17. Parker Cain
17
PARKER CAIN
Sunday was a gloomy day, perfect for relaxing and playing with Joy. We’d taken over Declan’s lounge, pushing back the ottoman and coffee table so we could spread out a quilt across the thick area rug and cover it with toys.
Joy had passed the seven-month mark. She was good at sitting and had learned that she could roll across long distances to reach things that interested her. Crawling couldn’t be too far behind, which would mean a whole new layer of baby-proofing.
God help us all . We’d already discovered how fast she could move in her walker across all Declan’s hardwood and marble floors. When she was fully mobile, we were going to be in serious trouble because Joy didn’t seem to be the type to ever want to be still.
Despite trying to explain to Declan the danger of mobilizing Joy, he was still eager to see her crawl. And it was fucking adorable.
Declan lay on his side at one end of the blanket, leaning up on his elbow while waving a soft elephant toy at Joy, trying to get her to crawl to him. The only problem was that she figured out that if she turned her body, she could roll to him .
“She’s not ready to crawl,” I said.
“All the reputable parenting websites state crawling can begin as early as five months. The key thing is that she has to be able to support her head, which she had mastered before I first met her,” he countered with a confident tone full of patience.
“And some babies skip crawling all together. Joy has her rolling technique.”
“Which she’s brilliant at,” he announced with so much confidence, you would have thought he’d taught it to her himself. “I know she’s going to figure out crawling. Look how she holds herself up to see everything. Do you think we should put another blanket down for padding?”
“No, this soft area rug and blanket are enough,” I reassured him, struggling to not giggle at how adorable he was being.
“How about Wednesday?” he asked suddenly.
For a second, I could only blink at him. I wasn’t following his sudden change of topic. “For what?”
“Our date.”
“Oh. Uh…” My mind became useless static. I hadn’t expected him to want to discuss that right now. “Wednesday night? For a first date? I didn’t think Wednesday was a date night,” I teased.
“Is it a rule that people can only go on dates on the weekend? Would you rather we wait for Friday or Saturday night?” Declan replied, his tone serious.
“No, it’s not a rule. We don’t have to wait. However, it is short notice in terms of finding a sitter, unless you want to bring Joy.”
“I would be more than happy to watch over the little princess while you and Mr. Foster go out for an evening,” Franks offered as he entered the room carrying a tray.
It was hard not to shoot Declan’s ever-present assistant a glare as he placed two glasses of iced water on the nearby table, along with a platter of warm puff things filled with meat and cheese. We’d had lunch just a few hours ago, and Donovan had already supplied us with a snack. I needed to have a long talk with that chef about his efforts to test my snacking self-control… after I ate six more of these delicious things.
“And that’s another thing—I can’t keep taking advantage of your time or Chef Donovan’s because you’re convenient. Besides, aren’t you and he supposed to be off the clock now?” I made a show of looking at my nonexistent watch on my wrist before narrowing my eyes at him. Sunday was the guaranteed off day for Donovan and Franks. They both had another free day, but it floated through the week to whenever they wanted to take it.
Franks flashed me a smile that could only be called smug as he held his tray in front of him. “Chef Donovan has finished preparing dinner and placed it in the refrigerator for later. He wanted to send in a small snack prior to retiring for the day. I wanted to check that nothing else would be required ahead of clocking out.”
“We’re good, Franks. Thank you,” Declan murmured.
I wanted to roll my eyes at them. Prior to my arrival with Joy, I knew their jobs hadn’t been overly stressful. During the week, Declan had his lunches in the office, so Donovan only had to feed him twice a day and that was cooking for one person. And then keeping up with the house behind a tidy person wasn’t that hard. But I wasn’t about to take advantage of their generosity because they were eager to keep their boss happy.
“I appreciate your offer to watch Joy, but I don’t want you to feel obligated to babysit just because I’m a guest here or to make him happy,” I continued, pointing at Declan. The sexy blond glanced up from where he was watching my daughter to lift one quizzical eyebrow at me. “There have to be things you’d rather be doing in your free time. You’re still young. Wouldn’t you rather be going out on dates and having fun?”
At least I thought he was young. Franks appeared to be in his midthirties. That was young enough for dating and outings.
“He’s already dating Chef Donovan,” Declan stated, returning his attention to Joy and the stuffed elephant.
“What?” I gasped. My eyes snapped up to find Franks standing there with his mouth hanging open and his eyes wide. He’d become so pale, I thought he was going to pass out.
“You know?” Franks squeezed out in the softest voice.
“Of course. I might be slow to pick up on social cues, but I am aware of what goes on in my own house,” Declan grumbled. My head shot back as peals of laughter poured out of me. He seemed so grumpy at the idea that anyone would think they could sneak something past him that I had the overwhelming urge to crawl across the blanket to kiss the frown from his lips.
Franks hung his head, his fingers so tight on the tray he held his knuckles were turning white. “Forgive me, sir. We should have asked your permission first.”
I opened my mouth to argue. There was no way in hell they needed Declan’s permission. They weren’t fucking property. But Declan beat me to it.
“You don’t need my permission,” Declan said sharply. “As long as it doesn’t interfere with your work and isn’t illegal, I don’t give a damn what you and Chef Donovan do in your spare time.”
Franks’s shoulders slumped, and for a second I worried he was going to pass out in his relief. “Yes, sir. Thank you.”
“So, how long have you and Donovan been dating?” I asked because I wanted to move us past this awkward moment. Also, because I was a nosy bitch.
Now that I had it in my mind, they looked so cute together. Franks was a tall, thin beanpole with a slender mustache and closely trimmed light brown hair. Everything about him was precise and proper. Meanwhile, Chef Donovan was warm and round, like freshly kneaded dough. If there was anyone in desperate need of Donovan’s cooking, it was Franks. He should spend more time feeding his boyfriend and less time trying to make me plump. But only after I ate three more of the puffs.
“About six months. It hasn’t been too serious. We just enjoy spending time together.”
Part of me wanted to know if they sneaked off to make out in the pantry or laundry room, but I figured that wasn’t the most appropriate question, considering his boss was sitting right there trying to get my daughter to crawl.
“But, truly, we don’t mind watching little Joy. She’s such a happy baby and very easy to care for. Plus, Mr. Foster has already completed thorough background checks on Chef Donovan and myself. We are comfortable in this house, and we know where all of Joy’s things are.”
I waved my hands at him to stop his list. “It’s not about you being trustworthy. You and Donovan are the very best choices for caring for her, and you’re both so good with her. That’s not the problem. I don’t want to take advantage of your generosity.”
“Understood. I promise, sir, that if it is not convenient for Donovan or me to care for Joy, we will be forthright about it. We won’t allow it to cause an inconvenience for us.”
I released a deep sigh of relief. “Thank you.”
I preferred Franks and Donovan to watch her. They were trustworthy, and Joy liked them. I didn’t have to worry over her safety when I was away.
“Now, will you and Mr. Foster be needing me to watch the little princess on Wednesday night?” Franks inquired with the tiniest lilt in his voice, as if he couldn’t quite hold in his happiness that I was dating Declan .
“All right. All right.” I waved him off. This was what I got for sticking my nose into his private life. I could feel the heat rising in my cheeks. Normally I was immune to this sort of thing, but there was something about Franks’s unflappable bearing that made me feel like a fucking blushing virgin. “We need to still figure out our plans for the date. Once we do, Declan or I will check if you and Donovan are available. Go enjoy the rest of your day off. Go see a movie or something.”
“Thank you, sir.” Frank gave a nod and disappeared from the room.
When I lifted my gaze, I found that tiny wrinkle in the corner of Declan’s right eye had appeared, and there was a slight twist to his lips. “And you can wipe that smug look off your face, Mister.”
To my surprise, the corner of Declan’s lips rose higher. “Wednesday?”
“Why Wednesday?”
“Because I don’t want to wait until Friday.”
The heat I thought I’d conquered covered my face and raced up to the tips of my ears. How the hell was I supposed to stay immune to him? He wasn’t supposed to be this sweet or even remotely smooth.
“What are we doing on our date?” I asked as soon as I could get my tongue working.
“Dinner. Have you ever been to The Avenue?”
“It’s a steakhouse, right? Downtown?”
He grunted. “It’s quiet, and the food is good. I thought it would be a good place to talk. Get to know each other better.”
It was like he’d read my mind, and that made him evil.
But maybe I’d been too caught up in protecting my heart and Joy’s well-being. Dating came with risks for Declan as well. He had to be sure that I wasn’t some greedy asshole who didn’t just want to use him for his money so my daughter and I could live in the lap of luxury. I wasn’t in the market for a sugar daddy, and Declan had to be sure of that .
“I think that sounds like a great first date. If you want, I can drive in and meet you after work.”
“Okay, I—look! Look! Look! She’s doing it!” Declan cut himself off to direct my attention to my daughter, who was scooting on her belly across the blanket toward Declan. It wasn’t quite a true crawl, but more of an army-man wiggle. She squealed as she braced herself on her forearms while pushing with her little bare feet on the quilt.
“Are you getting this? You need to be recording it!” Declan pushed, even while he had his phone in one hand, videoing her while his other hand still held the plush elephant to lure her forward.
I snatched up my phone and fumbled with the buttons for a moment before getting the camera recording her. Of course, I couldn’t help getting Declan in the shot. Joy was wiggling and laughing as she made her way across the blanket. Declan’s face was a blaze of open joy as he coaxed her forward, cheering on her every movement.
You see that, Molly? Look at your girl go!
A knot formed in my throat, and I had to blink away my sudden blurry vision. She was getting so damn big already. Molly would have blown up my phone with videos and pictures of Joy crawling. If there was an afterlife, I could only imagine she was shouting loud enough right now to rattle all the heavens.
When Joy reached the elephant, Declan helped her to sit up, facing me. Naturally, the plush toy went right into her mouth so she could happily gum his big floppy ears.
“I told you. She is the smartest baby. I knew she was going to start crawling,” Declan crowed. “She’s going to be a natural athlete. Do you think we should begin searching for dance classes for her? Or maybe gymnastics? At what age do they take kids for classes like that?”
A sharp bark of laughter broke through the lump in my throat, and I shook my head. This man was going to destroy all my best intentions.
“I am pretty sure they require them to be walking first.”
Declan flashed me an irritated glare that only made me laugh harder. “That can’t be right.” He typed on his phone, and I suspected he was trying to find classes that would take Joy right this second.
Stretching across the blanket on my stomach, I touched the hand holding his phone and drew his gaze up to his face. “Why don’t we let her get good at this first? Don’t forget that we still need to survive teething.”
His expression turned grim, and the remains of my heart melted. “I’ve read about that. It’s going to be a tough time for her.”
I’d seen the first signs of her teething with random fevers and fussiness. A couple of times I’d let her gnaw on my finger, and I could feel where a tooth was getting close to breaking through. I hated the idea that she was going to be in pain and there wasn’t much I could do about it.
“But she’s a fighter. She’ll get through it and move on to eating more interesting things.”
“She’s a crawling fighter,” Declan agreed. He stared fondly at her, smoothing a hand gently over her head while she continued to play with her elephant, oblivious to our plans for her. Joy was going to do Joy, and I couldn’t be prouder of her.
And did I want to date Declan Foster? Fuck yes, I did.