"Can you bring her over, or do I need to come and get her."
His sigh met her ear. "I'll bring her over since I have the booster. Be there in five. And Mercy?"
"Hmm?"
"If I haven't told you lately, I appreciate all you do for Maddie and me."
"You pay me to do those things."
"I know, but you go above and beyond, and that means something."
What was she supposed to do, not feed Maddie when he ran late? Not dish him up a plate when he was hungry. She did what any decent person would do. She took care of them. On some level, they were the family she wanted but never got.
"I'll be waiting." That sounded familiar. It was typical for Randy to text and say he'd be late, and she'd always reply that she'd be waiting. Her whole marriage was spent waiting for a man who wasn't coming home.
Knowing Maddie hadn't eaten, she filled a pot of water and set it on the counter to boil for oatmeal. They could pick fresh berries from the backyard to put on top.
Just as she pulled the Quaker box from the cupboard, a recognizable rap sounded at the door. Could someone's knock be noticeable? Was it as unique as a fingerprint? No, but there was something about Alex's that she recognized instantly. He didn't use a particular rhythm; it was more his firm touch.
When she swung the door wide, she took in the dark shadows below his eyes. Even the green in them looked tired, more like murky pond slime than emeralds. The blue was stormy instead of the color of the clear sky.
"You look like hell." She glanced down at Maddie. "But you look like a princess. Go pick out a book, and I'll read it to you while our oatmeal cooks. I want to talk to your daddy."
Maddie flung herself into Mercy's arms for a hug before she skipped toward a basket in the corner that held books for Maddie's reading level.
Alex was tired. Too tired to give her the look of frustration when she called him Maddie's daddy.
"She never hugs me."
With a roll of her eyes, she said, "Why would she? She knows how you feel. Don't think for a second that she doesn't get that temporary vibe from you." She needed to get her frustration under control. It served no one if she was angry. "What happened last night that was different?"
He leaned against the doorframe like he needed it to hold him up. "Nothing. We went home, and she played with her dolls. I turned on the TV and went into my studio."
"You left her alone all night?" Her temper flared again. If she weren't certain he'd fall over, she'd slap him up the side of the head.
"She had cartoons to watch and toys to play with. What else could she want?"
How long could she stare at him in disbelief and remain speechless? The only word her brain formed was you. "She needs you." Her fisted hands remained firmly at her sides. She had never been prone to violence until she met Alex. "Imagine what she feels like. She's in a strange house with a man she's never met, and you choose music over her." She glanced at Maddie, who sat on the couch, thumbing through a Where's Waldo book. "Be right back, Maddie." She pushed past Alex and marched to the far end of the porch. "What the hell is wrong with you?"
"What? It's what I did when I was a kid."
"Let's give your parents an award for being loving and nurturing and creative—not. You need to do better." The last two words pinched out with so much frustration she growled.
"My parents were awful, but it's all I know."
"Then read a damn book. There's probably a million of them out there, and not one will say leave your kid alone. Imagine all the things that could happen." She stopped when she realized she'd done exactly what she was preaching not to do. She left Maddie alone, and there was a pot of boiling water on the stove.
She bolted into the house to turn the flame off and push the water out of reach.
Alex's heavy footsteps sounded behind her, and when she whipped around to face him, he smirked.
"I'm such a hypocrite, and I'm sorry."
"No, you were right. There's a lot that could happen to a kid. It's a wonder so many survive."
"I might have been right, but I was also wrong. Can you imagine what damage boiling water could do?"
"She's okay."
"This time. Maybe we both should read a book. I've never been a parent, even though it was always at the top of my bucket list. I suppose it wasn't in the cards for me."
"Did your husband not want children?"
She hung her head. "It was more that he wanted every woman but me. Sex is generally a prerequisite to procreation."
"He was an idiot."
Her shoulders lifted. "He was a man."
"Not all men are shits."
"I've yet to meet one who isn't that's not related to me." Her daddy was a perfect role model. Too bad he couldn't be bottled and sold.
Alex stumbled back, but it wasn't because of her words. He scrubbed at his eyes, and she knew he was close to collapsing.
"You'll never make it back home." She took his hand and led him through the living room and down the hall to her bedroom. "Why don't you stay here? Maddie and I are going to take a walk to the diner for breakfast." After the scare, she wasn't ready to turn up the heat again in the kitchen. "You can sleep in my bed."
His brow lifted. "You're inviting me into your bed?"
Leave it to a man to turn everything into something tawdry. "To sleep, Alex—alone."
He touched her
