Chapter 20
Alexis
It’s Saturday, and I can’t believe that just last week we were stuck in a snowstorm. Now the sun is shining outside, warm and steady, soaking into my skin like winter never had a hold on us at all. It’s almost April, and spring has come in and kicked winter out… for now, at least.
Dex is in his office, and I’m working the afternoon shift with Stephen.
“Rush hour’s finally over. You can take your lunch break if you like.” Stephen points to a table we usually use when we have our breaks.
I push a strand of hair behind my ear and shrug. “I think I’ll have lunch outside today. Get some vitamin D.”
“With your pale skin, you better put sunscreen on.” He smirks.
I wave him off and ask Gabe, the cook, to make me a tuna sandwich. Gabe winks and hands me my plate with extra fries.
“I don’t think bossman will like you handing out fries, Gabe.” I smile at him.
He just shrugs. “Leave bossman to me. It’s Saturday, and you’ll need the extra calories in a few hours when the bar fills up again.”
I huff out a small laugh. Gabe has been spoiling me with food ever since my first day.
“Okay, thank you, Gabe.”
He waves me off. “You be sure to bring me some drinks tonight while I slave away in this kitchen, and we’re even.”
I laugh. “Slave away? You love cooking. Your wife told me you made a mess of the kitchen at home during the snowstorm because you missed it so much.” I smirk.
“My wife has a big mouth… and a big heart.” He shakes his head. “Enjoy your lunch.”
“I will. Thanks, Gabe.”
I step outside and sit on the stairs that lead to the bar. Birds are chirping, and I can see trees starting to sprout new leaves. I close my eyes as I chew, letting the warmth settle over my face, slow and comforting.
I’ve always loved the sun on my skin.
“You looking to get sunburned?”
I startle and find Dex standing behind me. He pulls out a cigarette and lights it.
I scrunch my nose. “It’s not that hot yet, and…” I point to his cigarette. “That stuff will kill you, you know.”
Dex exhales a stream of smoke, and even though I hate the smell, my attention drifts anyway to the way he looks, the way his eyes stay on me, steady and unreadable.
The heat of him settles close when he moves.
Too close.
My pulse shifts.
I take a quick sip of my soda.
“I don’t think I can stop,” he says as he sits beside me.
I stare ahead as he exhales again. “I was trying to eat here.” I gesture to my half-eaten sandwich.
Dex glances at it, then at me, and quietly puts the cigarette out.
This is it. The right moment to tell him everything.
“Dex, I wanted to…”
The words rise, press against my throat, but for a second I can’t get them out, my fingers tightening around the soda can as my heartbeat picks up.
“Uncle Dex!”
I look up and see Mia running toward us, Ethan and Summer following behind.
Dex stands and catches her in his arms.
For a moment, I just stare.
The image of him holding Mia, smiling down at her like that, sends something warm and unexpected blooming through my chest, my heart picking up in a way that feels too soft.
Too dangerous.
“Lexy! So nice to see you.” Summer pulls me out of it. I look up and find her smirking.
Yeah… guess I wasn’t exactly subtle.
“Hey! How are you guys?” I stand and hug her.
“We’re good. Off to our weekend getaway.” Ethan beams.
“Lexy, where is Marvel?” Mia walks over, and I pull her into a hug.
“He’s upstairs. I’m sure Uncle Dex will let you play with him soon.” I kiss her cheek and step back.
“You won’t be there?” Mia looks up at me, eyes wide.
“Oh, I need to work until nine, but I’ll come up and tuck you in.”
Her face lights up.
“I asked Gabe to make us some burgers, fries, and milkshakes,” Dex says as he comes to stand beside me.
“Thank you, man.” Ethan pulls him into a quick hug, then turns to me. “And thank you for doing this, Lexy.”
“Oh, no problem at all. I already have everything planned. I can’t wait for our sleepover.” I smile at Mia.
Summer hugs me, then Mia and Dex. “You be a good girl, pumpkin, okay? And you can call me anytime using Uncle Dex’s phone.”
“I know, Mommy.” Mia smiles. “Have fun.” She waves.
Summer kisses her again before Ethan takes her into his arms. “Love you, princess.”
Mia kisses his cheek. “Love you too, Daddy.”
He hands her back to Dex, and we all wave them off as they head out.
“Can I see Marvel now?” Mia asks.
We both laugh.
“Of course,” Dex says. “Let’s get you upstairs.”
He tickles her, making her giggle, and I watch them disappear inside.
Something lingers in my chest as they go.
Warm.
Quiet.
But not simple.
? ? ?
Dexter
I wake up to music and laughter, the sound drifting through the apartment before I’m even fully awake. By the time I step out of the shower and make my way downstairs, I already know what I’m walking into, and I’m not wrong.
Lexy and Mia are in the kitchen, singing along to “Come and Get Your Love.”
Mia is standing on a chair with a wooden spoon in her hand, belting out the lyrics like she owns the place, while Lexy moves around the stove, flipping pancakes and swaying her hips to the beat.
They’re both wearing matching French braids, and Lexy’s in pink shorts and a loose white tee covered in Snoopy characters, looking like something straight out of a morning I didn’t know I’d been living without.
“Uncle Dex! Come! Sing!”
Mia shoves a wooden spoon into my hand just as “Hooked on a Feeling” starts, and I huff out a quiet laugh, glancing at Lexy.
Guardians of the Galaxy soundtrack.
Of course it is.
I shake my head and step in anyway, because there’s no way I’m staying out of this now.
The music fills the kitchen, warm and loud, and Mia is already jumping in place, dragging me into it with her energy.
I scoop her up, spinning her once before exaggerating the next move on purpose, throwing my shoulders into it and singing off key into the spoon, making the most ridiculous face I can think of just to get a reaction.
It works.
Mia bursts into laughter, clutching my shirt as I keep going, adding another over the top move, then another, each one worse than the last until she’s giggling so hard she can barely breathe.
“Uncle Dex!” she squeals, laughing harder.
I dip her dramatically, spin her again, then throw in another stupid move, pulling a face that would get me kicked out of my own bar if anyone else tried it.
And that’s when I hear it.
Lexy laughing.
Not the quiet kind she usually lets slip when she’s trying not to draw attention, but something fuller, brighter, completely unguarded, the kind of sound that fills the space and lingers in it.
It hits me before I even realize I’ve stopped moving, like my body just pauses on its own, caught somewhere between the noise of the music and the pull of that sound.
I look up.
She’s leaning back against the counter, her head tipped slightly, eyes shining as she watches us, and for a second everything else fades into the background.
The music, Mia’s laughter, the ridiculous moves I was just pulling all blur at the edges until it’s just her, just that smile, just that look on her face.
Something in my chest shifts, sharp and sudden, like I just stepped into something I won’t be able to walk back out of.
She notices.
Of course she does.
Her laughter softens, her cheeks flushing as she turns back to the stove, suddenly very focused on the pancakes like they demand her full attention, but I already saw it, and I can’t seem to look away as easily as she just did.
The song fades out, and I set Mia down, dragging my focus back where it should be.
A new song rolls in, slower this time, smoother.
“Bring It On Home to Me.”
Sam Cooke’s voice fills the space, warm and steady, settling into the room like it belongs there.
“Uncle Dex, it’s Lexy’s turn now!”
I glance down at her. “Lexy’s turn?”
Mia grins. “Yes. To dance with her.”
I look up.
Lexy freezes, eyes darting between us like she’s trying to find a way out of it.
“I… uh, Mia, I…”
I don’t give her time to finish. I just hold my hand out.
Her gaze drops to it for a second too long before she takes it.
The second her fingers slide into mine, something shifts, subtle but there, enough that I feel it.
The music kicks back in, and I pull her closer, spinning her once, then again when she laughs, because that sound gets to me more than it should, so I do it again, chasing it until her hand stays in mine, warm and small, and when I pull her in, my hand settles on her hip without thinking.
Bad move.
Her orange blossom scent hits me harder up close, mixing with the warmth of her skin, and for a second my grip tightens just slightly, like I need something solid to hold onto. My gaze drops before I can stop it.
Her lips.
Full. Soft. Too close.
My pulse kicks up, sharp and sudden.
Damn.
I drag my eyes back up and find her already looking at me, her pupils blown wide, her breathing just a little off as we sway, and for a second it feels like everything tilts.
Then Mia shouts along with the song, loud and proud, snapping us out of it, and we both turn toward her.
She’s dancing like her life depends on it.
I huff out a breath, shaking it off, and scoop her up again, pulling us all back into it before I do something stupid.
We’re still laughing when we sit down to eat, pancakes stacked high in front of us while Mia talks nonstop, her words tumbling over each other as she tells me about the face masks and nail polish she and Lexy put on this morning like it’s the most important thing in the world.
“Uncle Dex?”
I glance over at her. “Yeah, pumpkin?”
She smiles, and I know that smile. That’s trouble wrapped in glitter and good intentions.
“Can I do your nails too?”
I groan, dragging a hand down my face. “I don’t know, Mia…”
I look at Lexy for help.
Big mistake.
That smirk spreads slowly across her lips, like she’s been waiting for this exact moment and I just walked straight into it.
“I think Uncle Dex would look really good with the pink glitter one.”
I narrow my eyes at her, already knowing I’ve lost.
“Can I at least choose the color?” I try anyway, holding on to whatever dignity I’ve got left.
Mia beams at me. “No! I know just the color for you, Uncle Dex.”
Yeah.
I’m screwed.
Ten minutes later, I’m sitting there with rainbow colored nails covered in glitter, and Lexy is doing a terrible job of pretending she’s not enjoying this, even the damn cat looking entertained.
“You like them?”
Mia’s staring at me like this answer actually matters, like the entire world hinges on what I say next.
I don’t even hesitate.
“You kidding? I love them.”
I lean down and press a kiss to her head, and she lights up like I just handed her everything she’s ever wanted, and just like that it’s worth it.
“I think we should take some selfies and send them to your parents,” Lexy says, all sweet and innocent, like she’s not about to make my life a living hell.
I look at her.
She knows exactly what she’s doing.
“Yes!” Mia cheers, already climbing into position before I can protest.
Of course.
We take the pictures, Mia making sure my hands are front and center, and not even five seconds later my phone starts blowing up.
Of course she added them to the group chat.
I scroll once, exhaling slowly.
Yeah.
I’m never living this down.
“You know there will be payback, right?” I say, glancing over at Lexy.
She just shrugs, completely unbothered. “You can always try…”
That challenge in her voice settles somewhere under my skin, deeper than it should, because she pushes every time and I keep letting her, even though I should shut it down, draw a line, keep things where they’re supposed to be.
Instead, I’m sitting here thinking about exactly how I’d wipe that smirk off her face, slowly, thoroughly, and my jaw tightens at the thought.
Yeah.
This is a problem.
By the time the sun starts to dip, Mia is slowing down, her energy finally burning out as she curls into Lexy’s side on the couch, her movements getting softer, her voice fading.
“I’m not tired,” she mumbles, even as she rubs her eyes.
Lexy smiles, softer now, like the day has worn her down into something gentler. “Of course you’re not,” she murmurs, brushing a strand of hair away from Mia’s face. “But let’s at least pretend to go to bed, okay?”
Mia doesn’t argue, just leans into her, and I watch it longer than I should before pushing myself up and scooping her into my arms, carrying her to the bedroom while Lexy follows quietly behind me.
There’s something different about her now, quieter, softer, like the day peeled something back and left this version behind.
I set Mia down on the bed, and she curls into the pillow instantly, clutching it like it might disappear if she lets go.
“Story,” she whispers.
Lexy doesn’t hesitate.
“Of course.”
She moves like she’s done this before, reaching for the book, settling beside Mia, tucking the blanket around her with careful hands, and I stay by the doorframe, telling myself I’m just making sure she’s okay, but I don’t leave.
Lexy starts reading, her voice low and steady, the kind that pulls the room in around it, and Mia shifts closer, her fingers curling into Lexy’s shirt as Lexy adjusts without thinking, angling the book so she can still see, lowering her voice just a little more while her thumb moves in slow, absent patterns along Mia’s arm like it’s something she’s done a hundred times before without ever having to think about it.
And there’s something about that, something in the way it comes so naturally to her, so unforced, that tightens in my chest before I can stop it.
I’ve seen women around kids before, seen patience, kindness, all the things people expect, but this feels different, like it isn’t effort or something she’s trying to be, but simply who she is.
Mia falls asleep against her, her body going soft, heavy with sleep, and Lexy finishes the page anyway before closing the book gently and sitting there for a second, looking down at her.
Soft.
Careful.
Like she’s holding something fragile.
She slips out slowly, making sure the blanket stays tucked, her hand lingering in Mia’s hair for just a moment before she stands, and when she turns and catches me watching, neither of us says anything.
The room is quiet.
Too quiet.
“You didn’t have to stay,” she says softly.
My jaw tightens. “Wanted to.”
She studies me, and I feel it again, that pull, too close, too much, because I shouldn’t be standing here, shouldn’t be thinking about what this could look like, what it would feel like, but I do.
I push off the doorframe and step closer, reaching past her to turn off the light, my arm brushing hers, and she inhales softly.
So do I.
“Night, Tinker,” I mutter.
And as I walk out, closing the door quietly behind me, the thought settles deeper this time, heavier, harder to ignore, not just a passing idea, not just curiosity, but something real that sticks.
She’d be a hell of a mother.