Page 71 of Heartbreak & Cupcakes
Clearing my throat, I ran my hands through my hair and attempted to get a handle on the unfamiliar, unwanted urges rushing through me. “Where’s Lexi?”
I’d been expecting to come home and find my daughter glued to Sadie’s side. She’d been so excited that she was going to spend the day with her.
“I think she got bored being in the kitchen after all the baking. So, she’s teaching Achoo her ABCs.” Sadie pointed to the security screen where her cat was sitting in one of Lexi’s doll strollers in front of her chalkboard and Lexi was pointing at the letters.
It shocked me hownotnervous I’d been about Sadie watching Lexi today. I trusted her with my daughter completely, and I could only say that about a handful of people.
Mrs. G, Mia, Nick, Maddox, and now Sadie.
That was it. The only people in the world that I trusted to take care of the most precious thing in my life. I knew that I was going to have to broaden my horizons when it came to childcare. This arrangement had an expiration date. And for the first time in a long time, I had feelings about that. Feelings I didn't want to think about.
Flecks of gold swam in the swirls of caramel as her amber stare met mine. “How was your day?”
Her question didn’t sound like small talk. She seemed genuinely interested.
“Good. I was able to close a deal that I thought might be dead.”
“That was the deal you were working on when you flew to Sydney last week?” She asked as her nose wiggled like Samantha fromBewitchedbefore she lifted her arm and rubbed the back of her wrist against her nose. My lips turned up in a grin as I watched her face scrunch.
Even the way she itched her nose was fucking endearing. What was it about this woman that made every single security measure I’d put in place just crumble?
“Yes.” I cleared my throat and took a step back. Space. That was going to be the key to making it through the next few weeks. Lots of space. “You really didn’t have to do this. It’s not part of your job.”
“Oh, I know. But I love cooking. And like I said, it would be a crime to let this beautiful kitchen go to waste.” Her eyes scanned the room.
Damn.I wished she looked at me the way she was looking at my appliances.
No. No I didn’t. That’s not what I wanted at all.
Except it was. And that was a problem.
She turned to stir the tomato sauce that was simmering. “Dinner will be ready in, hmm, about twenty minutes.”
“Can I help with anything?” I asked as I looked around.
There was a pot of water boiling with a box of noodles sitting beside it. She had lettuce, tomatoes, olives, and other ingredients I was pretty sure were going to be used for a salad set out on the island.
“Nope.” She shooed me away. “I’ve got it all under control. Go, relax.”
Relax?
I wasn’t sure I knew how to do that. Every minute of every day was normally scheduled. Even the time I spent with Lexi. Which was done by design. The last thing I wanted was for my mind to have time to wander. When it did, it went to places that I didn’t know if I could come back from.
