“It’s bad,” Shanti shouted from the other room, letting us know she was listening in. “I thought she was a monster.”
“Shanti Kelly, it’s rude to listen in on other people’s conversations,” Naomi called back. “What have we said about this?”
“That I can’t listen in,” Shanti replied, sounding like she was pouting.
“Exactly.”
“But then you wanted me to tell you what I’d heard about—”
Naomi yelled, “Stop! That was an exception to the rule.”
I had no idea what she’d been so interested in, but it was hilarious watching her maneuver around the brain of a four-year-old.
“Nome,” I called her name quietly, getting her focus back onto me. “Just to say, I’ve enjoyed being a spectator and supporter for the last two and a half years, giving y’all time to grow and for you to both settle into life together.
“I’ve held your hand through your parents getting sentenced”—she flinched at the reminder—“and I helped open the champagne after it all. There isn’t one thing that puts me off being with you and being part of yours and Shanti’s lives.”
“Carter, you come from an amazing family. I’ll bet your grandmother and aunt have never even had a parking ticket—”
Knowing where she was going with this, I dropped my mouth onto hers, cutting her off. “Neither have you, baby, and I know that for a fact. I’m not even sure you and Callum were even genetically related to your folks because the two of you couldn’t have been more unlike them if you tried.”
Watching a tear trail down her cheek, I groaned. “Please don’t cry. Let’s just take it slowly and see where we end up, okay?”
Naomi got control of herself by blowing out a breath and then taking a shuddering one back into her lungs. “Okay.” Before I could kiss her again, she held her hand up. “But I still maintain that after you experience the lack of bathroom privacy once, you’ll run for the hills.”
Pulling her into me, I lowered my head, so my mouth was right next to her ear. “I’m not that easily put off. I’ve carried around that Blow Pop for seventeen years, baby. You tell me if that’s the actions of someone who won’t fight hard to get what he wants.”
Her arms tightened momentarily around my waist, almost like it was a reflex reaction. “I don’t know about that, but maybe you should go through your fridge and cupboards to look at the best before dates on what’s in them?”
“Alex says no more kissy-kissy,” Shanti shouted as she ran into the kitchen. “You guys gotta go show your faces at the po-leese office, or DB’s gonna be pi—”
Alex ran into the kitchen and put his hand over her mouth. “That last word slipped out accidentally, and I told her not to repeat it. Sorry, I’m used to having sons who I can get away with an accidental cuss here and there with.” Leaning down next to her, he added, “What did we say pretty girls can’t do?”
Shanti thought about it, closing one eye, and rolling the other one to look at the ceiling. “Uhhh, oh, yeah, we can’t cuss, and we can’t kiss boys.” She raised her eyebrow at her aunt as she said the last bit.
“Right. So, the word that slipped out isn’t going to pop out of your mouth, is it?”
“I’ll do my best,” she sighed, like it’d be a burden for her.
I had to give her credit for her honesty, even though I was fighting against not laughing and giving Alex shit for swearing in front of Shanti.
“If that word or any other cuss word slips out, Shanti, I’ll put soap on your toothbrush and make you scrub your teeth with it,” Naomi warned her, using her best ‘pissed parent’ voice.
“That’s against my rights.”
This mutinous response got me the hairy eyeball from Naomi this time. Okay, so maybe I’d told Shanti a little too much about what I did, but she had a right to know what her rights were, and it was good information for her to grow up knowing.
“I’ll veto your rights if you swear, Shanti,” Alex warned her.
The fact he’d taken her aunt’s back got him a look like he’d told her the color pink didn’t exist—she looked betrayed.
I couldn’t say if it was genuine or not, but it worked on my partner because he swept her up in a hug and promised her candy the next time he was at the store. Of course, he also mouthed over her shoulder, “We’re going to the store.”
Dropping a kiss on Naomi’s cheek and smiling at the blush that lit up her face after it, I shot her a wink before leaning down to hug my buddy.
“I’ll catch you later, pretty girl.”
“Okay,” she sighed. “And bring the candy Alex needs to buy.”
This girl. She had the whole town wrapped around her little finger. She could sometimes come across as demanding, but that wasn’t how it really was with her. I’d never met a more grateful and loving kid in my life.