Chapter 12
CHAPTER TWELVE
A WHOLE NEW WORLD
DAHLIA
“She’s beautiful, Dahlia,” Dylan says as we drive away. “Like her mama.”
“Thank you.” I glance over at him. “And thank you for going with me. It helped to have backup.”
“I’m glad I was there. Did Chloe feel hot to you? Do you think she’s sick?”
I look back at Chloe. “She felt warm, but it’s hard to say if it was because she’s been crying so much or if she really is sick.”
“Should we stop by the clinic to be sure?” he asks. “There’s one a couple of minutes from here.”
I look at him. “You really don’t mind?”
“Of course not.”
“That’d be great. I’d feel a lot better, knowing what’s going on before flying with her.”
“On it.”
“Thanks, Dylan.”
He looks at me and grins. “Happy to.” He looks in the rearview mirror, and his smile grows. “Damn, she’s cute.”
Two hours later, we’re walking into Dylan’s house.
Chloe has an ear infection, so we’ve got antibiotics.
She’s half asleep, but I give her a dose while Dylan makes a soft pallet on the floor with a bunch of blankets.
Bill surveys the situation, sniffing everything and looking up at us like What’s next?
“Will she be okay?” Dylan asks. “Should I go get her one of those portable cribs from Target? Would that be more comfortable for her?”
“She’ll be okay. It’s very soft and she is out.”
I lay Chloe on the blankets and cover her with her favorite blanket. When I step back, Dylan’s watching with a concerned expression.
“I used to hate ear infections so much,” he says. “What snacks does she like? I’ll run back to the store and load up so we don’t have to go anywhere later.”
“You don’t have to do that. I feel bad that you’re stuck with us.”
He scoffs. “Please. I’m so happy you’re here. Stay as long as you like. If she has an ear infection, it’ll be at least a few days, right? So she doesn’t have to fly with that.” He grins, and my heart does that weird twist. “Looks like we’re having an extended slumber party.”
I give him a weak smile. “Are you sure? This is so much more than you bargained for.”
“Are you kidding? This is the most excitement my house has ever had.”
I snort. “Did you just move in?”
He looks affronted. “It’s been a couple of years.”
I walk to the doorway, and he catches me by the waist.
“Well, thank you,” I whisper.
“That’s what friends are for.” He emphasizes friends, and I groan, which makes him laugh. “Did you hear me almost slip with Christian and tell him my last name?”
My eyes widen. “Oh, that would’ve been the end of our secret. He’s still tight with my dad.” I roll my eyes. “And he would just love to have something on me.”
“Our secret’s safe,” he says, kissing me lightly. “Text me if you think of anything; otherwise, I’m gonna go buy out the grocery store.”
I laugh. “Fruit snacks. Chloe loves them, any kind.”
“Okay.” He waits. “That’s it?” He frowns when I don’t say anything else.
“Maybe some chicken noodle soup.”
He nods. “Okay, I’ll be back soon. Please make yourself at home.”
He kisses me again and I watch him walk away, wondering how I got so lucky to meet such a great man.
I turn on a movie and fall asleep on Dylan’s bed. When I wake up an hour and a half later, Chloe is still sleeping, and I hear faint sounds in the kitchen.
I brush my teeth and pinch my cheeks for some color before wandering into the kitchen. Dylan is tossing diced carrots and celery in a big pot and then turns to shred a rotisserie chicken. There are bags of groceries on the island.
“Wow, who are you?” I ask.
“You asked for chicken noodle soup,” he says, with that eye-crinkling smile.
Melt, melt, melt.
“I thought you’d get a few cans of soup.”
He wrinkles his nose. “I couldn’t do it.
My mom always said there were healing properties in homemade chicken noodle soup.
Maybe she just said that to make me eat it.
” He grins. “Plus, my brother is this crazy-famous chef. He’d kill me if I used canned soup!
This is already cheating, buying the chicken already made, but hopefully this will still be soothing for Chloe. ”
“That is so sweet.” It’s all I can say because I’m rendered speechless.
“I hate being sick, and this always makes me feel better,” he says, lifting his shoulder in a shrug. “I know you said she was okay on the floor, but I got her one of those things just in case.”
He points at the travel bed already set up in the living room.
“We can put it wherever you like…and she doesn’t have to use it if you think she won’t like it. But this way Bill won’t wake her up with all his sniffing.”
I don’t have the heart to tell him she’s a little big for the bed.
“Bill has thoroughly checked her out,” I say, laughing. “He’s so sweet. Dylan, I’m—I don’t know what to say. You’ve gone to so much trouble.”
He pauses the shredding. “It’s no trouble at all. Did I overstep?”
“No. It’s—I’ve just never met someone so…caring.”
“Oh. Well…thank you. I guess I can blame my parents for that. My mom took care of everyone, and my dad is the kindest man you’ll ever meet. They’re…he’s big on hospitality. This is just my way of showing you that I’m happy you’re here, and I hope it helps Chloe too.”
“Thank you. I’m happy I’m here too. So happy.” I swallow hard, feeling a bit overcome with emotion. I don’t know what to do with all this kindness. “What can I do to help?”
“Uh…let’s see. Would you mind putting the rest of the groceries away? I think I put all the meat, yogurt, cheese, and milk in the fridge already. The rest can go in that pantry. Or you can spread it out on the island here to see what all there is.”
I laugh when I unload five different kinds of fruit snacks, four boxes of cereal, two boxes of crackers, six boxes of cookies, and three bags of popcorn.
“Oh, and there’s orange juice and grape juice,” he adds. “Both kinds of grape.”
“We are set,” I say. “For the winter.”
He laughs. “It’d be so fun to be ‘snowed in’ with you here.”
“Never gonna happen, is it?”
“No, most likely, the best we could hope for is a little sprinkle and a few clouds.” He stirs the pot of vegetables and chicken and then adds wide egg noodles.
“Smells so good.” I move closer to him and lean my head against the side of his shoulder.
He puts his arm around me and tugs me closer. I’m tall, but he makes me feel tiny.
I hear a little voice call out, “Mama?”
Dylan’s arm drops from me as I hurry toward the bedroom. Chloe’s sitting up, her curls going every which way. She’s clutching her blanket up to her face, and she smiles when she sees me walk into the room. Every day, I am jarred by how lucky I am to be her mom.
I swoop her into my arms, and she snuggles into me.
“How are you feeling?”
“Good,” she says, tugging on her ear.
She says she’s good most times I ask how she’s feeling or how she slept, so I don’t always know. I lean my cheek against her forehead.
“Hmm, you’re still a little bit feverish. Let’s have some food and get this fever down.”
I take the medicine into the kitchen with us, and Chloe leans her head against mine when she sees Dylan.
I hold back a laugh when I peek down at her and see her curious yet bashful expression.
He smiles at her, and my stomach flip-flops.
He looks like a tall, muscular surf god fulfilling every fantasy as he stirs the pot of soup he just made.
What kind of life is this?
“Remember my friend Dylan? He made soup for us. Does that sound good?”
She nods.
Dylan pulls out an Aladdin bowl and spoon from a grocery bag that I missed. I stare at him in shock. How would he know that this is her favorite cartoon?
“Would you like it in this Jasmine bowl?” he asks.
Chloe’s head pops up. “I yike Jasmine,” she says.
“Me too,” he says. “I noticed you have a little Abu hanging on your backpack.” He fills her bowl with soup. “I should totally get one for my backpack.”
She nods, her curls bouncing against my cheek. “He’s soft.” She looks at me. “I go get him.”
I set her down, and she hustles to the bedroom. Dylan and I watch her and then look at each other.
“Well, you just have all the moves, don’t you?” I say.
His eyebrows lift. “Oh, was that a move? I wasn’t even…I mean, yeah, that was…intentional.” He grins, correcting himself. “Did it work?” he whispers.
I walk over to him and lean up to kiss his cheek. “It worked really, really well.”
Chloe comes back in, holding Abu. She shows Dylan, and he confirms that Abu is, indeed, soft. Between them chatting about all the things they like about Abu, I give Chloe her medicine and we eat soup.
My face hurts from smiling.