Alex chuckled. “That bothers you?”
I shrugged. “It’s not that it bothers me. It’s just since you’re fixing things up anyway, might as well, right?”
“Sick of painting at this point, so I’ll probably hire someone to come and paint the outside.”
“That’s expensive,” I said. “Might even have to hire someone from out of town.”
Alex grunted then swallowed a bite of egg. “It’s not a big deal. Plus, some people can use the work, I’m guessing.”
I nodded once and then thought it over. He’d bought a new house, went into a partnership on a productive piece of land, and had a new truck. Not only that, he was going to buy a bunch of new furniture, and that definitely was not cheap.
The more I added it up in my mind, the more I worried. That was a lot of money. Far more than I could afford, and I started to wonder if Alex was being honest about if he could afford it either.
I started to wonder if there was a different explanation. I’d been assuming he was buying these things outright, but that was silly. Most people didn’t buy houses outright. They took out loans. Same things with cars, and even a lot of times furniture.
I was renting my house, but I was making payments on my car and couch.
I began to suspect Alex was going into heavy debt to prove to me he was going to put down roots and what a great father he could be. It was hard to know what I should say to him. After all, he wasn’t a kid, and so he knew about the dangers of a lot of loans, but at the same time, I didn’t want him ending in a bad financial situation while trying to impress me.
Stability and hard work. That’s all I’d ever wanted from a man, let alone Alex. A nice ass and chiseled chest were nice, too, but I definitely wasn’t expecting some millionaire to come and sweep me off my feet.
I’d stayed in Livingston for several reasons, but the chief of which was that I liked our working-class rural vibe.
After swallowing my final bite of bacon, I glanced up at the clock and winced. “Oh, dam—darn.” I glanced over at Kadie. She watched me, wide-eyed and smiling.
“What’s wrong?” Alex asked.
“I didn’t set my alarm. I slept in.” I all but jumped out of my seat. “I’m way behind schedule. I have to get ready, and I gotta take Kadie to Mama’s before work.”
“I can do that.”
“What?”
“I can take Kadie to your mom’s.” He shrugged. “No big deal.”
“Well, I guess, but it’ll probably take a few minutes to get the car seat out of my car and into your truck, and then we’ll have to move it again later.” I sighed. Oh, I was so screwed.
“I already have a car seat in the back.”
“What?”
Alex smiled. “I bought one Wednesday morning. I had to go into town to buy some more paint anyway, and I figured I’d get one since I wasn’t sure when I might need to take Kadie somewhere, you
know, like her grandma’s.”
“Yay! Nana!” She clapped her hands together.
I stared at Alex, my mouth open. How could one man be so perfect?
“Okay, thanks, Alex,” I said. I walked over and knelt in front of Kadie. “Alex will be taking you to Nana’s; okay, sweetie?”
“Okay,” she said.
I almost wanted to explain right then and there who Alex was, but telling her he was her daddy seemed like something I shouldn’t drop in passing while rushing to get out the door.
I hurried back to my room to get some clothes and then into my bathroom for a quick shower. I got ready for work in record time and then rushed back into the kitchen to plant kisses on both my beloveds before hurrying to my car.
Pulling away, I glanced into the rearview mirror at my house. My heart was still in that house with Alex and Kadie.