me.
“He’s−” she started, but stopped short as a cart came rolling back into the aisle.
Emma triumphantly held a carton of ice cream.
“Look what we found!”
I looked at the cart, which was filled with at least three different boxes of ice cream not including the one Emma was holding, as well as some Oreos. Upon further inspection, I realized there was even a movie on top.
“Grease?” I looked at Dean skeptically as I picked it up and turned it over in my hands.
He shrugged. “She liked the cover.”
I threw it back in the cart and gave him a look. As I did, I realized the exchange we’d just had felt as though we’d known each other a lot longer than fourteen hours, not that I was counting.
“Alright, Emma girl,” he said as he looked down at her. “I’ll see you soon, okay? Save some ice cream for me.”
She nodded and looked at the now melting ice cream box in her lap dreamily.
He saluted Kenzie in a way that made even her jaw drop, and then turned to me. He stepped forward and brushed my hair out of my face, then leaned down to look at my forehead.
“Looks like You’ll live, Lindsay,” he said softly as he gave me an intricately lazy grin.
I sucked in a breath involuntarily, and his dimples widened even more.
I saw Kenzie’s jaw drop further out of the corner of my eye, but I was frozen to the spot.
“See you around,” he said as he stepped away, leaving me breathless in aisle three.
I waved awkwardly, but couldn’t manage to get oxygen in a way that would allow me to physically form words.
We both just stood there for a few seconds after he walked away.
“Lauren,” Kenzie managed finally as she dramatically fanned herself, and then me. “You did not just meet him last night.”
“No really,” I said when I could speak. “He kind of swept me off my feet. Literally.”
AFTER I PROMISED Kenzie I would try to come on her ski trip, I took Emma and her ice cream home. Two bowls chocolate ice cream, three episodes of SpongeBob, and the entirety of Grease later, Emma was passed out on the sofa. I wasn’t sure if this amount of sleep was normal for a four-year-old, but if it helped her cope, I would let her sleep as much as she needed to
.
Jed called to check in, and after I made myself some lunch, I found myself out cold next to Emma.
I woke to a door slamming, which I had quickly learned meant one thing in this house. Callie. She stomped in the door followed closely by Chase.
Immediately, I sat up to check my phone. It was past four in the afternoon. Shoot.
“Chase! I’m so sorry!” I said as I jumped up from the couch. I felt like I had already failed the little guy and it was only day one.
“It’s okay.” He shrugged.
“No, it’s not.” Callie said sternly as she crossed her arms over her chest. “You clearly don’t care about us. I don’t know why you’re even here.”
Tell me how you really feel.
“Callie,” I started, “You know that’s not true.” In the back of my mind, I realized that I agreed with her about the part why I was here, but I couldn’t tell her that. Not until I found somewhere else for them to go, or someone else to take care of them. Someone much better suited than me.
“Whatever,” she said, slamming the pantry door. “I don’t need a babysitter.”
She stalked up the stairway.
“I can take care of myself. I really hope you’re not here when I come back, just so you know.”
I stared at her with my hands on my hips, open-mouthed as she slammed her bedroom door shut. Thankfully, Emma was still asleep, although I wasn’t sure how. Chase was in the kitchen nonchalantly looking around.
“Want a snack? We have lots of ice cream,” I offered.
“Sure,” he said, sitting down at the table without looking up from whatever game he was playing on his Nintendo.
“I’m really sorry, buddy,” I told him as I scooped him a giant bowl of rocky road. “It won’t happen again.”
He just shrugged his shoulders. Was that the only gesture he was capable of?
“Thanks,” he said weakly as I handed him the bowl.
“So,” I asked as I sat across from him. “How was your day at school?”
“Good, same as always,” he said in between bites of ice cream.
Clearly, he was a man of few words. At least he didn’t hate me as much as Callie did.
“What did you learn about?”
“Space,” he said. “Planets.”
“Oh I love planets!” I told him a little bit too enthusiastically. I really did love space. “Pluto is my favorite!”
He looked at me like I was crazy.
“Pluto’s not a planet.”
“Oh right,” I had clearly forgotten they weren’t teaching that one anymore.
Or cursive.
“Well, it used to be. Let me know when you’re ready for dinner.”
He nodded and went back to his ice cream.
The doorbell rang and I looked at Chase expectantly.
“Do you know who that could be?” I raised my eyebrows.
I wasn’t used to answering doorbells this often.
“It’s probably UPS or something,” he mumbled, wiping ice cream off his lip with his sleeve.
I got up from my chair and walked slowly to the door, hoping to make as little noise as possible in case it was one of Linda’s friends coming by. I wasn’t sure I could deal with that just yet. Or ever, really. I didn’t feel like it was mine to handle, and the kids didn’t need it either.
As I came around the corner, I saw Callie bouncing down the stairs. She didn’t know I was there, and she was much less smug than she had been around me, proving that part of her animosity was over-exaggerated for my benefit.
“Jenny!” she exclaimed as she swung open the door, immediately ushering her friend in as she hugged her.
I stood there and crossed my arms.
As Callie turned to bring Jenny upstairs, she saw me and her smile faded. She gave me a sneer and gestured to Jenny, who was looking between us.
“Come on, Jenny,” she said as she started back up the stairway.
Jenny gave me a weak smile and an even weaker wave as she followed Callie. Of course, Jenny probably just remembered me as the girl who fell flat on her face for Dean.
I shook my head and reached over to shut the front door, but it wouldn’t close. I pushed harder, only to be met with resistance. A knock on the door startled me, and I opened it ever so slightly to see a hand trying to push it open.
My gut reaction was to slam it shut as quickly as possible.
The knock came again.
I gingerly opened it, feeling stupid that I had just shut it in someone’s face, but I couldn’t help that I was jumpy.
For the second time in twenty-four hours, I felt like fainting in the doorway.
“Lauren,” Dean said somewhat sarcastically. That stupid grin was back on his face. “Thanks for that. Can I come in?”
I just stood there.
“Why are you here?” I asked, recrossing my arms. I didn’t feel like letting him walk all over me.
He smiled his ever-dazzling smile, clearly taken aback that I was questioning him.
“I came to make good on some promises,” he said nonchalantly. “Will you just let me in and stop pretending like I’m going to rob you or something?”
“I’m not sure,” I told him, my wits returning. “Do you know the secret code?”
He laughed.
“How about…” he said as he tapped his chin dramatically. “Rocky Road.”
“Wow, good guess,” I told him. “But no cigar.”
He stepped up into the doorway so that he was standing way too close to me.
“Good try,” he said, leaning down closer to my ear. “But I know that’s their favorite flavor.”
I relented and took a step back, not so much as to let him in, but just so I could clear my head. I had never been one of those girls to lose focus because of a guy, but he seemed to be able to charm just about anyone. Something about him scared me. It wasn’t a lack of safety, just that I didn’t feel in control when he was around.
“Knew it,” he said, brushing past me. I shut the door and followed him to the kitchen as if it was something we did every day.
“What’s up, Chase?” he said, holding out his hand for a fist bump. “Save any ice cream for me?”
Chase smiled and nodded, pointing toward the fridge.
“Lauren can get you some,” he said.
Dean and I exchanged looks. It was probably the most Chase had said on his own since I had arrived.
“That would be super nice of her, buddy,” Dean said as he reached over to ruffle his hair. “But I think I can do one better.”
He winked at me as he took two bowls down from the counter. Somehow I felt offended, because he knew where they were, and I had to search almost every cupboard before finding the right one. Then, he pulled the ice cream from the fridge and scooped Rocky Road into both of them before replacing it. He even pulled spoons out from the drawer in front of him fluidly before handing one to me.
“Thanks,” I said, still shocked that he had just waltzed in and made himself at home.
He leaned up against the dishwasher and ate his ice cream like he did it all the time.
I took a few bites and put my bowl on the counter so I could go check on Emma. She was still sleeping soundly, and I tucked the blanket around her where it had fallen off.
“Lauren, I’m going upstairs to do my planet homework,” Chase told me from across the room. He got up and put his bowl on the counter next to the sink.
“Let me know if you need any help,” I offered, and he gave me a little smile. He surprised me that he was so responsible for his age. Any kid I knew would rather watch hours of TV than do their homework right after school.
I pretended like I was distracted with Emma, but watched out of the corner of my eye as Dean put all three dishes away in the dishwasher without saying a word, being the domestic god that he was. Then he came into the living room and plopped himself down on the couch next to Emma.
I wasn’t sure what he was doing, but I refused to fall for his
charming act yet again.
“Dean,” I said as sternly as I could in a soft voice so as not to wake Emma.
“Lauren,” he challenged, smiling at me coyly before I could even say anything else.
“Seriously,” I said a little louder. “What are you doing here?”
“Well,” he said calmly. “I’m here to convince you to come on the ski trip.”
“Exactly how are you planning on doing that?” I asked skeptically. I had known from the start that I wasn’t going. I only told Kenzie I would think about it so I wouldn’t have to tell her no in person.
“I’m not going to leave until you agree to come.”
He grabbed the remote to check the guide on the TV.
I scoffed.
“Okay, good luck with that.”
He stretched casually and changed the channel.
I rolled my eyes and walked over to my little guest room. I didn’t think I could stand being in the same room with him. I already felt trapped, and the majority of the people in the house at the moment seemed to hate me. I wasn’t cut out to be a parent, or a guardian, or whatever anyone wanted to call it. I just wanted to go home, go back to school, and forget that any of this ever happened. Except that now, especially after what happened with Emma, I didn’t think my conscience was going to let me do that.
I fell onto the bed face-first and wanted to scream. I had just met Dean yesterday and he was already so adamant that I come on this stupid ski trip. It didn’t make any sense.
I got out my phone to call Kenzie or Jed, but couldn’t decide who to call first. I sighed and lay there, closing my eyes just to escape my new reality.
There was a knock on the door. I opened my eyes, expecting light to still be streaming in through the open window, but found myself in a pitch-black room instead. Immediately, I panicked.
Where was I?
Why was it so dark?
I used my phone to find the door handle and flung the door open so that I could see where I was.
There was a little boy standing at the door.
“Hey Lauren,” he said, holding up a folder. “Can you help me with this? Dean says I should ask you.”
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