“Erect. I like that word.” She slurps the final drink from her glass.
“Really?” Dane mutters under his breath.
“Do you want her to have a bad vocabulary?” I ask just as softly.
He leans toward me, his lips glancing my ear. “I’d like her to have a censored vocabulary, if you don’t mind.”
“Let me clue you in on something, big boy,” I whisper. Glancing at Mia, I ensure she’s preoccupied with the television hanging near the bathroom door. “When a guy comes on to her one day, and he will whether you like it or not, you don’t want her shocked at words he throws around. Understanding things like the word ‘erect’ will give her confidence. Trust me.”
He throws his hands up in the air and settles back in his seat.
“Look at me, sitting erect,” Mia says with a hint of pride.
“That’s it.” Dane scoots his chair back and stands. “I’ll pay and then be in the truck.”
I can’t help but giggle as he walks to the cash register and asks for the receipt to sign. He doesn’t check the price, just scribbles his name, takes the card, and walks out.
“What’s wrong with him?” Mia asks.
“Oh, he’s just being a baby today. You ready to go?”
“Yes.” She hops off her chair and follows me to the door.
We mosey through the parking lot side by side, neither of us saying a word. Once we get to the truck, I hold the door open while Mia climbs into the back, and then I get settled in the front beside Dane.
“Everyone ready?” he asks. “Buckle up back there, rascal.”
The sound of the buckle clicking into the clasp rings through the air. “Don’t worry. I’m buckled in and sitting erect.”
I snort so hard I almost choke.
“You owe me for this one, Kimber,” Dane says.
I glance over my shoulder to see a wickedly sexy smile gracing his lips. My legs pull together.
“I look forward to it.”
CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO
NEELY
The couch in Dane’s living room is perfectly worn. Each cushion is broken down to the point where you sink in like you’re in a soft cloud as soon as your behind touches it.
Curled up in the corner, I listen to Dane and Mia laugh upstairs. Every now and then, he makes a weird voice, and she bursts out laughing.
The inside of their house isn’t at all what I expected. Everything has a place, and everyone has a job. It’s a mishmash of styles and decorations that seem to work together somehow. There’s even a cookie jar on the center of the island in the kitchen filled with peanut butter cookies.
You can feel the joy when you walk in, sense the loyalty in the walls as you stroll down the hallway decorated with pictures of Mia at different stages of her life. I’ve never felt so comfortable in someone else’s house before.
My phone vibrates on my lap. A text from Grace pops up on the screen. I look at it like it might bite me—not because of the text, but because of the email that needs responding to.
I’ve reread Mr. Snow’s offer a few times. It isn’t groundbreaking, but it isn’t bad. It’s certainly better than nothing. I should take it. I know I should. But every time I have my finger on the “Reply” button, I chicken out.
I tell myself it’s because I know I’m worth more. I made almost double that at my old job and had half again more leave time. But something wrestles inside my chest, and I know it isn’t all about leave time. It’s about leaving them.
Dane’s footsteps echo down the hall, and it isn’t long before he comes around the corner. He’s changed into a white T-shirt and a pair of gray sweatpants, and all I want to do is bury my face in the soft cloth and have him hold me.
“You’re being beckoned,” he says. A hand on his hip, he sighs. “Apparently she needs to talk to you now. I wouldn’t let her get out of bed because if she does that, we’ll never get her back in there.”
Unfolding my legs, I stand. “What’s she want?”
He shrugs. “I already read her bedtime story, which is ridiculous at her age, but I can’t tell her no.”
“I think it’s adorable.” I start by him, but he pulls me toward him.
“I think you’re adorable.”
“You do, huh?”
“I do.” He plants a loud, wet kiss on my lips. “Now go figure out what she wants so we can move on with our night.”
I take the stairs two at a time. “I like the sound of that.”
Dane’s footsteps fall behind me. “It’s the door with the glitter. Make it snappy.” He pats me on the behind as I enter Mia’s room.
“Hey, you,” I say. “Ready for bed?”
She’s snuggled under the covers. “Yeah.”
“What’s going on?” I ask, sitting on the edge.
“Well . . .” She looks at Dane standing at the door. “There’s this Manicure Day at the gym.”
“I saw the flyer. It looks like fun.” I brush her hair out of her face with my hand. “Are you excited about it?”
She throws the blanket over her head.
“Mia.” I laugh. “What are you doing?” I tug the blanket down so I can look at her. “What’s up?”
She chews her bottom lip. “I . . . You . . .” She takes a deep breath. “Will you go with me?”
My heart melts. “Yes, I’ll go with you. Of course. Why would you think I wouldn’t?”
“It’s for mothers and daughters.” She looks at Dane. “It’s okay if I ask Neely, right?”
I twist around. He’s propped against the doorjamb, looking at us in disbelief. “Yeah. It’s okay with me.”
“You’ll go?” Mia shimmies from under the covers. “It’s in the afternoon, and the girls say it’s so much fun. They do their fingernails and toenails, and they bring them little cookies and stuff.”
“Haven’t you gone before?”
She shakes her head. “I didn’t have anyone to take me.”
“Honey, Haley would’ve gone with you,” Dane says, coming into the room. “Or I would’ve gone. I don’t know how good my feet would look all polished up, but maybe I’d like it.”
Mia laughs. “You can’t go. You’re a boy. And Haley could’ve, but . . . she’s not my mom.”
“Mia,” I say, resting my hand on her lap. “I’m not your mom either. I’m your friend. Your dad’s friend. You know that, right?”
“Yeah.” She grins like she’s playing along to some game and curls back up under her blankets. “So you’ll go?”
“Yes. I’ll go.” I lean forward and press a kiss to her forehead. “Now get some sleep.”
She yawns, waving at her dad as he turns off the light. “Love you, Dad.”
“Love you, rascal.”
I step out of the room when she calls out again. “Love you, Neely.”
I look up at Dane. He touches my cheek, as if that somehow will tell me what to do. “Good night, Mia.”
He pulls the door closed. “That wasn’t what I expected,” he whispers.
“Me either.”
“Are you okay with all that?” He searches my face. “If not, I’ll work it out.”
I take a quick inventory of how I feel in this moment. I have no regrets. I don’t wish anything were different. In fact, I’m happy. I reach up and kiss his cheek. “I’m very okay with it.”
He takes my hand. “Let’s go to my room.”
“I need to do something first. Go on without me, and I’ll be there in a second, all right?”
“I don’t want to go without you.” He pouts.
“Give me five minutes.” I laugh. “I’ll be there. Promise.”
“You have five minutes and your time starts now.”
Rolling my eyes, I head across the hall to the bathroom. Once locked inside, I sit on the toilet seat and pull out my phone. My heart beats a little quicker with every second that passes.
I unlock the screen and pull up my email. Mr. Snow’s offer is at the top. I open the message and hit the “Reply” button.
Mr. Snow,
Thank you for the generous offer. However, after much thought and consideration, I don’t feel this position would be a good fit for me. I appreciate your vote of confidence and wish you the best of luck going forward.
Sincerely,
Neely Kimber
As soon as it’s sent, my shoulders completely fall in relief.
I make my way to Dane’s room and find him lying across his bed. He props up on his elbows when he hears me walk in.
“I have something to tell you,” I say, shutting the door behind me.
“What’s that?”
I walk to the side of the bed near his feet. “I got a job offer yesterday.”
“In New York?” he asks carefully.
“Yeah.” Sitting on the edge of the bed, my hand squeezing his thigh, I look back at him. I give myself a moment to panic, to wish I had taken the job. Those things never come. Instead, the longer I sit beside him, the better I feel. “I just turned it down.”
“You did?”