She pulled her phone out. “I didn’t know the picture was out already.”
After searching quickly, she found it. A picture of Becca on her toes handing over the toy, her hair lifted as if she was jumping, Brennan behind his daughter with a big smile on his face.
She put two fingers on her phone screen and zoomed in on Brennan’s face.
“I saw it before you got here,” her father said. “I showed your mom. Looks like there were a lot of donations.”
She put her phone away. She didn’t want to be caught staring at a man’s face.
His smile. The thoughts of his laughter while they prepared tacos together in the kitchen and Becca’s messy face while she was eating them.
She’d lost track of the games they played, the pictures they’d colored, and the dance moves. After dinner they had popcorn and watched a movie, then she left at seven.
Her plan had been to leave after dinner, but Becca was loath to let her go.
Pretty sad to think it was one of the best nights she’d had out in years.
With a three-year-old and her sexy father. Before Becca woke, she enjoyed talking with Brennan, but they barely touched on anything beyond her humiliating past relationship.
Why did she admit that? She didn’t have to go into so much detail, but there was a comfort level with him she couldn’t explain.
“There was,” she said. “Half of it was there prior that the fire department had collected. Next Saturday is another drive and then the following week they will get it all ready to hand out.”
“I’m sure you’ll be right in the middle of it,” her mother said. “What else have you been doing other than working in the food pantry one night a week?”
“I picked up clothing for the shelter earlier in the week when they called. You know I served Thanksgiving dinners this year too.”
“We missed you for that last weekend.”
“Sorry. When I saw the weather wouldn’t be that great, I didn’t want to get stuck and it was only the four of us.”
“You could have gone to Aunt Sophia’s for the day. You would have enjoyed playing with the kids.”
She thought of it, but then heard they needed volunteers to help serve those in the community that might not be able to afford a holiday dinner.
She’d finished by three and could have stopped over, but was too exhausted.
“I enjoyed helping this year.”
“Not to be a dick or anything,” Kirk said, “but are you going to hide behind being a do-gooder forever?”
“Just because it’s your birthday doesn’t give you the right to insult me.”
“I’m not,” Kirk said. “I’m waiting for you to get pissed off at you know who.”
“There is no reason to get pissed off. I went through my anger. It’s in the past.” She looked at her father sitting in his recliner staring at Kirk. “What?”
“You always do this,” her father said. “You don’t want anyone mad at you or to get anyone in trouble. What Jonathan did to you was inexcusable.”
“Dad’s pissed you didn’t let him take care of it,” Kirk said. “Me, I don’t give a crap about who gets mad at me.”
Her jaw dropped. It was the look in her brother’s eyes. “What did you do?”
“Had some words with him.”
Her brother always wanted to protect her, but she didn’t need it. “What did you say?”
“It doesn’t matter,” Kirk said. “I didn’t want him to think he could just go about his life as if he didn’t jerk you around for years.”
