Chapter 18 Partnership With A Man
PARTNERSHIP WITH A MAN
“Alana,” Becca yelled, as the door opened the next day.
“Hi, sweetie.”
Becca had her hands in the air so Alana picked her up. The hug she got warmed her heart.
“I was so excited when Daddy said you were coming for dinner. I can’t wait to show you my new dance.”
“One of you and your father?” She was looking past Becca’s head to see Brennan squinting at her. He looked much better than he had this morning when he came to work.
He wasn’t as pale as yesterday when she’d caught him barely covered leaving his bathroom. Well, the color filled his cheeks for a few moments, but you still saw the whiteness under it.
She hadn’t been able to get the image of him half naked with a towel wrapped around his waist out of her mind.
She was lucky that she’d been able to function in his kitchen to provide him with that small breakfast.
“No,” Becca said. “Just me. Daddy has been sick.”
“I know,” she said. “He missed work yesterday.”
“I forgot you work with Daddy.”
There was no reason to add that she’d been here for the night taking care of Brennan. Some things a kid didn’t need to know.
“I do. I’m glad to know you didn’t get sick.”
Becca was shaking her head, her hair flying around her face. “Nope. Not me. I’ve got strong genes. Grandma says so. But I missed Daddy.”
“Just a night at my mother’s,” he said. “But remember, Daddy might have to go to Boston or off the island for work in the future and you’ll have to do that again.”
“I know,” Becca said. “It will be fun.”
Brennan still had clients in Boston or out of the city. Mostly, a lot of the work could be done remotely.
“What did you bring?” he asked, looking at the bag in her hand.
She set Becca down and handed it over. “Chocolate chip cookies. I didn’t make them. Didn’t have time, but I picked them up.”
“I love chocolate chip cookies,” Becca said, racing down the hall and back. “They are my favorite.”
“I heard that,” she said, putting her hand on the little girl’s head and giving it a tender rub when she stopped. Dang, this kid had energy to spare.
“Will you braid my hair while Daddy cooks?”
“I can do that,” she said. Becca took off. “Where did she go?”
“To get a brush and a rubber band,” he said. He moved closer to her and gave her a kiss on the lips. “Wanted to sneak that in quickly.”
“I was hoping you would. I didn’t get one yesterday.”
“I didn’t know if I still had germs to pass on.”
“It wouldn’t have mattered at that point,” she said quietly. “I’d already been in your room while you were breathing.”
“Don’t remind me. I spent all day yesterday trying to disinfect the house. I’m more than embarrassed over the condition that you saw me in and my bedroom.”
“Everyone gets sick, Brennan. Think nothing of it.”
“I’m trying not to,” he said.
“Here, Alana,” Becca said, dashing back in.
“Why don’t you go to the living room, so Alana can come in the house?” he said.
She took her jacket off and hung it up, then turned to follow Becca to the living room, the little girl dancing around the room in excitement.
“Come here while I sit in the chair to do your hair,” she said.
Becca skipped and stood in front of her. She brushed the long blonde locks, split the hair in half and started the French braid on one side.
“I’m going to check on dinner. Shouldn’t be much longer.”
She smiled at Brennan when he left the room, her eyes on his butt. She wasn’t sure the last time she thought of a man’s body as much as she’d been doing with her coworker.
“Daddy is making steak and French fries. I love steak and fries. Do you like steak?”
“Yes,” she said.
“And broccoli with cheese sauce because that is the only way I will eat it.”
“Wow,” she said, her fingers flying through Becca’s hair. “He is going all out with your favorites.”
“Daddy said you’d like it too.”
“I do.”
She tied off the first side of Becca’s hair and then shifted to do the other side.
“And then we’ve got cookies for dessert,” Becca said. “Yummy.”
“They are yummy,” she said.
Brennan came back into the living room. “Can I get you something to drink?”
“Water is good,” she said. If it wasn’t for the kiss, she’d think he was being too formal. Unsure if his hesitation stemmed from fear of his daughter’s judgment, she mirrored his reserved demeanor.
Brennan returned with a glass full for her, then a minute later brought plates to the dining room.
She finished the second braid and patted them down.
“Daddy,” Becca yelled and took off running for the kitchen.
Alana stood and went to set the table. There was no reason for him to do all the work. That was ridiculous even if he’d said it was as a thank you for her caring for him.
She didn’t want a thank you dinner.
She wanted this to be more like a date.
Number four.
Pretty pathetic that three out of her four dates either included a three-year-old or her feeding medicine to someone.
When did her dating life become so pitiful?
She supposed having a dating life was already a step up from weeks ago, so she shouldn’t be judging.
“You don’t need to do that,” he said when she walked into the kitchen. He was pouring milk into a cup for Becca.
“I’ll take care of her and you finish dinner. I’m hungry and this will get it done faster.” She sent a wink hoping to loosen him up some.
He hesitated as if he didn’t believe her, but Becca grabbed her hand and pulled her to the dining room.
She didn’t need a man to wait on her or take care of it all.
What she wanted was a partnership with a man. Maybe he was used to doing it all or even had to with other relationships, but that was not how she operated.
By the time she had Becca secured in her booster seat, Brennan was walking in with a plate of sliced beef and a bowl of thick wedges of potatoes.
He set them down and went back for the last dish of broccoli.
He made Becca’s plate, cutting her food up small for her, then passed her the plates one by one.
There was a nostalgic feeling of family meals that she’d had as a child and only got for holiday gatherings now.
“What’s going through your head?” he asked.
“What?”
“You’ve got this soft smile on your face as if you’re thinking of something. Are you going to share?”
“I hadn’t realized,” she said. “I was thinking that the only time I get a meal like this, at a table where everything is passed around, is a holiday now. For years it was always cook, make your plate in the kitchen with the food on the counter or oven, then sit down and eat.”
“Yeah,” he said. “That seems to be more the norm. It’s how I grew up too.”
Which told her he wanted something more than he’d had. He’d said it once and she didn’t know if it was to agree with her thoughts on families, but the easy way it came out told her, yes, they had that dream in common.
“I like eating with Daddy at the table,” Becca said. “But my friends say they get to eat on their couch.”
“Only snacks on the couch,” he said. “And even then, someone is too messy for some things.”
“Is Daddy a messy eater?”
Brennan coughed on his bite of food. “Noooo,” Becca said. “It’s me.” She lifted her fork to talk and sent her food flying to the floor.
“Oops,” she said, reaching down to grab it. “My bad.”
“It’s fine,” he said. “Nice to have a helping hand.”
“This is great,” she said, cutting into her steak. “Cooked perfectly. I don’t do well with beef inside. I’m better with it on the grill.”
“It’s my hope to grill this summer. I’ve never had one on my own and my mother didn’t have one at the house.”
“I can teach you,” she said.
Alana dipped her head down after she said it. Maybe she shouldn’t be assuming that they’d still be together this summer.
“I’d like that,” he said.
She looked up and saw his grin.
“After dinner, can I show you my new dance?” Becca asked. “Daddy said I still have to go to bed at the same time. So we can’t do everything I want to.”
“I’d love to see your new dance,” she said.
They finished dinner, Alana helped him clean up, then Becca performed her new routine a few times. After that, they moved off to build a Lego set.
When it was time for Becca to go to bed, Alana stood up to take her leave, but Brennan said, “No. Wait. I’ll be down in ten minutes.”
“Are you sure?”
Becca ran up the stairs, but he chased after her and called over his shoulder. “Positive.”
She sat back on the couch. The TV was on and she flipped around to the news. Anything to just not sit here staring at the wall.
Brennan returned fifteen minutes later.
“Is she all tucked in?”
“She is. Her eyes were drooping before I finished her story, but I made sure she was out before I shut the book.”
“She sure has an abundance of energy,” she said. “I noticed you ran after her on the stairs. She seemed pretty steady to me.”
He sighed. “I’m overprotective. I get it. I’m always worried that she is going to get hurt.”
Alana didn’t want to criticize him on his parenting, but she found it odd Becca could run like an animal on one level, but get her near stairs and Brennan had to carry her.
You couldn’t always avoid injury in life, and constantly looking over your shoulder instead of what’s in front of you could worsen things. “Thanks for dinner. Everything was wonderful.”
He reached his hand out for hers. She put it in his and he yanked her up and into his chest. “My pleasure. I’ve been wanting to do this since yesterday morning, but I wasn’t positive I had the strength.”
She giggled, almost stunned the sound came from her mouth, but was thrilled he was the person she was coming to enjoy when they were alone. “I would have liked that you did it.”
Being in his arms, shorter than him, she was forced to look up. He was smiling down on her, his mouth lowering, his lips landing on hers.
Together they opened up for the other, his tongue sliding in and testing the waters.
Oh, the waters were hot. Very hot.
Along with the rest of her body that was rushing to catch up.
This was the kiss she’d been dying for.
A pity they weren’t alone.
He lifted his head first, his smile as bright as hers felt. “See you tomorrow at work?”
“You betcha,” she said.
“We are putting our tree up tomorrow night. I’ll send you some pictures.”
“I wondered why it wasn’t up yet,” she said.
“My mother put hers up on Sunday with Becca there. I told her this week and then I got sick. Tonight she was more excited about you coming over. Tomorrow it is.”
She put her hands in his hair. “One more kiss for the road. To get me through the night.”
“It’s only going to make the night harder for me,” he said, but gave her what she asked for.
Now she hoped he could continue to do it.