Chapter 7 Colson #2
“Yay, we never get to have those,” Maddy said excitedly while holding the edge of the cart, following along.
Liam’s eldest was nine or ten, I couldn’t remember, but somewhere around there. She often helped keep her younger sisters in check, while also not going overboard with asking for stuff.
“Pick out some other stuff.”
It wasn’t that I was trying to spoil them, but I knew Liam was hurting financially. Winter meant a slow season at his gym, and he’d just dealt with a ton of legal fees from his ex. I felt bad for the guy and in turn, liked to spoil his kids when I got the chance.
The girls were busy piling ice cream and other treats into the cart when I heard someone clear their throat behind me.
“Excuse me, can I grab the cookie dough ice cream, please?”
The slightest shudder ran down my neck at hearing her voice, followed by a rush of adrenaline in my sternum.
This was the first time seeing her after losing my temper and kissing the hell out of her.
The memory of how soft her lips felt against mine, and how luscious her tongue tasted as it moved against mine played on a loop like an anthem.
Turning so she could see me, I relished the tiny gasp that escaped her parted lips when she registered it was me standing here.
“Oh…” she whispered while her face flushed red.
I stepped back, so she had better access to the glass door, but remained close enough that she had to brush my arm to get what she wanted.
She gave me a quick smile that didn’t feel sincere, her eyes were moving over the tops of the kids’ heads, like she was trying to place them with me or figure out a puzzle.
“You guys look like you’re having fun.” Nora peeked into our cart briefly. “Ooh, those are my favorite kind of sprinkles.”
Seraphina piped up first. “Are you a stranger? Dad says we can’t talk to them…but if you know Uncle Cole, then it’s okay.”
“Maybe she’s the womaaan.” Mila not so quietly whispered to her sisters, who both giggled.
“Girls,” I warned, but Nora’s laugh pretty much stopped my heart. It was so fucking perfect that I just stared at her with my mouth parted.
“I’m your Uncle Cole’s neighbor.” She touched the lower parts of Mila’s tangled hair.
Maddy interjected, “He’s not our real uncle, he’s just our dad’s friend, and he’s babysitting us today, but we like to call him that because it annoys him.”
Nora’s mouth spread into a genuine smile. “Babysitting?”
I couldn’t stop staring at her lips, or the way they stretched over her perfectly white teeth…or how that color of lipstick made my filthy mind conjure up ideas with what parts of my body she could smear that shade of red.
“If you really want the cookie dough ice cream, maybe you could come over and help us decorate his house,” Mila offered sweetly, with a full-blown smile and everything.
“Yeah, we’re baking cookies too!” Seraph added, standing up on the edge of the cart.
Maddy grabbed the roll of sugar cookies. “He said he doesn’t know how to make the real ones, so we’re just going to make these.”
“Our daddy doesn’t ever make the real ones either, so we’re used to it.” Seraph explained, before taking the roll from Maddy and using it as a sword.
“Well, you guys seem like you have a lot going on, I don’t want to intrude on anything.”
Mila stood on her tippy toes, grabbing Nora’s arm. “You’re not intuding, you’re invited!”
Nora laughed, and I still couldn’t pull my head out of my ass long enough to realize I should have been helping a bit more with reining in the girls. But when those aqua eyes landed on me, all I could do was agree with the kids.
“You’re not intruding.”
With one quick glance at my mouth, Nora took a step back and smiled.
“That’s okay, you guys have fun.”
It would be better if she didn’t come over. Having her join in wouldn’t be required to keep an eye on her, and I’d already crossed the line once. It was good that she seemed to understand that.
Mila and Maddy nudged my side as they watched Nora take another step away, and fuck if I didn’t see the way their faces fell watching her leave.
I forgot how little interaction they had with women outside of school.
They didn’t have a grandmother that lived close, Liam had no sisters, and their mother wasn’t in the picture at all.
The prospect of decorating cookies with someone like Nora was probably something they’d be excited about.
“Wait…” I stepped forward, peering back at the girls for a brief second, before setting my eyes on her. “Look…if you’re not busy, we’d really like it if you came over. It would mean a lot.”
She stared, and it was like another layer peeled back, like she saw right through me. It was uncomfortable and agonizing because I had gotten good at hiding those layers. Someone could get addicted to that sort of connection.
“Well, maybe after I’m done shopping, I have a few things to get, but I’ll come visit afterward.”
“Yay!” all three girls yelled excitedly.
I gave Nora a small nod, silently thanking her, and then pushed the cart out of the aisle.
With the three girls settled in front of the television screen, I popped the cookie sheet into the oven and set the timer. Right as I finished, the doorbell rang.
“I’ll get it!” Maddy jumped up, but Seraph pulled her down.
“Not our house, dummy.”
“Just keep watching your show and I’ll get it.” I walked past them, heading to the front door.
I found Nora standing on the other side, holding a paper bag from the local candy store. She had her hair down, wide, bouncy curls all over the place, wearing a pair of tight jeans that tucked into her snow boots and a long overcoat buttoned all the way to her neck.
“Hey.” She smiled brightly, a damn sun beam in the middle of winter.
“Come on in.” I moved so she could enter.
She handed me the bags, which made our fingers brush against one another. Her wide eyes jumped to mine, but I looked away as if I didn’t also feel that zip of energy run up my arm. She followed suit, looking away as she took off her coat and boots before moving in to where the girls were.
“Hey you guys, look what I brought you.”
All the girls immediately jumped and grabbed a barstool, folding their knees under them while peering over the counter.
Pulling free four small white boxes, we all watched as Nora popped them open.
“Whoa, what are those?!” Seraph asked, while the other two let out little oohs and aahs.
“These are called hot cocoa bombs, have you guys ever had one?”
Based on how big their eyes had gotten, I knew they hadn’t.
“What do you do?” Maddy asked.
Nora turned to me and asked, “Can you grab the milk and a saucepan?”
I nodded, heading to the fridge and the cupboard. Flicking on the burner, I poured the milk in to let it simmer while Nora continued to explain.
“So we get mugs…” Nora gave me another look, silently telling me to grab them. She was getting far too comfortable with bossing me around in my own house without even speaking.
Once I set a mug in front of each of them, Nora had the girls pick out their own ball.
“This one has peppermint with the cocoa inside, and this one will have mini marshmallows,” she explained to her enraptured audience.
Once the warmed milk was ready, and the girls had set their ball of chocolate inside their mug, I poured the pot over the cocoa bombs and then we waited.
Each girl had a tiny fist shoved under their chin as they watched their mug.
Nora stood next to me, hands braced on the counter as she watched hers.
There was a kids’ Christmas movie playing on the TV across the room, and with the snow outside it felt sort of magical and shit.
Not that I had ever considered feeling magical on Christmas…
I hadn’t had a good Christmas since I was seven…
but this wasn’t horrible. Which was probably why I moved to the left, which put me closer to Nora until our elbows brushed.
She didn’t seem to notice as I shifted, and my leg touched hers.
Fuck, I felt like a middle schooler trying to get my crush’s attention.
“Whoa!” Mila shouted, breaking the silence and my juvenile thoughts.
Seraphina leaned over her mug, dipping her face until it was directly over the top. “It’s magic.”
Maddy had her knuckles propped under her chin as she watched her mug. “Cool.”
I had a stupid grin on my face that wouldn’t budge, and when I realized Nora had one too, I understood with painful clarity that this was something I’d want someday.
Holidays, Christmas cookies, magic cocoa bombs…
and dammit if my splintered heart used the image of Nora, placing her in that dream too.
“Can we play Candyland?” Mila asked, holding up the game.
The girls had a closet in the guest room where they kept a few toys and games. Candyland was one of their favorites.
I finished chewing a mouthful of cookie. “Go clear off the coffee table and set it up.”
“Yesss.” She darted off with a bit of a hop.
Nora came over after washing a few dishes that I hadn’t asked her to do.
“Should I head home? I don’t want to overstay my welcome.”
“No! you have to stay!” Mila paused mid set up, looking over.
I smirked, leaning down to whisper in her ear. “Besides, it’s not like you weren’t just here, naked in my tub a few days ago. Don’t suddenly act like you care about overstaying your welcome.”
I saw goose bumps break out along her neck, while her pink lips parted.
“I call yellow!” Maddy called, breaking us out of our little pensive moment.
We turned and followed the girls over to the coffee table, sitting on the floor.
“Colson has to be green, he’s always green.” Seraphina pulled the green gingerbread man out and handed it to me.
“Just put him at the starting spot,” Maddy chided.
“I’ll watch you guys play since there’s only four,” Nora said, sitting with her legs folded, her knee nearly brushing mine.
“Wait…you have to play,” Mila said, scrunching her cute little nose in worry.
Waving the green gingerbread at my face and then Nora’s, she proclaimed, “You guys can share!”