I thank Rocket for watching Sarah and then dig through my purse for money.
“Put that away. You’re my best friend—I won’t let you pay me.”
I must be more tired than I realized because her generosity nearly has me crying. “Babies are so much work, though. I…”
Rocket’s expression turns to concern as I crumple. I’m so tired. Hungry and tired. My eyes are leaking and I turn away from the men.
“Honey,” she says, hugging me. “It’s fine. No offense, but this is your first day ever working a job involving actual physical labor. It’s no wonder you’re exhausted. And by the way, she’s not a baby. She’s a 14-month-old who can walk and talk. Not well, but she’s amazing and I love every minute with her.”
I hug her goodbye and Jet hands me Sarah. While I’m buckling her in, I hear Rocket giving Henry some instructions, but I can’t hear it. I’m too tired to care.
Rocket waves goodbye to me once I’m buckled in and says, “Bring her over whenever you need a break or alone time. Any kind of alone time.”
She winks and I almost feel like hurling.
“Is everyone invested in my personal life or…,” I start.
Rocket and Jet together chant, “Yes. Yes, we are.”
Henry looks super pleased with himself. Once again, I want to call him out for being an ass, but I just can’t. He likes me and he won’t hide it. And he’s extremely pleased I like him back. It’s as simple as that.
When I arrive at home, I expect Henry to turn around and head back to his farm. Instead, he carries Sarah’s diaper bag inside for me.
I set my baby girl down on her play mat, but she’s already gunning for her building blocks and spreading them all over the rug and motioning for me to come and play with her. “Mama play!”
How can I say no to that face when I haven’t seen her all day? I grin and squat down on the floor. “Guess Mama will get a shower after I feed you and wear you out,” I say.
Henry squats down on the floor right in front of Sarah and she hands him the Q letter block. He considers it, then looks at her and says, “Are we making a castle or a beach house?”
“What are you doing?” I ask him.
“Letting you go take a shower?”
“But what about you?” I ask.
He comically sniffs his armpit. “I’m a dude who spends most of his days alone in a field. I’m used to being covered in grime from dawn ’til midnight. Go take a shower.”
I don’t take orders from men. Never have, never will. But this order, I’m on board with.
When I return from taking the most satisfying shower in a month—I’ve never worked so physically hard in my life apart from childbirth— Henry not only has Sarah strapped into her high chair and is feeding her cut up carrots, grapes, and noodles, but he even thought to find a bib.
I’m towel drying my hair and watching the scene from the hallway with a huge grin on my face. “What about the chicken and noodles, Sarah? You need your protein if you’re gonna grow tall and smart like your mama. You’ve already got her eyes. I’ll bet mama ate her protein.”
“Mama,” she repeats. “Shower.”
“Very good. Mama’s taking a shower.”
I step into the room just as the doorbell rings. I step forward, but Henry dashes for the door. “Wait,” I say. I don’t know why some irrational part of my brain thinks it could be an unwanted visitor. Don’t mince words with yourself, Jane. You’re worried it could be Carl.
He ignores my outburst and answers the door, then returns to the kitchen with two bags in hand. “You said you liked Chinese. I wasn’t sure what, specifically, so I got a variety.”
I watch in wide-eyed fascination at the sheer competency of this man.
“Can she have udon noodles?” he asks.
I stammer, “Uh, sure.” My mommy muscle memory propels me into the kitchen to grab plates and utensils, fetch drinks, and dish out a plate of noodles for Sarah, but Henry is two steps ahead of me. He’s already got the table set and is preparing a plate for my little one.
Should I be worried that he’s been going through my cabinets? I take a moment to assess my feelings. Nothing about him pulling out plates, napkins, and glasses makes me nervous or territorial. It feels normal and natural. And I did tell him to make himself at home.
Just like the day we met him at the fair, Sarah is eating like a horse on his watch. Henry already cut up the udon noodles into small bites and is encouraging her as she grabs them and shoves them into her mouth.
“What a champ! High five, little partner!”
Sarah, who recognizes the phrase, reaches her hand up high and slaps Henry’s hand. On the follow-through, sauce splatters on his face.
“Oops, you got me!” he says, laughing.
Sarah giggles. The cuteness between them wakes up my ovaries.
I continue to watch quietly as the two of them play with their food while I eat my fried rice in peace. It’s been so long since I’ve had a hot meal and been able to eat that hot meal without interruption, I want to cry.
I don’t care if he’s my boss. I don’t care if we’re just friends.
As soon as Sarah’s asleep tonight, this man is getting kissed again—this time with tongue.
Chapter Nine
Henry
It makes me happy to see Jane relaxing on the sofa with a full belly while I play building blocks with Sarah on the floor.
I know she’s going to kick me out at any minute—I must reek like stale sweat and earth—and I’m dreading it. I don’t know what it is, but the thought of going back to my empty house without her—without both her and Sarah—hurts.
During a commercial break
