One Hot Daddy

We sit at a nearby table and Declan orders samples of all their popular pizzas.

“We can’t finish all that,” Lexi says and laughs.

“I’m so excited you guys are here. I want to hear your thoughts on the taste,” Declan says.

He and Lexi embark on a conversation on the food industry. Luna disappears inside the playhouse and, worried that she might lose her way and get scared, I go to her. Luna sticks her head out of the small window and when she sees me, she lets out a squeal. For the next couple of minutes, we play peek-a-boo. I glance at Declan and Lexi and find them deep in conversation. I’m glad they’re getting along but it’s not surprising. Declan is a people’s person. He can charm a mother into giving away her child.

Meanwhile, I keep my princess entertained until she gets tired and we go back to the table. “I think she needs a change of diaper,” Lexi says.

I give her the car keys and she carries Luna out.

“She’s lovely, isn’t she?” I ask Declan.

“They both are,” he says.

We spend an hour with Declan. The pizzas are mouthwatering and he insists on packing us pizza for dinner and pizza for breakfast. We walk to the marina and search for Serenity until we find her.

“That’s your daddy’s boat,” Lexi tells Luna. “One day when you’re a little older, he’ll take you out on it.”

“Why do we have to wait until she’s older?” I ask Lexi.

“I don’t know. Do babies sail?” she says and then bursts out laughing when she realizes the absurdity of her question.

That’s another thing I want to do with my girls. Enjoy a day out at sea. There’s so much I want to do with them.

After the marina, we pop into Park and Rachel’s office for a quick visit. It hits me why family men are always busy. There’s so much to do with their families. It leaves very little time for socializing with friends. It’s a life that I could get used to.

Chapter 20

Lexi

“How are you feeling?” Vanessa asks as we pack my and Luna’s stuff into boxes.

It’s Friday afternoon and I’ve taken a day off from work for the big move. Not that there’s much to pack. Just our clothes and other personal items. Ace will be coming for us soon.

“Excited. Scared,” I tell Vanessa. There’s no right word for what I’m feeling. It was easy enough to get excited about moving in with Ace but now that the day has come, I’m terrified.

“He’s a solid man,” Vanessa says.

“He is.” And just like that, the butterflies in my belly go still. Vanessa is right. Ace is a good man. Luna and I will be just fine with him. “What about you? Are you frightened?”

“A little but also glad that Miles is the one moving in. If he pisses me off, I’ll just kick him out,” Vanessa says in a flippant tone.

“I’ll help,” I quip.

Vanessa and I exchange a fond look. It’s been the two of us for so long. My heart aches at the thought of parting from her. “I’m going to miss you.” My voice is shaky with emotion.

“Me too, sis,” she says, and we hug each other tightly. “But I think it’s time. We all have to grow up sometime.”

She’s right. As much as we love each other, life happens, and people take different directions. The important thing is to stay close.

Luna wakes up from her nap in time for her afternoon snack and then Ace arrives. After that things happen fast and there’s no time to feel sad. Ace stashes our bags in the trunk of his SUV.

Vanessa carries Luna to the car. “I’ll miss you so much, baby gal,” she croons. “But you’ll be coming to see your other mama, right?”

“And you’ll be coming to visit us,” Ace says. “Our home is your home too.” That’s really sweet of Ace to say that to my sister.

“Thank you,” Vanessa says. “You’ll see me so much until you’ll rethink that offer.

We laugh and when we say a final goodbye, it’s not sad. It’s more of a see-you-later. I’m quiet on the ride to Ace’s place. I feel vulnerable and a little frightened as it hits me again what a big step I’ve taken. What do I really know about Ace? He is a nice guy but everyone even psychopaths are good people until they get what they want. He could kick Luna and me out in the middle of the night. The tremble starts in my legs and snakes up my body.

“Are you okay?”

I jerk back to the present. I try to arrange my mouth into a smile. “Yes, I’m fine.”

My top clings to my back. I try to hang on to Ace’s reassurances. He’d never kick me and Luna out of his condo. He’d be the one to leave. Mere words, a voice in my head says. Where’s the signed legal document? I’m a mess by the time we get to his condo complex. I look at it with new eyes knowing this will be our new home.