Page 66 of Always Be Mine
“Maybe the monkeys would like a scoop of ice cream?”
“Yes!”
“It’s not even lunch yet.”
“Please, Lucy!”
Craig took a step back and assessed the situation. It felt odd that his little girl deferred so easily to Lucy after such a short time, but at the same time, it felt kind of okay, too. Maybe even better than okay. But it was easy to see that Lucy cared about Meri, and she did have a point. Still, when Meri looked at him and batted her big lashes, he folded like origami.
“One scoop won’t hurt.”
“Thank you, Daddy!”
Craig ruffled her hair as Meri hugged his legs. When he looked up, Lucy was watching him with an expression on her pretty face that he couldn’t quite read…and he had the distinct impression he’d just screwed up.
Lucy sent Meri ahead into the Sugar Shack to wash her hands before letting her choose the one scoop of ice cream her father had decided was a good idea. At least she could enforce good hygiene, if not good nutritional habits.
It bothered her that he’d overridden her authority on the ice cream because now she was going to have to deal with Meri not wanting to eat her lunch and crashing early from a sugar high while he was at work.
It was true that he was her father. But shouldn’t she havesomeauthority if she was the nanny? At the very least, he shouldn’t undermine her decisions. It wasn’t a good habit to get into unless they wanted total anarchy.
“I’m sorry,” he said as soon as Meri was inside. “I shouldn’t have agreed to the ice cream.” He shook his head. “Not after you said no.”
“No. You shouldn’t have.” She crossed her arms over her chest.
His self-awareness took her off guard. Still, she didn’t want to let him off the hook so easily. They’d never discussed these types of situations, and it seemed like a good time to cross such a discussion off the list.
“I don’t want you to think that I’m unreasonable.”
“I don’t.”
“But ice cream before lunch is almost never a good idea.”
“I agree.”
“If she doesn’t eat a good lunch, she’s going to hit a wall mid-afternoon and then I’m going to have to deal with the crash.”
“I know.” He nodded. “And I really am sorry.”
“Okay.” She exhaled sharply. “That was…well, I guess that was a lot easier of a conversation than I thought it would be.”
He laughed and touched her forearm. “I really am sorry, Lucy. And I swear, I do know better. I mean, I’ve dealt with it all. It wasn’t fair of me to override you. I think sometimes I forget that you’re allowed to make some rules, too. I’ve been numero uno her whole life. Up till now.” He shrugged, and she shook her head.
“I’m not number one.”
His smile was kind, if not a bit sad. “Maybe not, but you’re sure getting up there. She loves you and she listens to you and…”
A familiar figure at the far end of the plaza caught Lucy’s eye and stole all her attention. Craig was still talking and apologizing for his misstep, but she wasn’t listening. The only thing she could focus on was the dark hair, the broad shoulders, the slight dip of his head as he looked down at?—
“Lucy?” Craig squeezed her arm, forcing her back into the moment. “Are you okay? I know I shouldn’t have done that, but please don’t be upset with me.”
“I’m not.” She glanced over his shoulder. Ross hadn’t seen her, but he wasn’t far away. Walking hand in hand with the blonde she’d never met but would recognize anywhere from her caller ID picture.Wifey.How had she been so stupid? It hadn’t even been forty minutes since Mandi had called to warn her, and what did she do? She went directly to the busiest part of Trickle Creek. The one place where she’d be sure to run into him.
The couple paused in front of the kitchen store. The woman disappeared into the store while he waited out front.
“Sorry,” she said to Craig. “I’m not upset, I just…”
He was only a few shops away and looking around.
