Page 4 of A Hot Sauce Halloween

Two

Anna

I open the front door,still smiling from the tickles teasing my rear. Evey stands on the porch with Charlotte beside her and a very round, very pregnant, belly leading the way.

“Hey, honey!” I lean over as Charlotte runs into my arms. “Did you two have fun?”

Charlotte hugs my knees. “Yes! — Daddy!”

I glance over my shoulder in time to see the mega-grin spread across Jake’s face in the hallway.

She started calling him Daddy so quickly after he moved in. I thought it would take time for her to get used to him but it’s like she was always waiting for him to finally come home.

“Hey, kiddo,” he says, taking a knee. “Come here!”

Charlotte abandons me and races for him instead. I don’t take it personally. He is pretty awesome.

Evey bounces up and down with her tote bag hanging on her arm. “Can I use your bathroom?” she asks with one hand on her giant belly. “This girl is performing Riverdance on my bladder.”

I step out of the way. “You know where it is.”

“Thank you.”

Evey hobbles past me and I close the door.

“Hey, Jake!” Evey says.

“Hi, Evey—” He hugs the wall as she bolts between him and Charlotte.

“Gotta go. Sorry,” she says as she slips into the bathroom.

He chuckles and lifts Charlotte to rest on his hip. “You have fun with Aunt Evey?” he asks her as he plants kisses on her head.

She nods and her mouth drops into a yawn.

“You tired?”

She shakes her head.

“No? Then, why are you yawning?” he quips.

“No…” she murmurs.

“You know, Charlotte, when you grow up and start adulting, you’ll be begging for a mid-day nap. Just you wait.”

“No!”

He bends over and attacks her with kisses, making her kick and giggle in his arms.

I swoon. I can’t help it. Watching Jake ease into his role as a father has been nothing short of amazing. It’s been half a year. He was just Milo the Hot Sauce guy back then. Now, he’s so much more… to both of us.

Jake lowers Charlotte to the floor. “Go on upstairs,” he tells her. “Slip into your PJs.”

She pouts. “No…”

“Charlotte…” he says. “Give me a twenty minute nap and I’ll make a special, turtle-shaped cookie for you tomorrow.”

“Okay!”

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