Chapter 6
Chapter Six
Kinsley
Family night was interesting. The girls wanted to know why I'd moved in with Shepard, as if he wasn't someone you could rely on.
Ivy asked if he planned on having women over.
We hadn't discussed that possibility, and he was within his rights to bring home whoever he wanted to, but I didn't think he'd do that.
I needed to find out what kind of guy he was because his family didn't seem to have a clue. I saw a man with a lot more depth and emotion than they described.
But I could be wrong. I'd made bad decisions with men before. It was possible my judgment was off.
I thought Derek would be more interested in Maya when she was born, and I was wrong about that.
I thought I'd be further along in a career by now. Instead, I was still working at Kingston Construction because it was a reliable job, and as a single mother, I needed that more than anything.
Every morning, Shep got up early for his run and had breakfast cooking for us by the time we came down to eat. We headed to work separately because I went into the office, and he went to whatever house he was working on.
I hadn't switched the bus pickup yet, so I was driving Maya to school every day on my way to work.
We'd fallen into a good routine, but we hadn't accomplished much once we got home. Maya wanted a lot of attention, and by the time I got her into bed, I was exhausted.
On Friday, I planned a dinner meeting with Shep. We needed to work on the renovation if Elena had any hope of getting married here in June.
I'd worked on a schedule, printed the outline, and set it on the counter.
"Honey, I'm home!" he called whenever he came in, making me smile.
It would be easy to fall into the fantasy of this being our life.
Shep flipped through the mail, which was a mix of bills and advertisements, before he saw the outline. "What's this?"
"The plan I drew up for the house."
He looked it over carefully. "You think this is the most efficient way to tackle everything?"
"We start with the bathrooms, then do cosmetic changes to the first floor. Then we renovate the kitchen using your brothers' help. I think we can accomplish that before the wedding."
Shep nodded. "It's doable. Especially if my brothers assist in the kitchen."
"And we're sharing your bathroom. I'm sure you want your space back."
His expression was unreadable.
Every night, Maya took a bath in his tub, leaving more toys in it.
She'd taken to lining the rim with rubber duckies, and she liked to hide one in the shower for Shep.
Her pink towel hung on the hook behind his door, and I'd filled his counters and shower with my toiletries.
It was not as masculine as it had once been, and I was positive he'd comment on it soon.
"I don't mind sharing." Then he grinned at Maya, who was coloring on the counter. "Besides, the ducks are a nice touch. They add to the ambiance."
I tipped my head to the side. "Now I know you're kidding."
Shep cleared his throat. "It's nice to have evidence that someone else lives in the space. Especially someone as fun as Maya."
She grinned up at him. "I am fun."
He ruffled her hair. He adored Maya. Sometimes it seemed more than her own father did. Derek saw her as more of an extension of him than a separate human being with her own feelings.
"I thought we could get started on Maya's bathroom this weekend. Then I can show you what I'm thinking for the design."
"Let's do it," he said, and I was surprised not to get any pushback.
But he'd accepted my project plans for a while now without complaint.
Maybe it was because I didn't make it a big deal.
I organized his projects for him, ensuring that everything was ordered and timely and they were on track to finish.
He didn't like to be babysat, but he'd accepted my silent show of help.
"If we're working hard this weekend, we should play tonight. What should we do?"
"There's a festival at the church that Maya wanted to go to. They're going to have crafts and other things for kids to do."
"Let's do it."
I faltered, not expecting him to want to do anything with us. "You want to go with us?"
His brow furrowed. "That was an open invitation, wasn't it?"
"I didn't think you'd want to go to a festival."
"Are you kidding? Maya's my ticket into this place. They don't let you in without a kid." He put an arm around Maya, and she rolled her eyes.
Shep winked at me.
"We're going to eat and then head over."
He rubbed his hands together. "What's for dinner?"
"I made fajitas. They're easy, and everyone enjoys them."
"You got that right. I'll jump in the shower and help you in a sec." He started for the stairs. "Now if only I can find that duck with a tux. What could have happened to him?"
Maya giggled, covering her mouth as he walked out.
I laughed, happier than I'd been in a long time. It was nice living here with Shep. I think he enjoyed our presence. He didn't get annoyed with Maya. In fact, he seemed to love the way she took up every inch of his house now that we'd moved in.
Her toys and books were strewn about no matter how many times I told her to put her things away and reminded her that this wasn't her home.
She'd shrug and say Shep didn't mind, and it seemed that he didn't. Still, I waited for the moment that we became too much for him. Surely, he'd want to get back to his bachelor life sooner rather than later.
I finished cooking the chicken and peppers, transferring them to a serving dish.
Then I gathered the toppings: shredded cheese, green onions, sour cream, avocado, and salsa.
Once everything was ready, I set it on the table so it would be easy for everyone to get what they needed.
While I waited for Shep, I warmed the tortillas on the stove.
Shep finally appeared with a fresh T-shirt and jeans, his hair deliciously damp from the shower. He smelled so good. It was becoming harder to take a shower in his space and not touch myself to the vision of him joining me.
I was positive he didn't think of me that way. I was just a single mother he was helping out. He didn't want anyone with the baggage I had, essentially a five-year-old daughter.
"Where's my fajita?"
Before I could respond, he'd lifted Maya into his arms, pretending to gobble her up. She wiggled and giggled, struggling to get away from his mouth.
I stopped what I was doing, entranced by how he engaged with my daughter. My heart squeezed because this was how I imagined Derek interacting with her. I had no way of knowing, but I'd never seen him tease her or be affectionate.
Maya held up her hands and said, "I'm not a fajita."
"You're not?" Shep paused. "But you're so tasty."
"I'm not tasty! I'm not food!" Maya exclaimed and then pointed. "Your fajita's on the table."
He let her drop down to the floor. "Well, why didn't you say so?"
"You didn't give us time to respond," I said with affection in my voice. I loved the way he treated her, as if she was someone he enjoyed being around.
Maya shot me a look like can you believe this guy. I smiled and shook my head in solidarity. Shep was ridiculous at times, almost like a big kid, but I loved it.
He was fun, and I needed more of that in my life. So did Maya. It was quiet when it was just the two of us. I was responsible for the boring stuff like homework and doctor's appointments. I didn't have much time for teasing and fun.
Shep sat at the table as I brought over the tortillas and set the plate in front of him. "This looks great. Thank you for dinner."
"You don't have to thank me. This is your kitchen and your house."
"Mmm. It's yours now too. Isn't that right, Maya?" He held his hands out wide. "It's your castle. I'm just the butler."
"You're the butler, and I'm a princess," Maya insisted from her seat where she sat on her knees. I don't know how she sat like that. My knees ached just looking at her.
Shep grabbed a tortilla. "What do you want on yours?"
Maya wrinkled her nose. "I eat the chicken."
I grabbed the plate of cut-up chicken I'd already prepared for her and placed it in front of her.
Shep's forehead creased as he swept a hand over the display of fixings. "You eat chicken when you have all of this available?"
"I don't normally make this much when it's just me and her."
He raised a brow. "I like that you did something extra for me."
"You've really come through for us. This is a much better place to live than a hotel." I was reminded of that every day I returned to the house.
"Are you sure you don't want to try a real fajita with all the fixings?" Shep asked Maya.
She shook her head. "Just chicken."
"What about a little cheese?" He picked up a pinch of shredded cheese and hovered his hand over her chicken.
She covered it with both hands. "Nope."
Shep turned his attention to his tortilla and started piling it high with chicken and all the condiments. "We'll see about that. Before you leave, we'll have you eating a real fajita."
When he was done, he placed chicken in a tortilla and wrapped it like a burrito. Then he cut it in half. He placed half of it on Maya's plate.
"What's that?" she asked.
"A burrito. It's a wrap with chicken," he said simply, not pushing for her to do anything.
Then he went back to shoveling the fajita into his mouth before making another. He'd eaten three by the time I'd finished one.
Maya picked up the burrito he'd made her and took a tentative bite. I held my breath as she chewed and said, "It's okay."
Shep fisted his hand and said, "Yes," and I couldn't help but laugh. I was sure Shep acted like this to entertain Maya. Did he know that he was endearing himself to me too?
I couldn't help but wonder why Maya's own father didn't hold this much interest in her. Shep wanted her to eat more variety of food, and it wasn't because he had some kind of hidden agenda that she should be like an adult. It was sweet.
We finished eating and cleaned up.
"Should we ride together to the festival?" I asked, knowing it made the most sense but not sure if Shep wanted to be seen as going with us. We might cramp his style. But then again, we were going to a church fair. There probably wouldn't be any single women there.
"I'll grab pip-squeak's car seat and put it in the back seat."
"I can do it," I said, but trailed off when he shot me a look. "I'll get it."
"Okay." Then I turned to Maya. "Why don't you go to the bathroom before we go."
Her lower lip protruded.
I put my hands on my hips. "You can at least try."
"Ugh, fine." She stomped off.
She was going to be a handful when she was a teenager. I wasn't looking forward to more attitude coming out of that tiny body. Then I felt a pang because I thought I'd meet someone by now and be working toward a sibling for her.
Being a single mother was harder than I ever imagined. I didn't have the energy to sift through potential candidates or figure out if they really liked kids or were just placating me in order to hook up. I was busy and tired most of the time.
I was interested in Shep because he was available. He lived in the same house as me, and we shared a bathroom. That's all this was, a little infatuation because we were setting up house together. Something I hadn't really done with Derek.
But Shep didn't mind helping me out with Maya, dealing with her car seat, and cajoling her to brush her teeth.
Whenever he was home during teeth brushing time, she requested that he sing, and I couldn't help but hang out in the bathroom to watch them interact.
It was adorable and seriously dangerous for my heart. Not to mention my neglected libido.
I refilled Maya's water bottle and grabbed a snack for her. Then I waited at the bottom of the stairs for her to come down.
Shep came inside and clapped his hands together. "Who's ready for a festival?"
"Me!" Maya cried from the top of the stairs. Then she hopped down the stairs, taking a huge leap from the fourth step from the bottom.
"Whoa," Shep said as he caught her before she crashed on the hard floor.
"Maya. No jumping," I chided, my heart racing from the scare.
"You could get hurt," Shep said as he set her on her feet.
"You caught me," Maya said simply as if that was all that mattered. As if he'd always be there to catch her.
Shep met my gaze over Maya's head, and there was so much in his expression; I had to look away. I was the one who'd be there for Maya. Her father came and went in her life. No one stayed for her or me.
"We should get going," I said, trying not to feel the emotions that were coursing through my body.
The church was on the other side of Sanibel Island, so it took a bit to get there. Maya kept up a steady stream of chatter in her seat. When we arrived, Shep insisted on getting her out.
There was a band playing on a stage in the courtyard, and there were tables placed around with activities and food. We grabbed a lemonade for Maya before settling at a craft table where Maya painted a ceramic mushroom house.
I was surprised when Shep sat in one of the kid chairs next to her and painted his own beehive. The woman who was walking around helping the kids get their paints was clearly charmed by him. It was hard not to be.
He tapped his chin with his finger, holding up their ceramics. "Which one is better?"
"Maya's," I said, enjoying teasing him.
Maya hopped up to get another ceramic to paint.
Shep managed to smear paint on his chin, so I grabbed a wet wipe and leaned over to wipe off the paint. "There's a little smudge."
He glanced down at me, his voice amused. "You just wanted to get close to me, didn't you?"
His voice was low and gruff and settled deep in my chest. I couldn't stop the smile from spreading across my face. "You're ridiculous."
"Did you get it?" Shep asked, reminding me that I was still sitting too close to him. I nodded, moving away, so that Maya could sit between us again.
This time, they both painted the little camper.
The volunteer said, "When you're done, you can plant a succulent in your camper and take it home."
"Thank you so much for putting this event on. Maya loves coming." I was fairly sure it was to encourage people to come to the church, but we never felt pressured.
"I love seeing everyone come together and having fun."
"Me too," I said, feeling lucky that I was able to grow up on the island and experience the small-town life with a great community of people.
We grabbed bags of popcorn and listened to the band that was playing. Maya started twirling in time to the music, and Shep grabbed her hands dancing with her.
The crowd parted for them, and I snapped a few pictures, unsure my heart would survive any more of this.
He lifted her hand above her head and encouraged her to spin. Maya smiled wide, her hair and dress flying behind her as she twirled.
My skin felt tingly, and my heart was beating faster. Shep dancing with my daughter only made him more attractive.