Chapter 14
DALTON
“Daddy, can we get McDonald’s when we leave the park, please?” Toby looks up at me with the most angelic expression.
I shake my head. “I told you, tonight, we’re going to have fish—”
“I don’t want fish.” He immediately pouts and looks like he’s about to cry. “I don’t like fish.”
“What if I told you that you could have French fries with it?”
“I want a hamburger and fries, not fish and fries.” He cries.
“Toby, I can take you home right now, and you won’t get to go on the swings.”
“But I just want McDonald’s. You said I could have McDonald’s.”
“I never said you could have McDonald’s.”
“You said—” He stops, his little lower lip quivering, and then he points his finger. “It’s Ms. Sage.”
I look up, and I see Sage headed toward us, a teddy bear in one hand and a water bottle in her other hand.
This was why she’d said she’d meet us at the park instead.
I smile at her as she makes her way over.
She’s changed into a pink-and-white floral dress, and she looks gorgeous.
She has a wide smile on her face as she waves at us.
“Hi, Toby,” she says and hands him the teddy bear. “This is for you. I hope you like it.”
“It’s for me?” he says, offering her the biggest grin I’ve seen in a while.
“Yes. Do you like it?”
“I do. I know what I’m going to call him.”
“Ooh, what?”
“Can you guess?”
“I don’t know. Are you going to call him Bear?”
“No. Why would I call a teddy bear Bear?” He giggles and looks up at me. “Look, Daddy, she got me a teddy bear.”
“It’s very nice.” I give the bear a squeeze. “You really didn’t have to do that,” I tell her, but I’m thankful for her generosity.
“I wanted to give him a little present,” she says, shrugging.
“But you didn’t have to spend your money.”
“I know. It’s fine,” she says. “It wasn’t that much.”
“His name is Cheeseburger,” Toby says, holding the teddy bear up like the bear is Simba from The Lion King. “Because he loves McDonald’s as much as me.”
I try not to roll my eyes or laugh at his emotional manipulation. I certainly don’t want to encourage him.
“Well, that’s a cute name. Cheeseburger. Unique,” Sage says, not knowing the deeper meaning of the name.
“I called him Cheeseburger because I want Daddy to take me to McDonald’s after he swings me on the swings so I can get a hamburger and French fries and a strawberry milkshake. I’m going to get a Happy Meal, right, Daddy?”
“I already told you, Toby, we’re not going.” My tone is patient, and Sage gives me an oops smile. His lower lip quivers again. “We’ll talk about it after you play.”
“I’m going to go play on the swings now,” he says. “You and Ms. Sage can talk and watch me.”
He goes running ahead of us and up to a group of kids. Sage offers me a wry smile.
“I hope I didn’t just mess things up for you. Sorry.”
“No, he was just having a little tantrum about wanting to go to McDonald’s for dinner. And I told him we were having fish and chips tonight, which he normally loves, but he’s got it in his mind that he’s going to get a burger from McDonald’s.”
“If I were a kid,” she says, laughing, “I would much rather have McDonald’s than fish and chips, but fish and chips are yummy too.”
“You’re more than welcome to join us if you’d like. I don’t know if you have dinner plans or not.” I wonder if she knows that my statement is loaded.
I don’t really care if she has dinner plans. I’m curious if she has a date.
It had been agony staying away from the restaurant for the last week, but every night, I had a dream of her, and many of them were sexual in nature. And while I’m attracted to her and I want more from her, I also want to respect her boundaries.
I want more than just dinner.
But Sage came to town for a reason. And while I’m not impressed with the fact that she is looking for a rich husband, I understand that someone with her background, someone who grew up impoverished and who doesn’t really know their birth dad, may be seeking security in ways that she thinks money will bring her.
I feel for her, and I am hopeful Brett can find her dad and set up some sort of reunion where she can find peace in that part of her life.
“You look like you’re a million miles away,” Sage says, touching me lightly on the shoulder. “Everything okay?”
“Yeah. Sorry. I was just spaced out. But if you want to join for dinner, we’d love to have you.”
“I have plans, but thank you.”
I want to ask what her plans are and if she has a date, but I know it’s none of my business, and I don’t want her to think I am interrogating her.
“Were you thinking about work? You had a really serious expression on your face.”
“I wasn’t thinking about work specifically, more like just life.”
I don’t want to tell her I was thinking about her situation or that I had stayed away from the restaurant because I was sexually attracted to her.
I don’t want to be one of those men. I don’t want her to think, for me, this is all about just getting some because it truly isn’t.
I am actually drawn to the sort of person that she is.
She brings out a protective spirit in me, a guardian of some kind.
And while I am used to protecting Toby, Lucia, and Izzy, I’ve never felt this way about a random woman before.
“Toby’s already made friends,” she says.
We watch him run around with a little girl. He shows her his teddy bear and points over at us.
“He really loves it. That was a really generous thing for you to do.”
“Oh, no, it was nothing.” She grins. “Plus, maybe I was bribing him, trying to get him to like me.”
“He likes you already,” I say. “Why would you want to bribe him? Unless him liking you meant something to you.”
“No, don’t get it twisted, Dalton. That’s not what I mean. I don’t need him to like me because of you or anything like that.”
“I didn’t say it was because of me.”
“I was just thinking if he comes to the restaurant or if you ever need me to babysit or anything, then you’ll know we have a good rapport.”
“Oh, you’re offering to babysit for me?”
“Well, like, if you have dates or stuff that you’re going on and you need me to …” She blushes.
“So, I’m guessing those dates aren’t with you then?”
“Well, of course not,” she says. “I thought we’d already established that we would not flirt or go on dates or do anything.”
“I don’t think we ever talked about going on a date.” I tilt my head to the side. “And technically, wouldn’t this be considered a date?”
“What are you talking about?” she says, running her fingers through her hair and then patting down the skirt of her dress.
“This is definitely not a date. In fact, when I finish with you, I’m going to meet up with the girls so that we can figure out our dating profiles for the real dates with men who are looking for wives. ”
“I feel like you’re rambling again, Sage.”
“What does that mean?” She bites down on her lower lip.
“I came because I thought it would be nice to get to know you better since you’re my boss and, I guess, you’re paying my rent.
And I just wanted to say that I would babysit for you because …
” She pauses as I start laughing. “Why are you laughing?”
“I think you’re talking an awful lot about something that makes no sense.”
“What I’m trying to say is, maybe I can sort of repay your generosity with babysitting. Yeah, that’s it.”
“Did you literally just come up with that?”
“No, of course not. That’s actually what I was going to offer you.
” She grins. “And that’s why I bought the teddy bear, not because I was trying to get into his heart, or to win him over, or to win you over, or to make you think that I was nice and good with kids because …
” She stops. “You know what? I think I should go. Maybe this was not a good idea.”
I reach out and touch her hand. She looks up at me in surprise.
“I like hanging out with you. Don’t go.”
“Have you heard from Brett?” she asks, changing the subject.
“Actually, no. He’s been working on a few things for me, and he and I should be checking in tomorrow. So maybe I’ll have some updates for you then.”
“Oh, cool. No rush or anything. I mean, I really appreciate that he’s doing this for me for free. That’s so generous of him.” She pauses. “What’s his story anyway?”
“His story?”
“He doesn’t really say much, and he seems like he’s really serious. Well, I was just curious. Not that I’m trying to be nosy.”
“Are you interested in him?”
“No way. Not at all. I mean, not to be mean or rude. He seems like he’s a nice enough guy, but no, I’m not interested in him like that.”
“Tell me how you really feel.”
“If I were interested in him, it would be weird that I’m here with you on a quasi-date. I mean, it’s not a date, but …”
I stare at her, and she bursts out laughing.
“Okay. I sound like an idiot. I’m not normally like this. I’m usually really cool, calm, and collected.”
“You don’t have to explain yourself to me, Sage. I like spending time with you. Even if it’s just as an audition.”
“An audition?” She wrinkles her nose. “For what?”
“For you being my full-time babysitter.”
“I’m not going to quit working at the restaurant to look after Toby.”
“I’m teasing. So, you and the girls are meeting up later to go over your dating profiles?”
“Yeah. It’s going to be really fun. I think we’re all excited. We’re all ready to meet a good guy.”
“So, what’s your username? What did you decide on?”
“You’re just going to laugh at me,” she says.
“Try me. I’m really curious.”
I don’t tell her the real reason I want to know: I want to look up her dating profile.
I’m curious what she’ll say about herself.
I’m curious whether she’ll post sexy photos, be more modest, or play shy or coy.
I know it’s not any of my business, but I want to know.
And I’m almost positive that if I ask to see her profile, she won’t let me. If she’s even made it yet.
“So, it’s going to sound boring, but I figured it was the best way to go.”
“What’s the username?”
“NewAndPretty.”
“NewAndPretty?” I ignore the stirring in my gut.
“What? You think it’s boring?”