Page 8 of Brazilian Fantasy
“Okay,” I say quietly and back up a bit.
Lucas picks the brush up and goes to his knees. My lungs seize at the painstakingly tender way he takes care of his daughter. I stand still, transfixed, and when our eyes meet and hold in the mirror, my racing thoughts come to a resounding halt.
Who’s taking care of Lucas?
He finishes combing out the knots then puts her hair into a ponytail.
“You’re pretty good at that,” I say around the lump in my throat.
“I watched a YouTube video.” He gives me a wink, and I laugh. He is so sweet.
“Are you serious?”
He hangs his head and shakes it slowly. “I know nothing about little girls,” he confesses.
“What do you know about puppies?” I ask, lowering my voice to match his.
His hair falls into his face as he looks at me. “Even less. Why?” he asks as he smooths the black strands back to expose those dark eyes, so rich and intense they make my knees wobble.
I shrug and quickly decide it’s better to ask for forgiveness than permission. “Just wondering.”
“Piper—”
Maddie tugs on my hand. “Looks like Maddie is all set.”
I race down the stairs with Maddie, and Lucas meets us outside. He shades the sun from his eyes and points left. “We can go to the shops downtown, which we can walk to.” He shifts and points in the other direction. “Or we can drive to the mall.”
“Let’s go to the mall,” I say, thinking I’m more likely to find what I’m looking for at one of the shopping centers.
Maddie opens the back door to the SUV and climbs into her booster seat. As Lucas goes about buckling her in, I walk to the back of the vehicle, but I stop when I hear someone calling out to Lucas.
“Lucas,” a woman’s voice sings. I turn in time to see a gorgeous woman with a low-cut shirt and daisy-duke shorts hurrying toward us, the toy poodle she’s walking barely able to keep up. She’s practically dragging the poor thing, and that irks me. She must seriously need to talk to Lucas, but the poor pup shouldn’t have to suffer. “Lucas,” she says again.
“Gabriela. Nice to see you.”
Dark eyes shoot daggers as they turn on me. “What is going on here? Is this Maddie’s new nanny?”
“Yes, I—”
“I told you I’d be happy to take care of you and Maddie while Eugenie was away,” she says, her voice full of consternation.
He jams his hands into his pockets and gives a polite smile. “I’m a grown man, Gabriela. Only Maddie needs taking care of,” he says.
“Don’t be silly. A man like you needs a real woman around.”
What am I? A fake woman?
“One who can cook for you and take care of all your needs,” she adds, putting a little too much emphasis on the word all as if she has to explain.
Lucas glances at me. “I appreciate that, but—”
She holds a finger up and stops him. “What you need is a good baked empadão.”
“While I do love a baked empadão, Piper here—”
“Piper,” Gabriela says, turning her eyes back on me. “What kind of name is Piper?”
Whoa.
