“What’s that mean?” she asked, scrunching her small nose.
“It means happy. I’m very happy that I’m your best friend,” I explained.
The little girl wrapped her arms around my leg and squeezed. “Me too.”
Dinner was fabulous, and the duck was outstanding. The kids told me about their time back at school and Kevin was quiet, allowing them to talk. I couldn’t really get a read on him. There were times when I could feel his eyes on me, and there were other times when he wasn’t even paying attention. His eyes would be cast out the window into the backyard or he’d leave the kitchen altogether and be gone for a while.
I wasn’t sure what was going on, and I didn’t know if it was my place to ask.
We cleaned up the kitchen before settling in to watch a movie. Both kids insisted on being cuddled up against me, tucked underneath an arm with their heads on my bosom and their eyes trained on the television.
It was so sweet, but it was hard to pay attention with the way Kevin’s arm draped around all of us.
His long wingspan curved around my shoulders before his hand fell onto Daniel’s head. His fingers were stroking through his son’s hair, but I was painfully aware of the heat of his skin along the back of my neck. I tried to concentrate on the movie, but I only took in bits and pieces of it. Every time Kevin moved and shifted his arm it sent shivers down my spine.
“Did you like the movie, Miss Brooke?”
“I loved it, Daniel. That was a good choice.”
“Can we watch another one?” Sydney asked.
“No can do, princess. You two have school in the morning,” Kevin said.
“Aw, but Miss Brooke’s here,” Daniel said.
“And Miss Brooke will come back soon, I’m sure,” Kevin said.
“Can she tuck me in?”
Sydney turned her puppy dog eyes toward me and I was weak against their assault.
“Of course I can,” I said with a grin.
I helped Kevin tuck the twins into bed before kissing their foreheads goodnight. It felt good to be a part of the routine again, even if it was just for one night. I stood in the doorway and watched as the two of them settled down, then Kevin turned out the light as I shut the door.
I didn’t even make it to the stairs before his voice rumbled down my body.
“Why have you been so distant tonight?”
I turned around and looked at him before I kept walking down the stairs.
“I could ask you the same thing,” I said. “You’re the one who kept getting up and walking away from dinner.”
“I wanted to give the kids time with you. And take time to think.”
“About what?” I asked.
“Ladies first.”
I sighed as Kevin descended the steps, his body close to mine as I leaned against the banister.
“I don’t want to be a homewrecker,” I said.
“I’m not following.”
“With what’s going on with you and Sarah. If you guys are trying to work things out, I don’t want to be the thing that stands in your way. If there’s a possibility of fixing this family, despite how I feel, then those kids up there deserve it.”
“How do you feel?” he asked.