“I would love to go see it. After all, I need to see where these boogers are going to be after I’m back to work,” he said, reaching down and ruffling Brady’s hair.
“Hey!” Brady swatted playfully at his hand.
“That way, I can come visit,” Blake added.
“You’ll come to visit us?” Kinsley asked, and Mel had never loved her more because it was exactly what she wanted to know.
“Of course. Why wouldn’t I?”
“Our other old nannies don’t come to see us,” Peter said matter of factly.
“Am I like the other nannies?”
“No!” all three of them answered in unison.
“Okay, then.” Blake laughed, then turned his lethal smile back to Mel. “This weekend, right? Saturday?”
“Um.” Mel played with the sleeve of her blouse. “Yeah. Our first appointment is at one, and it’ll take about thirty minutes or so to get there by bus—”
“I’ll drive,” Blake said.
Mel frowned. “Are you sure?”
Blake shrugged. “My brother and I have a shared car that is currently collecting dust. Why not? We’ll get lunch first.”
“Okay, great,” Mel said, stifling a grin.
They stared at each other for a few seconds before they both laughed and looked away. Blake had this way of making her feel like a teenager again, and even though she felt a bit foolish and that inner voice in her head told her she was playing with fire, Mel spent the evening wishing away the days until this weekend.
BLAKE
BLAKE GLANCED OVER at Mel, who leaned back in her seat, looking more relaxed than he could ever remember seeing her. Sunlight glinted off the passenger window, illuminating her face and turning her hair bronze. It turned out to be a beautiful day—blue skies, warmer than normal temps, and sunshine—which Mel said was a good omen. The triplets were sitting snuggly in the back, each one squashed together in the car seats they managed to wrangle into the bench seat. Each of them stared at the tablet Mel strapped to the back of a headrest, playing cartoons, if only to entertain them long enough to give Mel and Blake time to talk about the homes they saw, among other things.
Mel turned her gaze to his and their eyes locked, she smiled, and Blake’s heart did a funny little flip in his chest. “Can I ask you a question?” He turned his attention back to the road.
“Sure.”
“Why Highland Park?” There were several places in Jersey she could’ve chosen, so it made him curious.
Mel chuckled. “Honestly?”
He nodded, giving her the signal to continue. “Maybe there are nicer places, but realistically, Highland Park gives me the best chance of being able to afford moving out of the city and into a home.” She shrugged and bit her lip. “I don’t want another apartment. I want something I can own with a yard for the kids, and let’s face it, I’m probably going to be on my own for a long time, if not forever, so . . .”
Blake frowned. “What makes you think you won’t meet someone?” he asked, even though the idea of Mel being with another man, sharing her kids, her life with him felt all wrong. Still, he hated how she talked as though she wasn’t worth something when so many guys would be lucky to have her.
“I don’t know.” She let out a little laugh. “I guess I haven’t met too many men that want all of this,” she said, darting her gaze toward the back of the car.”
“Any guy worth anything who got to know you wouldn’t care about any of that. If anything, they’d consider the . . . “ Blake paused, trying to find the right word to speak about the kids without them knowing. He refused to use the word “baggage” since it implied a negative connotation, though he was sure that’s what Mel was thinking. “. . .they’d consider your luggage a bonus. Because that’s what they are, Mel.” He eyed her meaningfully before turning his gaze back to the road.
At least that’s how he felt about them, though he couldn’t tell her that. He was already traversing a rocky road as it was with her.
She pursed her lips, taking this in. “Maybe. I guess, if I’m being fair, I haven’t looked all that much. After Craig, that part of me, the one that hoped to find someone sort of just shut down.” Then she flashed him a smile, letting him know it didn’t bother her, though he suspected it did more than she admitted. “After Craig left and
I got over the shock and the sleepless nights eased a little, I promised myself I’d do this on my own. With my salary, even with this raise, I’m still limited if I want to actually buy a home and not rent, considering the prices of real estate in the commuter areas. But Highland Park is really great and the most reasonable. There are parks, and restaurants, coffee shops, and the schools are supposed to be wonderful, which is a relief.”
Mel shrugged and turned her gaze back out the passenger window as she spoke. “The ideal house for us is move-in ready but probably older and in need of updates. That way, the price will be better, while leaving me time and room to make the home my own.”
“Well, I hope we find it for you today.” Blake reached between them and squeezed her hand. “You’re an amazing mom, and you deserve this.”