Page 128 of Not How I Saw That Going

“Hey, beautiful.” He smiles at me.

My insides flutter.Oh, how I love that smile.

“Do you want my help?” I ask, reaching for the other apron on the pantry door.

“I’m good. Why don’t you go put your feet up and relax?”

“That’s okay. I want to help.” I lift up the apron to put it around my head, but he steals it from my hand. He wraps it behind my back and pulls me against his chest. The most romantic move of all time.

“You’re beautiful, darling. But for the safety of everyone in this drought, it’s probably best if I stick with the cooking.”

My jaw drops. “I’m not that bad!”

He kisses the corner of my lips, then trails little kisses up to my ear. I shiver with delight. “You could burn water.”

“Rude!” I try to push him away, but he grabs my hand and spins me around instead.

“I’ll teach you. Not tonight.” He grins. “But maybe next week.”

I push out my bottom lip, expecting him to steal it, but he releases the apron from around me and steps away. It’s been six months and I still don’t understand this man. How loud do I have to scream “kiss me, dang it” before he throws me onto this counter to kiss me senseless?

“Hey, Crew!” Ward hollers, “do you want to help me cook?”

“Seriously? You choose a five-year-old over me?”

He smirks and smacks my butt with the rubber spatula. “He’s less accident-prone than you.”

Crew trudges into the room, his head down and shoulders sagging. Ward eyes him. “What’s wrong, buddy?”

Crew says nothing and Ward glances at me.

I shrug. “He’s been like this since I picked him up from school.”

Ward ties the apron on Crew and somehow my love for him continues to grow. I take a seat at the counter and watch them cook. They do this almost every night. We come over to Ward’s house, eat dinner and spend the evening together, then Crew and I head back to our newer and slightly less crappy apartment. I don’t have to worry about Rodney anymore. He was hit with a few felonies and racked up enough time in prison that Crew will be in his twenties before he gets out. Maddie’s boss was really good.

I can’t even believe how lucky I am to have the life I have now.

“Did something happen at school?” Ward asks after a few minutes.

Crew expertly cracks an egg into a bowl while Ward fills up a pot with water. “Dallas said his dad could lift a truck.”

Ward frowns. “Well, that’s probably not true unless his dad is Chuck Norris.”

Crew looks up from the bowl. “Who’s Chuck Norris?”

“Nobody. Is that why you’re upset?”

“No.” Crew shakes his head. “He said I didn’t have a dad.”

My heart drops right out of my chest, and everything hurts for him.

“Oh honey,” I whisper leaping off my seat.

“I told him you were my dad,” Crew says, looking up at Ward.

I freeze. So does Ward.

“But Dallas says you have to be married to Mommy to be my daddy.”