Page 38 of All This Time (Blossom Peak #1)

Laney

Frozen, a New Bike, and a Plea

“Auntie! You gotta hurry. Elsa is about to sing!” Ellis calls for me from the living room as I finish dumping popcorn into the bowl. Our sleepover ritual is about to begin, and of course my niece chose Frozen for the movie tonight.

Being an aunt is one of my favorite parts of my life.

Even though helping my brother has added another level of responsibility to my plate, it’s never felt like a burden.

Watching Ellis grow up and become her own person is incredible, and I only hope that I get to do that one day with my own children.

“I’m coming, Ellis,” I call, tossing the empty popcorn bag in the trash just as the doorbell rings.

I glance at the clock, wondering who on earth could be here at six on a Friday.

Dilynne is working late at the garage tonight on a project for a high-profile client, and besides her, I can’t think of anyone else who would stop by unannounced.

Grabbing the bowl of popcorn, I head for the door. But when I pull it open, I freeze. Fletcher stands there with a Cheshire grin on his lips, holding a grocery bag.

“Fletcher? Wh—what are you doing here?”

“You said you were watching Ellis, and I figured you could use some help.”

I tilt my head. “I’ve watched her by myself numerous times, thank you, so what’s the real reason?” I take a step toward him and lower my voice. “If you were looking to get lucky, tonight is not the night.”

He leans toward me. “I love that you think so highly of me. But just know, Laney, that if I was expecting to get lucky tonight, I would have told you I was on my way and for you to be naked when I got here.”

“Uncle Fletcher!” Ellis shouts as she runs up behind me, launching herself at him. Luckily, he recovers from his shock in time to catch her, settling her on his hip. “Why should auntie be naked? It’s not bath time.”

“Ellie, girl. I heard you were having a sleepover and I got jealous.” He glances over at me, winking. “Do you think I could join you?” he asks, avoiding her earlier question, thank God.

“Yes!” Ellis turns to me. “Can Uncle Fletcher sleepover too?”

Fletcher clears his throat. “I can’t stay the night, but I do want to hang out with you girls, if that’s okay?”

“Can he, auntie? Please?”

Leave it to Fletcher Adams to recruit my niece to guilt-trip me. “I guess.”

“Yay!” Ellis yells before wiggling out of Fletcher’s arms the second “Let It Go” starts playing from the television. “Come on! We have to sing!”

Fletcher steps inside, eyeing me curiously before joining Ellis in the living room and belting out the few lyrics that he knows to the song at a godawful, tone-deaf pitch.

Stifling my laughter, I watch the two of them put on a performance, complete with hand gestures and everything.

Fletcher winks at me at one point, cracking through the shell around my heart even further.

God, he’s so good with her. He would make such a great dad.

My hand covers the center of my chest as I imagine Fletcher with kids, but then I remember him saying once upon a time that he never wanted them.

That’s why there’s no point in entertaining that idea with him, Laney. That’s why you two agreed on just orgasms.

As that thought slams into me, the song ends and Ellis dramatically bows in front of us. Fletcher and I give her a round of applause.

“Ellis, I think you sing that better than Elsa does,” Fletcher tells her.

She reaches for the bowl of popcorn and then walks back over to her spot on the floor. “I know. I’m a pro-tessional.”

“I think you mean professional, sweetie,” I say.

“That’s what I said,” she replies while shoving popcorn into her mouth.

Fletcher and I share a laugh before he walks back over to where I’m standing, shoving his hands in his pockets. “Sorry for surprising you, but I was worried if I asked to come over that you’d tell me no.”

“I probably would have, but it was sweet of you to want to hang out with us.”

He cups the side of my face, the warmth of his touch heating up my body. “I brought stuff for ice cream sundaes, and a gift for Ellis in my truck.”

“Wait, what kind of gift?”

“It’s a strider bike. It doesn’t have pedals, so she uses her feet to move it. A few of my teammates swear by them for their kids. They learn the balance first, and then there’s no need for training wheels later.”

My mouth falls open slightly. “You—you bought her a bike?”

He takes a step closer to me, leaning his head down so his mouth lines up with my ear. “When are you gonna learn that I listen to everything you say, Laney?” He presses his lips to the spot behind my ear. “Especially when it involves people that I care about too.”

My eyes close as his words wash over me. “This seems way beyond our arrangement.”

When I open my eyes, his are narrowed at me. “Do you honestly think the only reason I would want to be here is to get you naked?”

“Uh, well…”

Leaning in again, he whispers in my ear, “I mean… Have I been thinking all day about all the ways I wanted to make you come tonight, to thank you for being there for me last night? Absolutely.” My skin grows hot.

“But do I want to be near you in any way I can, even if that doesn’t include sex? Hell yes.”

“Fletcher,” I moan as his lips touch my neck ever so softly.

“I’ve thought about you all day,” he whispers right before Ellis’s voice cuts through our moment.

“Uncle Fletcher, why are you sniffing auntie?”

Fletcher’s head pops up as I twist away from my niece, hiding my laughter. “Well, Ellis… Your auntie smells really good.” He leans over and whispers, “Tastes amazing too.”

Ellis drops the bowl beside her and runs up to Fletcher, holding her arm above her head, offering him her armpit. “I smell good too. Wanna see?”

Fletcher leans down to sniff her armpit. “You’re right. You smell delicious,” he says before pretending to eat her and tickle her all over. Ellis dissolves into a fit of laughter before Fletcher secures her on his hip again. “I have a present for you, but it’s outside. Would you like to see it?”

Her eyes light up. “I love presents!”

“I know you do. You’ve got to get your shoes on first, though.”

Ellis rushes to grab her shoes as Fletcher turns back to me. “Don’t overthink it, Laney.”

“I’m not,” I say a little too defensively—because I hate that he can read me that easily.

Inside, my mind is spinning, fighting furiously to push down those pesky feelings I’ve been trying to avoid. But when he goes and does stuff like this, it’s virtually impossible.

Fletcher sneaks outside to grab the bike from his truck while Ellis puts on her slip-on sneakers.

“I’m ready!” Ellis shouts, running to the front door and flinging it open to find Fletcher standing proudly by a bike with a giant pink bow on it. Her smile falls instantly and then she turns to walk back inside, shoulders slumping. “I don’t want it.”

Fletcher catches her by the shoulders and hoists her up in his arms before she gets too far. Walking back outside, he holds her as he explains the bike to her. “This isn’t a normal bike, Ellis. It’s special. It doesn’t have pedals.”

The quirk in her brow tells me she’s still not convinced.

“I think you should at least try it, Ellis. Uncle Fletcher has friends who have them and the kids didn’t even need training wheels on their bikes.”

She eyes me skeptically. “I like my training wheels.”

“What if I showed you how it works first?” He suggests, setting her down on the ground next to him.

“Uh, I don’t think you’ll fit on that,” I say.

He gives me a look, then pulls out his phone. “You think?” He plays a video of kids riding the bike so Ellis understands how it works. By the end of the video, she walks over to the bike and tosses her leg over the seat to straddle it. “Okay, I wanna try.”

“Let me go get your helmet.” I race inside to get the spare helmet I keep here. When I return and clip it under her chin, Fletcher takes her to the driveway and helps her get started.

Effortlessly, she pushes herself forward with her feet, wobbling a bit but catching her balance instantly as she glides down the driveway and back up, her smile building as she rolls along the cement. “I’m doing it!”

“You are, sweetie!” I take my phone from my pocket and start recording her so I can send a video to Rhonan later. Ellis is laughing as she rolls along. “You’re doing such a good job!”

“I like this bike!” she calls out to us. “Thank you, Uncle Fletcher!”

“My pleasure, Ellis.” Crossing his arms over his chest, he stands there, watching her with a smile on his face.

I run after her, helping her stop when she gets going too fast. Once she gets that part under control, she’s off. “Can I ride in the street?”

“Yeah. Let’s do it!”

Fletcher runs after her, monitoring her distance along the residential street. Luckily, there’s not much traffic on my road.

I’m so in awe watching her, eager to show my brother how much this bike is helping her, that I nearly miss Fletcher walking up behind me, pressing his chest against my back. “She’s killing it.”

“She is. This is amazing, Fletcher.” Twisting my head so I can see him, I say, “Thank you.”

He tips my chin up with his finger. “I’d do anything for you girls.”

Once the sun has almost completely set and daylight is about to run out, we finally convince Ellis to come inside to finish the movie.

Fletcher takes Ellis back into the living room, setting her on the couch.

She grabs the bowl of popcorn and offers it to him as he sits next to her, and they proceed to share the snack and watch the movie together.

Meanwhile, I’m still standing in the kitchen, watching this scene unfold in front of me with awe.