“Let’s take this little miss somewhere she can run. Do you mind?” Luci swiped at the little girl’s face with a damp cloth from the small bag slung over the chair beside her. “Babysitting probably isn’t what you had in mind when you agreed to meet me for coffee.”
“Jake might be upset about me spending time with his daughter.”
“Nah.” She waved a hand before releasing the toddler from the confines of her seat. “Why would he care? He’s overprotective, but you’re not a stranger or anything.”
No, this was much worse than being a stranger, between Jake’s omissions and Luci’s dismissive attitude. I busied myself with tidying the table and returning our cups and then we exited into the sunshine, strolling toward the nearby playground. “You’re good with her.”
“She’s a complete doll.” Luci ran a hand over the girl’s dark curls before setting her niece free at the edge of the park. “Amara? I’m glad you came. I’ve missed you.”
Now I was thoroughly confused, but I’d hang in there and see where this was headed.
We’d been chasing the little girl around the playground for half an hour when Luci’s phone rang. “It’s the hospital. Can you keep an eye on Sari?”
I nodded, moving closer and steadying Sarina as she negotiated the steps to the slide, then holding her hand as she slid down.
Luci was pacing back and forth several steps away, talking in a low voice.
“Go again?” I asked, pointing at the slide, laughing at Sarina’s emphatic nod and following as she toddled toward the stairs.
Luci rejoined us, frowning. “I have to go in and check on a patient, but Jake won’t be back until after five. Taking Sari to the hospital with me isn’t the greatest idea, and she’ll need a nap soon. Would it be too much to ask you to watch her?”
I blew out a long breath, raising my brows at Luci. If only she knew.
“Sorry. It’s too much.” Luci combed her fingers through her hair, a despondent look appearing. “It’s too weird for you to be around her given how things ended with Jake, right? Never mind, I’ll take her with me.”
“No.” I lifted the little girl and rested her on my hip. “We’ll do just fine, won’t we, Sari?”
The girl twirled a lock of her hair around her finger, one thumb finding its way into her mouth, but she nodded.
“She’s exhausted.” Luci draped the diaper bag over my shoulder. “I’ll be back before Jake finishes for the day, so you don’t have to deal with him.”
“I’ll take good care of her.”
“Was there ever any doubt?” Luciana planted a kiss on the girl’s head. “Be good for Amara,” she said before she headed in the direction of the hospital.
Holding Jake’s child in my arms felt strange, but I loved the crisp outdoor scent that clung to her hair, and the way she wrapped her arms around my neck and rested her head against my shoulder. I snuggled Sarina close and strolled toward my condo, wondering if this blissful feeling would reappear when—if—I eventually held my own child.
Her eyelids drooped, one fist rubbing at her eyes. A snack followed by a nap was needed by this little starfish.
I stared blankly at my book, struggling to shut down the thoughts whirling around my brain. Would Luci tell her brother about this afternoon? As the lock turned in my front door, I straightened.
“Are you home, Mar?” Jake’s voice brought me out of my chair.
I’d been staring blankly at my book, struggling to shut down the thoughts whirling around my brain. Shooting a look toward my bedroom, I hurried toward the front door. “You’re early.”
“Aren’t you happy to see me?” he asked, catching me around the waist and hauling me against him. “Greg had a meeting downtown, but he had it covered, so …” His lips were enticing, soft and warm as he kissed me, dancing us toward the bedroom. His keys landed on the island with a clatter.
“Stop.” The firm push against his chest did little to dissuade him, but the only thing worse than him finding his daughter in my apartment would be him finding her curled up in the middle of my bed enjoying her afternoon siesta as he stripped me naked, intent on luring me into that very bed. “Really, we can’t.”
He pressed his face into the crook of my neck, groaning, still guiding me toward my bedroom, one slow backward step at time.
“Jake.”
He stopped just short of my room and stared into my eyes. “What’s wrong?”
Sarina’s tiny feet pattered against the hardwood as she toddled toward her daddy, lifting her arms.
He narrowed his eyes, but a bright smile appeared as he scooped up his baby girl, tossing her in the air and peppering her with kisses. “Starfish! Did you have fun today? What happened to Tía Luci?”
The little girl patted his cheek, followed by an open-handed thumb tap to her forehead with her right hand. She squirmed and pointed toward the living room.
Jake set her on her feet, and she raced away, plopping onto her bum beside the board book we’d looked at before her nap. “Why is my daughter here?”
“Good question. Why is she here, Jakob?”
“Where’s my sister?” He crossed his arms.
“Luci got called in to work and asked me to watch Sarina.”
“You should have said no.”
“And tell her that you demand that I stay away from your kid?”
“No, but this isn’t—” He eyed my phone as it rang.
“That’s probably Luci,” I said, glancing at the number onscreen—the one linked to the building’s intercom system. “What should I do?”
“Damn. Let her in? You can’t ignore her.”
I answered and released the door, still observing Jake.
The man stared at his blissfully unaware daughter, tense and poised, appearing ready to snatch her up and bolt from the apartment at any moment.
“It’s not that big of a deal. Just tell her I called you to pick up Sari.”
“Why would you do that? In her world, we aren’t even
