I stood in the doorway, unable to do anything but stare at this woman charming my little boy. In that moment, I loved her. I loved her so damn hard my entire chest ached. Tears might've even gathered in my eyes because the whole thing made me so damn emotional.
But fuck, she was making my kid laugh. How could I not love her?
I didn't care who she was, how many years I'd dreamed about meeting her, wondering what she'd be like in real life, I loved this woman right here on my floor for what she was in this very moment.
Sensing my presence, Eva finally looked up and glanced over her shoulder. She yelped in surprise before setting a hand over her heart and laughing.
"Hey, look who's home." Picking up Fighter, she cradled him close so their cheeks smashed together. Then she took his hand and helped him wave at me. "Hi, Daddy. How was work?"
I sniffed up my emotions and stepped into the apartment, feeling almost disconnected from my body because I was so completely submerged
in this moment. I never wanted it to end. I wanted to frame it and hang it on the ceiling over my bed, so I could look up and relive it again and again, every night for the rest of my life before I went to sleep.
After the front door shut behind me, I stepped closer and slid down onto the floor to sit at the edge of the blanket with my back propped against the couch. "Work was good, but I doubt I had as much fun as you guys seem to be having."
"We've been having a blast," Eva reported, grinning as she pressed her lips all over Fighter's face. The lucky little bastard. He soaked it up, too, smiling and half closing his eyes, then grabbing fistfuls of her hair and pulling.
"Hey, buddy. No pulling." I reached forward to help untangle the mess.
"He's okay." Eva laughed as we both worked to free her silky pale strands. "He definitely loves to grab onto things."
I loved that she knew what he loved already . . . after a single day of watching him.
When Skylar squawked, frustrated with being unable to lift her head, I scooped her up and pressed her cheek to my nose so I could inhale her clean, fresh baby scent. "Hey, kiddo. Was that your way of getting my attention? You got it, babe."
"I don't think she's forgotten that you still owe her a dance," Eva said, her eyes sparkling as she watched us cuddle.
"That's right. I do owe her a dance, don't I?" I settled Skylar into the crook of my arm and got to my feet so I could hum George Strait's "Baby Blue" into her hair and sway her around the living room.
Noticing how pleased Eva seemed about watching us together, I winked down at her and then motioned to the blanket. "I'm surprised you guys are on the floor. It's got to be filthy." I couldn't remember the last time I'd cleaned it. Maybe not since Fighter was born. I'd been taking on as many overtime hours as I could scrounge up to pay for all the bills that had come with his birth. So I was usually too busy with laundry, dishes, or bathroom work to worry about spiffing up the front room.
"Funny thing about that," Eva told me with a sly smile. "I found this thing in the closet over there. I think it's called a vacuum. It cleaned the floor right up."
"You vacuumed?" My head whipped around to take in the entire front room. I'd been so centered on the three of them playing as if they were a real family I hadn't been able to see anything else. But, shit, not only were there vacuum lines on the floor, but everything had been tidied, the coffee table and end tables cleared off, possibly even dusted. The lap blanket Tristy used to curl under was folded and draped over the back of the sofa, and the couch pillows were straightened and fluffed.
"You cleaned." The wonder in my voice only made her roll her eyes.
"These two really enjoyed their beauty sleep today, so I had a lot of spare time on my hands."
"Yeah, but . . . " I turned back to her, shaking my head. "You didn't have to do all this, Tink. I mean," I splayed out my hand, overwhelmed, "Just being here for Julian . . . God, you have no idea how much I appreciate you coming over today and watching him. You completely saved my ass."
The compliment made her glow. I'd flirted with her numerous times and flat-out told her she was gorgeous. But thanking her seemed to have an even better effect. She just looked so satisfied. In her element. The pleased glow on her cheeks made her more beautiful than she already was.
A high-pitched beeping from the kitchen interrupted the moment, making me frown. What the hell was that? For a second, I thought it might be a smoke alarm. But Eva bolted upright, taking Julian with her. "Oh! Your supper's ready."
Supper? My mouth fell open. "You cooked?" She cooked?
"Don't get too excited. It's just a frozen pizza. You seriously have nothing in your cabinets, Patrick. I'm thinking you need to leave a little cash with me tomorrow, so I can go grocery shopping for you. Julian's almost out of diapers, too. I'd have given him some of Skylar's but, compared to her . . . " She paused to set her hand over the little boy's ear so he couldn't hear. Then she whispered, "He has a huge ass."
I laughed. "Compared to this little doll, I think everyone has a huge ass. But yeah, if you want to go grocery shopping, I'd be more than happy to fund it." I'd be happy to kiss the ground she walked on.
But cleaning? Cooking? Grocery shopping? I was beginning to wonder if there was some rare disease I could somehow inflict on the Rojas family, that way Eva could be the temporary babysitter forever.
"Here, can you hold him for me?"
I blinked because that was usually the question I asked Tristy. "Yeah. Of course." After transferring Skylar to one arm, I opened the other for Julian. Eva grinned at the three of us after she handed him over. Then she sauntered off, her hips swaying with a natural rhythm that made my mouth water.
I wanted every little part of this woman that ever existed. Needing to trail after her, I followed, bringing the kiddos with me.