Page 5 of Protecting Addison
“Morning,” he murmured, before turning to the coffee that Addison had brewed earlier. “Mmmmm, hazelnut?”
Addison swallowed hard and managed, “Yeah.”
“You spoil me. Us.” His voice lowered. “What fun do you have planned for their lunches today?”
Addison smiled. “I got some new cookie cutters, so their sandwiches are shaped like dinosaurs today. The cookies are naturally dinosaurs too.”
“Decorated?” he asked.
“Is a cookie a cookie if it doesn’t have icing on it?” she retorted.
Ricky chuckled. Then leaned toward her and whispered, “Any chance there were extras?”
He smelled like he’d been working out. Like sweat. He even had sand stuck on the side of his cheek. And it took everything within Addison not to throw herself at him. It was going to kill her when the adoption went through and the kids were old enough not to need a nanny. Because why would he keep her around when he didn’t need her anymore? This fantasy she was living of the happy family would end. She had to keep that in mind. Try not to get any more attached than she was already.
“Of course,” she told him with a small smile. “I know how much you like my cookies.”
“I love your…cookies,” he said.
Addison felt as if she imagined the small pause in his statement. Because of course they were talking about cookies, right?
“Hi, Ricky.”
Addison turned at the sound of her daughter’s voice. As did Ricky. He stepped toward her and pulled her into a bear hug, lifting her up. That was just one more thing Addison loved about this man. He didn’t shy away from showing her daughter physical affection. And she drank in his attention like she was dying from thirst and he was a tall glass of water. Much like her mom did.
“How you doin’ this morning?” he asked, putting her down but keeping his hands on her shoulders.
Ellory shrugged. “I’m okay.”
“That bad, huh?” Ricky said, not letting her lie about how she was feeling. “You need to stay home today?”
Addison had asked her the same thing earlier.
“No. I’m okay.”
“You want to eat anything?”
“No,” Ellory said again.
“Okay, but if you aren’t feeling better by lunch, call your mom. You can’t go all day without getting some nutrients in you. She can bake some chicken for you. Maybe you can try a banana and a protein smoothie this morning?”
Addison’s heart melted. Ricky had learned so much about Crohn’s since they’d gotten married. He’d researched for hours online to find out what foods were best for Ellory and what to do when she had a flare.
“Okay,” Ellory said, hugging Ricky once more before heading to the fridge.
Addison should’ve been surprised at her daughter’s acquiescence. After all, she’d suggested Ellory have a smoothie not twenty minutes earlier but had gotten an unequivocal no in response. But when Ricky suggested it, she was all for it. Addison would’ve been irritated if she wasn’t grateful thatsomeonecould get her daughter to eat. She was underweight and needed all the calories she could get.
“Ricky?” Ellory said, turning away from the fridge.
“Yeah, El?”
“You stink,” the almost-teenager said bluntly.
Ricky laughed. “Yeah, well, that’s because Kevlar thought it would be fun for us to do burpees in the sand this morning. I hate those with a passion.” Then he growled and hunched over and stomped toward Ellory with his arms out, as if he was some sort of sand monster.
Ellory screeched and yelled, “Stay away from me, smelly-man!”
Ricky laughed. “You weren’t telling me to stay away a second ago,” he said.
