Only One Kiss (Only One 1)

Chapter 14RalphI hang up the phone, and all I can do is panic. I rush to my truck, leaving Candace there. The guilt almost makes it impossible to leave, but then I call Miranda again, and when she answers, Ari is still wailing in the background.

“I’ve tried everything,” she says. “She isn’t hungry.”

“Did you try rocking her?” I ask, and the sound of her wailing makes my stomach turn. “I’ll be there in ten minutes.” I hang up the phone, and the ten minutes feel like an eternity. I barely turn off the truck before I’m running out of it and opening the door. I follow the sound of the wailing and see that Miranda is pacing back and forth as she tries to soothe Ari. “Hello, little girl,” I say, and the minute she hears my voice, she stops crying. Her eyelashes are wet from all the tears she shed. She smiles when she sees me, and I guess I’m not fast enough to take her in my arms because she pouts and then yells at the top of her lungs. Big tears pour out of her eyes, and I take her and bring her to my chest. “When was the last time she had a bottle?” I ask Miranda, who watches us.

“An hour ago,” she says, walking over to the bottle that is on the table. “I tried to give her another two ounces, but she didn’t want it.”

“What is all the fuss about?” I ask Ari, and she just looks at me as she catches her breath from all the crying. Looking over at Miranda, I say, “I’ll take over from here.”

“I can stay and cook dinner for you if you like,” she says, smiling at me.

“No, that’s okay. It’s been a long day.” I look back at Ari, who lays her head on my chest and sucks her pacifier.

“I’ll get going then,” she says. Walking over to us, she leans forward and kisses Ari on the cheek. “I’ll see you tomorrow.”

I just smile and nod at her as she walks out. “What do you say, baby girl, want to sit and watch television?” I ask, walking over to the couch and sitting down. I want to call Candace to make sure she got home okay, but the phone is on the table, and Ari is finally settling down. I lean my head back, and we both drift off, and when she wakes again, I forget everything except Ari. After her bath, I walk over to the kitchen to grab a bottle and walk back to the bedroom to rock Ari. I turn on her night-light as I walk to the rocking chair and sit down. Grabbing the book, I begin reading it to her, and she falls asleep as soon as I get to the last page just like always. When I get up, I kiss her soft cheek. “I love you, baby girl,” I say and place her down in the crib. Her arms are next to her head. I walk over to the night-light, looking up now at Cassie’s picture. “Night, Cassie,” I say and walk out of the room.

My phone beeps as soon as I enter the hallway, and I pick it up to see it’s from Candace.

Candace: I hope everything is okay with Ari.

I want to text her back, but instead, I FaceTime her, and she answers right away. Her hair is loose and down, and her shoulders are bare. I have to wonder if she’s naked.

I stop walking. “Are you naked?” I ask, and she laughs.

“No.” She shows me her off-the-shoulder shirt, and I wonder if she has a bra on. My cock is suddenly very interested in this piece of information.

“It looks like you’re naked,” I say and don’t add that if I was there, I would lean over and kiss her softly on the shoulder. I would trail soft kisses to her neck and then devour her mouth.

“Well, I’m not naked,” she says. “How is Ariella? Is she okay?”

“Yeah,” I say. “I have no idea what was wrong with her. Did you make it home okay?”

“I did,” she says. “Lucky for me, Manning forgot something, so when he came back, he gave me a lift home.” I try to ignore the burning in my stomach.

“Where are you?” I ask, trying to see where she is in her house. I’ve been there a couple of times now, but I have never seen that wall behind her.

“I’m in bed working on my lists,” she says, showing me the wall behind her that has three pictures hanging on it.

“What lists?” I ask, sitting down on the couch.

“Every Friday night, I email my clients a list of things I need from them in order to make my posts,” she says. “And what big plans do you have on a Friday night?” She sits up now, and I see that she’s sitting in her bed.