I squint at the gnarled-up doodles on her paper. “Uh…that’s close,” I tell her, trying my best to be sensitive to her fragile, kiddie-sized feelings.
When Callie came into this world, I fell in love with her in an instant. I thought it was a fluke, a random spot of affection for an adorable, little creature with a personality so big that even my grumpy heart couldn’t ignore it. But now that Cannon’s daughter is here, I’m questioning that theory because Little Diana is practically still a hatchling, yet from the second she squinted those tiny blue eyes at me and gripped onto my finger, I was a goner. Maybe I do like kids, maybe I’ll want a few rugrats running around my house someday.
I’ve been wondering about Penny’s baby, wondering how in the hell I’ll be able to be neutral about that kid. What if he has my eyes? What if he does that brow furrow thing I always do? What if he’s a grumpy, surly, red-haired, flannel-wearing mini me? How the hell will I be able to keep my distance then?
I've always loved Penny. Yet I'd long accepted that I'd spend my life loving her from arm's length. Because I was never brave enough to risk our friendship in order to pursue something more. But now, this burning need to claim her is becoming unbearable. Shit. What am I supposed to do?
Briskly shaking my head, I come back to the moment. I focus on Callie. “Can I have a try?”
My niece gives a vigorous nod and drops the crayon into my outstretched palm. Dragging my chair closer to hers, I demonstrate again how to construct each letter.
It’s painstaking work for me to produce my best, legible handwriting. Hell—I’m about to break out into a sweat.
We get lost in the task until I hear the front door creak open. Immediately, my pulse gets going. I know it must be Penny, getting home from her decorating gig for the day.
To avoid yet again looking like a thirsty, overeager fool, I resist the urge to turn and check her out. Instead, I grip my crayon and focus on my penmanship.
“That’s a great job, Uncle Walker!” Callie beams like a proud parent.
I hand the sheet back to her, with her name carefully drawn out in large, capital letters.
“Yes, that is remarkable work,” Penny coos from over my back. I feel her dainty hand fall to my shoulder as she hovers behind me. Reaching up to give her fingers a little squeeze is a reflex. I just need to touch her.
When I look up at her, she smiles a smile that steals my fucking breath. “You two are adorable.”
I pass the crayon back to Callie. “Now you try again.” Then I turn in my chair to shower my attention on Penny.
“If anyone’s adorable, it’s you.” My voice comes out as a rumble. Her belly is becoming more pronounced now, pushing outward in the shirts she wears.
More and more, I catch her stealing my flannel as she grows out of her skimpy, glittery, high-fashion wardrobe. I’m not complaining one bit. I enjoy seeing her in my things. Still, I’d love to take her shopping and buy her all the maternity clothes she needs. I wonder how she’d feel about that.
I rise to my feet, rubbing her perfectly rounded stomach. Then I lean down and press my lips to her cheek. I can’t help it. There’s nothing better than seeing her blush every time I do.
God, I do love her.
I want to tell her. I want to tell her everything. I want to spill my heart out.
I want to pour her a cupful of my soul and watch her drink it up, watch her get drunk on my secrets, on my plans, on my dreams for me and her and the baby.
But I don’t want to scare her away.
I’m still trying to decipher the few words I heard her exchanging with Jessa in the kitchen yesterday. I didn’t catch much of the conversation and I’m not trying to make eavesdropping on Penny a habit but I did hear her say she wouldn’t survive losing a friendship. I have a feeling she was referring to me. Well if that’s the case, her feelings mirror mine because at this point, losing her from my life isn’t even an option.
A tiny hand pulls on mine. “Uncle Walker, can I have some milk?”
“Of course, Pumpkin. Hit me with the magic word, though.”
The child grins. “Pleeeaaasseee!”
Chortling, I ruffle my niece’s head then follow Penny into the kitchen, enjoying the view as I go. My best friend has always had the perfect body, but now, curves are filling out in the most delicious of places. I never had a clue pregnancy could be so goddamn sexy.
“Babysitting, huh?” she asks when we’re alone in the kitchen. She leans against the counter with her water bottle in hand. Just behind her, there’s a pile of newspapers with potential apartments she expects me to go check out with her. Yeah, I don’t think so. If she believes I’ll let her move into another shit-hole in the middle of her pregnancy, she’s sorely mistaken. She’s staying here with me. She just doesn’t know it yet.
“Yep. It’s Jessa’s day off, and my parents are…out.” I scrub the back of my neck to relieve the tension that pops up there automatically.
“Out? Does that mean what I think it means?” Both her eyebrows rise in unison.
I clench my jaw and nod.
My parents went off to visit Eli in jail again. They do this once a month. I don't understand why they keep appeasing the criminal bastard. Penny knows how much the situation riles my nerves.
Her emerald eyes go soft with empathy. Oh, boy. She’s going to try and reason with me. Isn’t she?
But she never does what I expect, remember? The girl goes all nostalgic on me.
“I remember that time you were giving me a
