Wait For Me

“You’ve had gum stuck in your hair?”

“More than once,” I admit. “It’s a work hazard.”

“A work hazard?” Grayson’s smile lights up the room.

Those dimples coul

d be hazardous to a woman.

“Don’t look so surprised,” I say, laughing. “I don’t get a ton of rest, which means I fall asleep randomly, and sometimes I have gum in my mouth.” I point a finger at Grayson and smile. “And if you tell anyone about that, or sell the story to the tabloids, I’ll…I’ll…I don’t know what I’ll do, but it won’t be pretty.”

His face hardens a bit. “Would someone actually do that?”

“You’d be surprised at what people will do, or say, or lie about to make a quick buck.”

I’ve been burned more than once. It’s why I don’t have many friends.

“Actually, I wouldn’t be surprised. I know first-hand what people are willing to do for money…and other things.”

His voice tells me he’s been burned by someone he trusts the same way I have—Lorelei, if I had to guess.

“You don’t have to worry about me,” he says. “I like to make my money the old-fashioned way.”

That warms my heart. “Thank you. That means a lot.”

He holds my gaze long enough to cause goosebumps to race up my arms. When my nipples tighten in awareness, I break the connection and look away.

“You’re doing great, Emma.”

“Fank you.” She blinks up at me and then looks at her dad and yawns.

“Are you tired?” he asks, taking her hand when she nods her head.

“I can stop if you want to get her home.”

Grayson shakes his head. “No, it needs to come out.”

“I have an idea.” I wipe my hands off on a towel and pick Emma up. I situate her on her dad’s lap so she can rest her head on his chest while still giving me access to the gum.

“How’s that, honeybun?”

Her toothy grin makes me smile. “Good.”

I tweak her cheek and reach for more coconut oil. “I don’t know how you do it,” I say, rubbing it down the shaft of her hair.

A small clump of gum falls off, and I drop it in the trash.

Grayson wraps his arms around his daughter and rests his chin on her head. “Do what?”

“Deal with all of this cuteness. Seriously, your kids are adorable.”

“Most of the time. Don’t let their cherub faces fool you. They each have a wild side.”

“I won’t believe it until I see it.”

Silence falls around us as I continue to work on Emma’s hair. I’m not sure how much time passes, but Emma falls asleep and when my back starts to hurt from bending over, I stand up straight, arch backward, and rub the offending ache.

“Is it your back?” Grayson asks. I nod, and he adjusts Emma on his lap. “We can stop. I don’t want you to hurt yourself.”