I look up and meet his shimmering eyes. “Why would you do that, Nick?”
“Nick the Prick?” Millie says, clapping her hands.
“Millie, not nice. Don’t ever say that again,” I scold.
Nick actually turns around, bringing up his fist to bite it, holding in a laugh.
“Why, Auntie Reese? You and Mommy say it all the time.”
I groan. It’s not like we ever slipped up in front of her, but apparently little ears are still burning long after she’s supposed to be asleep. Abby would laugh...if she ever makes it home.
Nick smirks at me, then looks at Millie. “What can we do for you, sweetie?”
She holds her hands above her head.
He raises a brow at me.
“You’re tall. She likes that. I think she wants you to pick her up...but you don’t have to,” I say slowly.
Without hesitation, he bows down and picks Millie up, holding her high in his strong hands. She coos and giggles.
“Uh-oh. You like to laugh, don’t you?”
She giggles in response.
“Such a nice laugh, too. It’s what they call infectious.” He smiles, but his eyes flick to me. “You should teach your auntie sometime.”
Millie shakes her head. “Grows-up don’t laugh like me.”
“Yeah, tell me about it,” he says sadly. His face grows serious when he meets my eyes again. “Reese, you’re practically family, especially to Grandma—”
Millie reaches down, tugging the thick beard Nick’s been growing out for several months. At some point he let his usual sprinkling of stubble turn into a full, dark, and delicious halo of scruff.
“You got a grandma, Nick?” She gasps in awe.
“Sure do, and she’s pretty great,” he says casually, as if Beatrice is any ordinary grandmother, and not a world-renowned genius.
“Lucky! I don’t have one, but Mommy says Mrs. Gamwin is like my grandma.”
“That’s too bad. Everyone should have a grandma. We’ll just have to arrange for you to meet mine,” Nick says.
“Oh my God,” I snap.
He looks at me.
“Stop. I don’t want the whole company knowing my business. Please,” I say.
“Millie and I aren’t telling anyone. She’s just going to play with Grandma one of these days, when everything’s cool again. Aren’t you, Millie?”
“Yeah!” She laughs, throwing her hands up. She slaps Nick’s cheeks with her chubby hands.
He takes it like a champ, all manly smiles and none of his grump-face.
Later, when I can stop and breathe again, I’ll hate what he’s done to my ovaries tonight.
“See, Reese? Take a lesson from the kid. Keep finding reasons to laugh,” he says, his voice holding a warmth I’m not used to.
Millie presses her luck, laughing like mad as she pulls his ear.
“Ow, hey now, you—”
“Talk to me! I’m fun,” Millie chirps like the pint-sized attention hog that she is.
He laughs at her. “Too right. You’re adorable. Even when you’re getting bratty.” His eyes move from her to me. “Another lesson from the kid—if you need anything, just yank on something.”
God help me, I giggle. But it feels good.
“People need Auntie Reese! She doesn’t need people,” Millie says.
“How did you come up with that?” I ask, surprised at the observation.
“Mommy told me. Where is she?”
Not again.
“What else does your mom say about me?” I ask, trying to head her off.
Nick smirks. “I think we need to get your aunt home before she gets hangry. What do you think, Millie? You hungry yet?”
“I think she’s the hangry one,” I say, feeling my stomach gurgle. “Let’s grab something quick.”
“No hangry!” Millie objects, her little brow digging at her eyes adorably.
“You don’t know what hangry means, do you?” I ask.
“Hungry and mad! Mommy says I lose my poop when I’m hangry. Not true. I haven’t had an accident for a long time.”
“She’s pretty brilliant, Reese,” Nick tells me, casting those eyes at me like heat lamps. “Let’s get the future PhD her dinner.”
Wonderful. My boss has known my little niece for all of twenty minutes and they’re already conspiring against me.
“All this time, I’ve been too hard on you,” I say, rolling my eyes. “You just needed to be in a class of your peers to thrive.”
“Four-year-olds?” he asks. “They make a lot more sense than grown-ups.”
Okay, he deserves a laugh for that.
“At least you’re smiling now. Come on, let’s go. Millie’s discerning tastes won’t wait forever.”
I grab her backpack, ready to head to the car, but remember one important detail.
“Wait. We don’t have a car seat,” I say, looking around the apartment. I thought Abby had a spare around here somewhere.
But I only get three panicked steps around the place, opening the overloaded storage closet, when a firm hand lands on my shoulder.
“Don’t torture yourself,” Nick whispers in my ear as he sets Millie down. “New plan. We all hang out here until the Presto-Delivery App brings us a car seat.”
“Hammy-burger!” Millie balls her hand into fists.
Nope. Not on my life. I’m not letting Nick play guardian angel again tonight.