Page 52 of Summer Fling


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"You mean when she drops Lilliana off whenever it's convenient for her?" Dalton drawled sarcastically.

"That's what I took it to mean." I kept one eye on the eggs while I poured more milk into Liliana's sippy cup.

He sighed heavily. "Can you put me on speaker phone? I want to talk to my girl."

"Of course." I set the phone on the high chair and clicked Speaker. "Your daddy wants to say hi."

"Da-da," Lilliana said, her arms flailing excitedly.

"Hey, baby girl. I'll be home soon, okay?" Dalton's voice was filled with affection.

"Da-da," she continued babbling.

I picked up the phone. "You'll be home at the usual time?"

"If I can get out early, I will."

"I know you want to see Lilliana, but she's fine."

"This was supposed to be your week off. You probably had things you wanted to do."

I smiled that he cared about me. "I spent the morning painting. It was really nice."

"I don't want to take advantage of you being there."

"This is what we talked about when you hired me. You warned me this could happen, and you needed me here so that you could work your usual hours."

"I need to talk to Ashton."

I cradled the phone against my ear while I shifted the eggs from the pan to a small dish. "That's a good idea."

"What could be more important than her daughter?" Dalton asked, frustration tinging his voice.

"Her boyfriend.”

"Did she say anything else?"

I debated whether I should tell him, and in the end, I thought it would be best to be honest. I moved out of the kitchen into the hallway, where I could see Lilliana, but she wouldn't hear me as easily. "She said that Lilliana would always be something that you two shared. I was just the nanny."

He bit off a curse. "I'm sorry you had to deal with her."

"It's nothing you didn't warm me about when you hired me. Don't worry about it."

"Oakley can be mean when she wants to be."

"It's okay. I'm made of tougher stuff," I said even as my stomach knotted.

"You are." There was affection in his voice that I could easily get addicted to. "What are your plans now?"

"There's a yoga class for moms and toddlers. I thought I'd take her to that after her nap."

"I'll pick up something for dinner," he said before he clicked off the call.

I wondered if he had been thinking about having the entire week to ourselves. What would have happened if Lilliana wasn't here? Would we have spent every evening in bed?

I would have liked that. But this was what he hired me for. I was here so that he could continue to work and be there for his family.

When I arrived home after the yoga class, Dalton was already in the kitchen, chopping veggies. He gestured for me to bring Lilliana to him, and when I reached him, he raised his arm for me to slide under. He surprised me by kissing me on the mouth.