by Alice Ward
I laughed and walked over to him. Paisley sat beside Sean with her sketchbook open and a colored pencil in her hand. When I approached, she set down her pencil and jumped to her feet. She hugged me quickly before she sat back down and continued her drawing. I watched her for a second before I turned my attention back to Sean. He was smiling at me.
“What?” I asked nervously.
He shrugged. “Nothing. It’s just nice to see.”
“What’s that?” I asked with a frown.
“You two together,” Sean said. He shrugged again, clearly trying to keep his voice casual, but it didn’t work. My heart leapt at his words. I blushed and cleared my throat awkwardly. There was so much I wanted to say in response, but we were at work and Paisley was sitting between us.
“So,” I said. “We should get started. I—”
“First,” Sean interrupted. “Where were you yesterday?”
“Oh,” I said, taken aback. “Your dad actually asked me to take the day off. He said he wanted to spend some time with you himself, that he had some things to discuss with you.”
“He certainly did,” Sean said under his breath. His expression changed quickly. He had been light-hearted and happy just seconds before, but now he looked like he was trying to control a sudden rage.
“He said he wanted to take you to lunch,” I continued slowly, watching Sean’s face with rapt attention.
“He did,” Paisley answered. I hadn’t realized she was listening. “We got pizza.”
“That sounds fun,” I said with a smile.
Paisley shrugged. “The arcade was pretty cool. But, we didn’t stay to eat. We took the pizza to go.”
I glanced up at Sean with a questioning look. He shook his head and looked away. He obviously didn’t want to talk about it, but it wasn’t in my nature to let things go.
“What did he want to talk about?” I asked. “He didn’t mention any specifics to me.”
“Nothing,” Sean said. He tried to wipe the anger off his face, but it was no use. I could already read him too well. “Just work stuff. I’m sure it’s nothing you haven’t already discussed with him.”
“Really?” I asked skeptically. “That’s it?”
“Yeah,” Sean nodded. He looked at me with conviction. He knew I didn’t believe him, but he was silently pleading with me to drop the subject. When I opened my mouth to argue, he glanced down at Paisley to remind me we weren’t alone. I closed my mouth quickly and nodded. I understood. There were some things Paisley didn’t need to hear.
“Okay,” I said. I smiled at Sean to let him know the conversation was over. “So, did you go over the files I left for you?”
“I did.” Sean nodded. He looked grateful to be talking about work. “My speech is tomorrow, right?”
“Right,” I said. “We should practice it today because I want it absolutely perfect. This is too important to mess up.”
“Have a little faith,” Sean joked. “I’ve done well so far, haven’t I?”
“You have,” I admitted. “Which is why we have to keep the ball rolling. We can’t afford to move backward. Not now that we’re finally gaining some real momentum.”
Sean rolled his eyes playfully and groaned. I knew he was just being difficult, but I still glared at him warningly. Yesterday was my first day off in longer than I could remember and I hated it. Now that I was back in the office, I was ready to get to work. Things were starting to look up for the company, and I wasn’t about to slow down now.
“So,” I said. “Your speech.”
I reached into my bag and pulled out a fresh copy. I handed it to Sean and watched while he looked it over. He nodded as he read, and I knew he recognized it from the day before. I smiled to myself. He hadn’t spent all day yesterday slacking off. Even when I wasn’t around, Sean still did his job. He’d come a long way from the slacker, attitudinal man I first met.
“Seems pretty straightforward,” Sean said when he finished skimming the paper. “Am I reading this word for word?”
“Yes,” I nodded. “That’s why we’re practicing. You need that memorized before tomorrow.”
“Memorized?” Sean blinked. “I won’t have the paper with me?”
“You will,” I said. “But it won’t look good if you continuously glance down. You need to know it already. The paper will only be there in case you forget something in the moment.”
“Okay.” Sean sighed. “This is going to suck.”
I laughed and shook my head. With a nudge, I pushed him to his feet. He grimaced at me and cleared his throat.
“Get going, mister,” I said.
***
Sean read his speech over and over, and I quickly began to memorize it myself. It wasn’t a long speech. I designed it to be no more than ten minutes, but it felt long to Sean. I knew he was having trouble by the way he stumbled over the words and constantly cleared his throat. Still, it was early and he had plenty of time to get it down.
When he messed up yet again, Paisley looked up from her sketchbook and shook her head slowly.
“Nope,” she said. “That’s not it.”
“How do you know?” Sean asked her with a surprised look.
“Because I’ve been listening to you practice for like eighteen thousand hours,” Paisley explained simply.
“I think someone’s bored,” I said with a meaningful look at Sean.
“Yeah, me,” Sean said with a groan. “I think we all need a break.”
“That’s not exactly what I was thinking,” I said mischievously.
Sean looked at me with nervous eyes, unsure what I was getting at. He watched me carefully while I reached in my bag and pulled out a bag of trail mix. I grinned and wiggled my eyebrows at him. Paisley glanced at the bag and frowned.
“What’s that for?” Paisley asked.
“Well,” I began. “It was supposed to be my snack for the day, but I think we can put it to better use.”
“What do you mean?” Paisley asked. She closed her sketchbook and focused her attention entirely on me.
“For each mistake your dad makes,” I said. “We throw one at him.”
“What?” Sean asked with a laugh. I grinned at him.
“You heard me,” I said. “Paisley and I need some entertainment and you need some motivation. This works perfectly.”
“I don’t know how I feel about this,” Sean said hesitantly.
“That’s the point!” Paisley laughed. “Let’s do it!”
“Look what you’re teaching her,” Sean scolded. “She’s an impressionable young girl and you’re corrupting her. I don’t think I can stand for this.”
Paisley reached into the bag of trail mix. She grabbed a peanut and threw it at Sean’s face. Sean’s eyes widened in shock, and Paisley laughed, a huge belly laugh the filled the conference room. I had never heard her laugh like that before and judging by the look on Sean’s face, neither had he. He grinned at me appreciatively before he looked back at Paisley.
“I see how it is,” he said. “You girls are ganging up on me.”
“Yup,” I nodded. “Now, get to work.”
I grabbed a raisin from the bag and poised my hand for the throw. Sean raised the paper in his hands to hide his face. I giggled and nudged Paisley with my shoulder. Paisley laughed back and grabbed a handful of trail mix, ready to throw when necessary.
For the next hour, Paisley and I took turns throwing pieces of food at Sean. Each time he stumbled over a word, he got beaned with a peanut or a raisin or a chocolate chip. He couldn’t pause too long or mutter the word “um” without one of us tossing things at his head. By the time the bag was half empty, Paisley and I were both flushed from laughter.
Sean was doing well, though. He quickly learned his speech to avoid any more flying food, and he even looked to be enjoying himself. He smiled every time Paisley laughed, and I knew he was having a great time.
When Sean finally got the hang of his speech, Paisley and I had less reasons to throw the tr
ail mix. We started eating the pieces instead of using them as ammo. When lunchtime rolled around, the bag was empty and Sean’s speech was perfectly memorized.
“I think you’ve got it,” I said. I had to admit, I was impressed.
“Only because I was afraid you two might never stop,” Sean laughed.
Paisley shrugged. “We got hungry.”
Sean and I laughed.
“You’re ready for tomorrow,” I told Sean. I stood up to face him, and I smiled warmly as he walked toward me.
As we stood there, I had the urge to lean forward and kiss him. It wasn’t a new urge. I’d felt it on and off all day, but now that he stood so close to me, I had a hard time ignoring it. I cleared my throat and shuffled my feet nervously.
Sean stepped closer to me and glanced over at Paisley. He made sure she wasn’t looking before he kissed me swiftly. It was soft and quick, so quick I almost didn’t feel it. He stepped back and smiled. I laughed softly and felt my cheeks blush.
“I am ready,” Sean said. “Tomorrow will be great.”
“It will,” I agreed. “Now, you guys get out of here. Paisley, make sure Sean practices some more tonight, okay? You know what to do.”
I winked at Paisley and she winked back conspiratorially. Sean laughed behind me and gestured for Paisley to pack up her things.
“Remember,” Paisley said suddenly. “This weekend. You’re coming over, right?”
I glanced at Sean who just nodded.
“I remember,” I promised.
“Good,” Paisley said. “Because we’re going to make dinner and rent movies. Right, Sean?”
“That’s right,” Sean said with a nod. “We have it all planned out, so you can’t bail now.”
“I wouldn’t dream of it,” I swore. I grinned at Sean, my eyes drifting to his lips again. He knew exactly what I was thinking because he grinned back at me.
As he stepped around me to join Paisley, he brushed my arm with his fingertips. I felt a shock run through my body and I shivered. His touch was already so powerful, it could have knocked me over if I hadn’t been prepared for it.
Sean mouthed “goodbye” to me and ushered Paisley across the room. She turned and waved as they stepped out into the hallway. I watched them go, my heart aching with how much I already felt for them both.
CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE
Sean
“What if she doesn’t like mac ‘n’ cheese?” Paisley asked, a look of panic flickering across her young face.
I laughed and shook my head. “Everyone loves mac ‘n’ cheese,” I promised her.
“Everyone?” Paisley asked.
“Everyone.”
Paisley nodded and continued stirring the bowl. She perched on a step stool so she could reach the counter. A giant bowl of mac ‘n’ cheese sat in front of her. She stirred it slowly with a large wooden spoon. I watched for a second before I ducked down to check on the chicken.
It was baking perfectly in the oven, almost ready to serve. I smiled and flicked off the oven light. When I turned back to Paisley, she was frowning at the bowl.
I walked over to her. “What’s wrong?” I asked.
“There’s still chunks,” she complained. “I can’t get it all mixed.”
“Here,” I said. I wrapped my hand around hers so we both held the spoon. I stirred the mac ‘n’ cheese fast and hard. I jerked our hands around playfully, making sure to get every single chunk.
Paisley laughed and held tightly to the spoon. While we worked, she leaned back against me slightly and I smiled. Things between us were getting easier every day.
“Do you think she’ll like it?” Paisley asked as I took the chicken out of the oven. I placed the pan on the counter.
“She will,” I said. “Don’t worry.”
“Okay,” Paisley sighed. “If you say so.”
“I do.” I smiled. “Now, what movie are we going to watch first?”
“Brave!” Paisley said with excitement.
“Oh, come on,” I moaned. “You’ve seen that a million times!”
“Because it’s the best movie ever,” Paisley said with a seriousness that did not fit the situation. I laughed and turned to stir a pot of green beans cooking on the stove.
“What about one of the new ones we rented?” I asked. “Isn’t that why we got them? To watch?”
“Yes,” Paisley said. “But, you asked which one we should watch first. We can watch Brave and then one of the new ones.”
“I see,” I said, nodding. “Makes sense.”
“I know,” Paisley said. I grinned and continued stirring the green beans.
“Here,” I said. I walked over to the cabinet and pulled down three plates. I set them on the counter and grabbed three forks and three butter knifes from the cutlery drawer. “Set the table real quick.”
“Okay,” Paisley said. She jumped off the stool and grabbed the plates.
“Use two hands,” I warned as she hurried toward the table. She slowed down and wrapped both hands more tightly around the plates. I smiled again and watched her lay each plate down in their proper spot.
It happened so slowly that I almost hadn’t noticed, but my relationship with Paisley was becoming more natural than I ever thought it would. She was opening up to me, slowly revealing her emotions. The more she did, the more I realized how much like me she really was. We had more in common than just our looks. We thought the same, we felt the same, and we even talked the same sometimes.
Even her nerves about this dinner were a reflection of my own. I felt a twinge in my gut at the thought of Tara coming over for dinner. I was just as worried as Paisley that Tara wouldn’t have a good time, but I hid it well. Only one of us needed to be anxious.
As I watched Paisley set the table, I felt like a real father. After all those years of being absent from her life, I was beginning to think I had finally found my role. I was becoming the father I was always meant to be. Part of me thought Paisley felt it, too. She was too young to fully understand the complexities of our relationship, but I knew she was more comfortable with me than she’d been before.
When Tara’s car pulled into the driveway, Paisley ran outside to greet her. I chuckled and wiped my hands on a dishtowel. Glancing around the kitchen, I made sure everything was in order. The table was set with plates and silverware. The chicken rested on my nicest serving platter with the mac ‘n’ cheese and green beans on either side. I set the dinner rolls on the edge of the table and got out glasses for each of us. Just as I finished filling the glasses with iced tea, Tara and Paisley came through the front door.
“She’s here!” Paisley exclaimed. She hurried into the kitchen and immediately sat down at the table.
“I see that,” I said. I looked at Tara and forgot how to breathe. She looked so beautiful I could hardly stand it. Her curly blonde hair fell loosely over her shoulders. She wore jeans and a light green t-shirt that made her eyes look like emeralds. I’d never seen her dress so simply and the affect was amazing. She was gorgeous without even trying.
“Hi,” Tara said. She stepped closer to me and wrapped her arms around my waist. I hugged her back and breathed in the smell of her hair. When she stepped away, I felt like I was waking from a dream.
“So,” I said, trying to clear my head. “Should we eat?”
“Absolutely,” Tara said. “It looks delicious.”
“Well, Paisley made everything,” I said. “So, I can’t take credit for it.”
“I did not,” Paisley said. She rolled her eyes and added, “Well, I did make the mac ‘n’ cheese.”
“Mac ‘n’ cheese is my favorite,” Tara grinned.
Paisley looked at me and gave me the thumbs up sign. I laughed and pulled Tara’s chair out for her. She sat down, and I hurried around the table to my own seat. I served the food while Tara and Paisley fell into an easy conversation that lasted throughout dinner.
I barely spoke, but I didn’t mind. Listening to Tara and Paisley talk was better than any co
nversation I could have been a part of. I loved the effortless dynamic between them. Tara had already helped me so much with Paisley. I knew I wouldn’t have made it this far with my daughter without her.
***
Dinner ended and we moved into the living room. While the girls set up the movie, I grabbed a bag of cookies from the pantry for us to share. We sat down on the couch, Tara sitting between me and Paisley. Paisley sat so close to Tara that Tara was forced to scoot toward me. We sat with our legs touching while we watched the movie and ate our cookies.
By the time Brave ended, the cookies were almost gone, and Paisley’s eyes were getting heavy.
“Are you ready for bed, kiddo?” I asked.
“No!” Paisley said. She shook her head frantically. “We haven’t even watched one of the new movies yet!”
“I told you we should have watched those first,” I reminded her.
“But Brave is a classic.”
Tara and I laughed, and I went to put on a new movie. When I sat back down, Tara leaned closer to me, and I wrapped my arm around her and Paisley. As the movie played, Paisley rested her head on Tara’s arm. I knew it wouldn’t be long before she fell asleep.
With my arm around Tara, I brushed Paisley’s hair off her face and slowly smoothed it down her back. She was curled against Tara’s side with her little arms tucked beneath her. Instead of watching the movie, I watched her face while she drifted off to sleep. Tara held her tightly until I was sure she was out for the night. Reluctantly, I removed my arm from Tara’s shoulders and stood up.
Gently, I picked Paisley up and laid her on my shoulder. She wasn’t heavy, but I was afraid to wake her so I moved slowly toward her bedroom. When I laid her down in bed, she rolled onto her side and mumbled incoherently in her sleep. I smiled and kissed her forehead, pulling the covers up around her.
I turned the light off and closed her door softly. After waiting a few seconds to make sure she didn’t wake, I made my way back into the living room where Tara waited for me. She saw me walking toward her and stood up, the movie forgotten. I wasn’t even sure what we’d been watching. After Brave ended, I put something on to lull Paisley to sleep so I could be alone with Tara.