10. Luke
“Hi, Mr. Luke. Are you visiting my mom again?”
I take in Riley again. But this time, I take her in with a more open eye, memorizing every inch of the girl’s sweet face—my daughter’s sweet face. The green eyes are her most prominent features, but I’m just realizing now that she has my hair color.
And she has my smile, which is mindboggling, awe-inspiring, and crazy. Shit.
I have a daughter.
After a moment, I register the question and finally nod. “Yes. But I was told you would be home, too, so I brought you this.”
I’m about to give her a package wrapped in brown paper, but then change my mind and put it down on the coffee table when she bounces over there. After letting me in, Olivia immediately went to the kitchen, where she is now. I can smell butter and the sound of popping in the microwave.
Which means I’m alone with Riley in the living room. My daughter. Who is staring at me curiously.
I gulp, suddenly nervous. I’ve dealt with kids, but…this is my daughter. She’s not just a kid.
“How are you?”
Riley shrugs at my question. “I’m okay.”
“No more fever?”
“No.” The fever topic doesn’t seem to interest her anymore, which means it probably never came back. That’s good. Then I notice her open scrutiny. “Why are you visiting my mom?”
Right. Olivia and I practiced this.
“Just to hang out. And watch movies with you guys.”
“I like movies, too.” Then, “Do you like her?”
This, we did not practice. I scan my mind for the right answer because I know I can’t just gush about how much I like her mom on a completely different—and personal—level.
“I work with her, so of course, I like her.”
She wrinkles her nose. “I spend time with my friends at school every day, but I don’t like all of them.”
Immediately, my protective instinct roars. “Did someone hurt you?”
Riley blinks. It’s so similar to Olivia’s surprised expression that my heart jumps. She shakes her head. “No. What is this?”
I was waiting for her to elaborate, but she’s moved on again and is now inspecting the brown paper.
“It’s cake. Strawberry shortcake but in cupcake form. Your mom said it’s your favorite.”
Riley lights up. I’m not kidding, she truly lights up, her eyes filling with joy and her beam blinds me. I’m stunned by the sunshine she emits, but I’m even more overwhelmed by the urge to stand from the couch and hug her.
Too early.
Instead, I stay where I am, just basking in her excitement.
“Sweet! Mom, Mr. Luke brought cupcakes. Strawberry shortcake!”
“That’s nice, sweetie. You should thank him.”
“Thank you, Mr. Luke!”
I clear my throat. “You can call me Luke. Like what you called me the first time.”
“Okay. Luke.”
“Popcorn and lemonade,” Olivia announces as she wanders over with a tray. I help her until we’re settled down. “What do you want to watch, Riley?”
Her eyes widen. “Yay, I get to choose?”
I nod. “Go ahead. I’ll watch anything.”
I’m not surprised when Riley chooses an animated movie about two sisters and ice powers, which seems to be the general hit among kids in this decade. I try to get comfortable, but every time she speaks, I can’t help but pay attention to her expressions and reactions.
“You have to take your eyes off her at some point, you know.”
Olivia whispers it to my ear on my other side, her voice soft and amused. A shiver runs down my spine from her warm breath, but I tamp it down. Then I shake my head and whisper back.
“I just…she’s amazing.”
“She is.”
“Luke, did you see the snowman? Isn’t he so funny?”
I nod automatically at Riley. “Yes, he is.” Then I glance at Olivia. “Is she always this talkative to strangers?”
“You’re not a stranger. You’re her mom’s friend and work colleague. But in general, yeah.”
I frown. “Is that safe?”
Now Olivia looks even more amused. “I mean, it’s not like we leave her alone. She has Nancy when I’m not around and the girl’s very protective.”
She’s right. I’m probably overreacting, but I can’t help that, either. I also can’t help checking Olivia out of the corner of my eye.
She’s dressed casually, her cotton shorts and plain shirt indicating that she’s not leaving the house anytime soon. I bite back a groan when I notice her lack of footwear, her bare feet tempting me to pick them up and place them over my lap. Definitely not a good idea.
Her shirt’s loose at the top, showing off her slim shoulders and the curve of her collarbone. The urge to reach out and brush my hand over it is strong, but I tamp that down, too.
“Why are you sitting here, anyway?” Wanting to keep it light, I raise a brow. “Are you trying to be near me, by any chance?”
Her cheeks flush, a light pink color that I want to kiss badly until she turns pinker. She shakes her head. “No. I would sit on the other side, but I have a feeling I’ll just end up being too watchful of you two and…I want to give you this chance. To get close to her.”
My heart squeezes. I expected her to tease me or freeze me out, but her sincere words touch a chord inside me. I look at Riley again, who’s too engrossed in the show and no longer speaking.
Then I turn back to Olivia, who, despite the close whisper, still maintains a polite distance between us.
“Thank you, Liv.”
She softens. Then she blinks and looks away, deliberately breaking the moment. I take a deep breath and focus on the screen, too, then make sure to comment when Riley does.
When the movie’s done, we pop on another one until the popcorn bowl and lemonade glasses are empty. I can tell this one isn’t Riley’s favorite, as she keeps engaging me in conversation instead.
“What kind of doctor are you?”
“I’m a neurosurgeon. I operate on people’s brains.”
Her eyes are wide as saucers. “With your sharp tools?”
My lips quirk. “Yeah. But I do it carefully so I don’t hurt them. Riley, what do you want to be when you grow up?”
“I want to be a firefighter!”
I blink. “A firefighter?”
She nods enthusiastically. “So I can help put out fires. And rescue cats from trees.”
I give her an incredulous look and don’t miss the way Olivia bites her lip to keep from laughing.
“That’s…nice.”
We talk some more, her chatter endless as she flies from one random topic to another. When we get to the topic of birds, I can’t help but notice that my nerves are gone. I had no idea it would be this easy bonding with my daughter, especially when I expected her to be as reserved as Olivia is.
The ease scares me a bit, afraid that something is bound to go wrong. But I fight that negative feeling and keep the conversation flowing until Riley yawns.
“Do you take naps on weekends?”
She nods. “Sometimes. When I wake up early. I woke up early today.”
“Why?”
She brightens. “Because it’s movie day!”
God, what a bundle of joy. I watch as Olivia cajoles her to nap. “I promise we can eat the cupcakes later. Now, thank Luke for them.”
Riley looks at me. “Thanks for the cupcakes, Luke. Will you come back for another movie day?”
I glance at Olivia, then at her. I smile. “Yes. If your mom’s okay with it.”
“Sweet! See you next time, Luke.”
They climb the stairs and murmur to each other while I take the glasses and plates to the kitchen to wash them up. I get lost in the rhythm, replaying how the day went and liking the progress. If we go out on more playdates, will I finally get closer to Riley?
And will I finally get to hug her?
“I was going to do that.”
I turn to find Olivia already downstairs looking at me. I shrug and place the dishes on a drying rack, then look back at her. There’s no animosity from her, but despite the light teasing earlier, I can tell she’s still pretty wary of me.
“I feel bad.”
Olivia tilts her head, mulling over my words. “Why?”
“For missing out on her growing years. For not trying harder to seek you out.”
She gives me a pointed look. “You said you sought me out.”
“I did.”
“Then maybe that was just fate working against us. Besides, it’s probably time we stop dwelling over the past.”
She’s right, but I can’t help it. I wish I was there for the sleepless nights and Riley’s firsts: first words, first walk, first smile. It’s a regret I’ll never be able to erase, but I sigh and give Olivia a determined look.
“I want another playdate. Please. I want to get to know her more.”
“Of course. We already agreed.”
“Tomorrow?”
Olivia shakes her head. “Next weekend. I told you…we regulate it. Minimal playdates for now, then more when she’s well-adjusted to your presence.”
My jaw clenches, but I nod, understanding our agreement. I approach her, wanting her to know that I’m not the enemy in this.
“Next weekend sounds good. Thank you for giving me this chance.”
Guilt glints in her features. “You’re her father, Luke. I should have given you a chance sooner.”
I nod, unsure what to say. My gaze snags at her shirt, the top portion sliding off one shoulder to reveal more of her smooth skin. Without thinking, I reach out and pull it up, my fingers lingering…wanting to slide the shirt down so I can kiss her shoulder.
Her breath hitches and her eyes darken. Then she hisses and sidesteps until my hand drops from her shoulder.
“Don’t do that, Luke.”
“Do what?”
“You know what.” She glowers, then takes a deep breath until she’s steadier. I have a second to feel satisfied before I’m blasted with her next words. “Just because you have a right to see Riley doesn’t mean you have a right to me as well. We’re not a package deal.”
My eyes widen. “Who said I thought of you that way?”
She shakes her head. “Whatever attraction we feel for each other…it shouldn’t interfere with this bond you’re forming with Riley. Besides, attraction goes away.”
Does she seriously believe our attraction for each other will go away anytime soon? It’s been six years…no, seven years and it’s still here. Stronger than ever, in fact, if the way we respond to each other is any indication.
But I won’t force Olivia to try to acknowledge it, not when Riley is on the line. Perhaps this is another way of not dwelling on the past. Unbidden, an image of Olivia sitting and laughing with Mark comes to my senses.
And hell, I’m jealous. It’s a heavy feeling that I’ve been nursing since I first saw them together. I know Mark’s a playboy, but despite my warning to her, there’s still the off-chance that the guy will fall in love with her and snatch her up.
It’s not impossible. And there’s nothing I can do about it.
Stop thinking about it.
“I’ll be here next weekend, Liv.” I meet her gaze. “And I’ll play your game.”
Her eyes narrow. “It’s not a game.”
“Then I’ll play whatever the hell this is.”
Then I nod and walk away before I say something I’ll regret.