I knew little about children, but from what I could gather, most kids her age couldn’t spell, let alone read. I took a chance and glanced up at Nate, who was gazing lovingly at his daughter. If I weren’t so pissed that he had zero clue who I was, then I’d probably find it endearing. Instead, it only added fuel to my fire.
“Eloise can read at a second-grade level. She took to books the minute she came to live with me.”
I noticed his eyes lost their sparkle at the mention of the girls moving in with him. It made me wonder if there was more to the situation than he disclosed to me at the bar that night so long ago. All I knew was he and his wife divorced. She had primary custody of the girls, then one day dropped off their kids with his parents without a second’s notice.
Turning back to the little girl, I did my best to smile again. “Well, we have an entire section of children’s books I’m sure you’ll love. My sister, Rory, picked them out.”
“Rory? That name is silly,” Molly chimed in from behind me.
I twisted my body so I could face both girls. “Yes, we call her Rory, but her name is Aurora, like the princess. She’s a first-grade teacher at our school here.” Winking at Eloise, I added, “And I know she put a lot of thought into picking out these books. I’m sure you’ll find something you’ll love.”
“Wow. Daddy, can I stay here?”
I could see he was thinking it over, but then he gingerly shook his head and told her she could come back later.
“Why don’t you girls go find your bedrooms upstairs?” It was only a split second before they were darting away from the library and toward the stairs. I didn’t get the chance to tell them there was a back staircase they could’ve used because they moved so fast. Like little tumbleweeds caught in a breeze.
“Just not the blue door! That’s mine!” I shouted as I followed after them.
“Wait, you’re the one staying here?” Nate asked abruptly.
“That’s the plan, Stan. My sister and her husband live on the third floor, and… well, I don’t want to go anywhere near their love nest. So, it’s the second floor for me. But don’t worry, you won’t even know I’m here.”
I planned to stay as far away from the house as I could. There was no reason to make everything worse for myself. It was bad enough this man didn’t remember me, but it was even worse knowing how unattainable he was.
Autumn said the guy had money, and judging by the suit he wore, there were a lot of dollars to spare. Of course, who wore a suit to a farming town? He stuck out like a sore thumb, just like he had a year ago.
He’d filled out since then. The suit that hung so loosely on him at the bar was now snug in all the right places. The long hair I stroked my fingers through as he got well acquainted with the sensitive spot between my legs was now long gone. If I’d seen him walking down the street, I probably wouldn’t have given him a second glance, but his eyes drew me in. When I opened the door and they latched onto me, I felt them the same way I had when he slid his cock inside me over and over again.
“Did you just moan?” he asked from behind me as I started climbing the stairs.
“No,” I answered quickly. “I just… have a sore muscle in my leg. That’s all.”
I went back to ignoring him and finished the climb, then took a left down the hall, where I found Eloise and Molly in adjoining rooms. One was covered in pale-pink lace for Molly, and one was in matching lace but pastel-yellow for Eloise. Autumn decorated them specifically for the two girls visiting this summer. Normally, crisp-white duvets adorned the queen-sized beds, but she figured the girls would want something a little more colorful. She also added a dollhouse and a few kid toys off a list from Rory.
“So, what do you girls think?” Nate asked as he stepped inside the room Eloise snagged. She sat delicately in a rocking chair overlooking the backyard.
“I like it.”
Like a hurricane-force wind, Molly came running into the bedroom, tossed her body on the newly made bed, and sighed in contentment. Eloise’s small face cringed as she looked at her now crumpled bedding.
“Daddy, I love it. It’s like being a pwincess in an old castle. Did your home look like this when you were four?” She held up four fingers.
I tried to hold back my laugh. I really did. But the giggle won over and spewed from between my closed lips as I looked at Nate’s exasperated face.
I may not know much about kids, but damn, his were freaking hilarious.
“Yeah, Daddy. Did the houses look like this when you were young?” I asked in jest, but I didn’t miss the way his eyes glazed over when I called him Daddy. Instead of considering all the possibilities of being in the same home with this devilishly handsome man, I hardened my face and turned back to the girls.
“No, Molly. When I was little, the homes looked just like they do now. I’m only thirty-eight.”
Well, at least now I knew how old my mystery man was. Fourteen years older than me, which was more up Autumn’s alley than mine. Colton was eleven years her senior.
“Thirty-eight is old,” Molly said through a know-it-all exhale.
“No, it’s not, Molly,” Eloise replied quietly from her corner. “Can we go outside? There’s a swing set.”
“There’s also an ice rink and pool, but you need an adult with you to go to those, okay?” I tried to say sternly, but I’m pretty certain I failed. “House rules.”
