Page 49 of Asher's Assignment

It should surprise him that she had him pegged already, but it didn’t. He’d been more open with her than any other woman he’d ever dated. At least this early on, anyway.

But she’d struck a chord in his heart, and she’d come into his life at the right moment in time. He was primed and ready for something permanent, so he hadn’t held back like he had in the past.

“Give me about five minutes, then come knock. Don’t forget the cake.”

He’d need at least that long to get dressed and inflate the suit. “Sounds good, and I won’t.”

She got out and walked up the path to the house. Asher waited until she was inside before he climbed out and opened the package containing the inflatable unicorn suit they’d picked out. Esther had wanted an M&M to go with the cake she made, but it hadn’t been one of their choices at the party store.

Shaking out the nylon suit, he broke open the package of batteries from the small bag on the rear driver’s side seat and put them in the pack that powered the small fan. After tucking the battery pack into the pocket inside the suit, he shoved his feet through the leg holes. He hoped it wouldn’t ride too far up his calves. The height for this thing topped out at six-foot-two. He was six-three.

The shiny fabric rustled as he drew it up over his shoulders. He felt it inch up his legs, the elastic pulling his pant legs up with it. Cool air whispered over his shins. It was definitely too short. At least the inseam wasn’t riding up his butt.

After turning on the fan, he zipped himself in and closed the car door. While he was still relatively deflated, he rounded the car and opened the rear passenger door, picking up the cake box and bouquet of candy flowers for Leah. He’d asked Esther why they couldn’t buy real ones, and she said it was a bacteria risk.

Figuring it had been five minutes, and now fully inflated, he walked up the sidewalk to the house, hoping he didn’t trip. The plastic set into the neck wasn’t the clearest stuff in the world, so he couldn’t see the best. Suit swishing with every step and the unicorn’s wings flapping behind him, he reached the front door without incident, though. He knew he looked ridiculous, but he didn’t care. If it made Leah smile, he’d wear the suit every day and wave at her through the window while Esther helped her with her lessons.

He tucked the candy flowers under one arm and knocked on the metal screen door. It rattled in its frame. The dog barked, the sound growing closer as it neared the door. A moment later, he heard a man’s gruff voice, then the inner door swung open and a scowling man Asher presumed was Rob appeared. He held a snarling black and brown Chiweenie in his arms. The man tried to maintain his stern expression, but Asher could see the smile in his eyes.

“Hi. I’m with Esther.” Asher offered the man a smile, but wasn’t sure he could see it with the unicorn’s head dipping with the slightest movement. Maybe he wasn’t as inflated as he thought.

“She mentioned you. Come in.” Rob pushed the screen open and stepped back.

Asher maneuvered through the door, careful to stay out of reach of the dog’s pointy teeth, and swished his way through the living room behind Rob.

“They’re set up in the kitchen.” Nearly there, Rob paused and looked back. “Thank you for doing this. Leah—she hasn’t had much joy the last few years.”

“You’re welcome.” Asher studied the man through the filmy plastic obscuring his vision. Whatever Rob’s reasons for allowing his name to be on Leah’s birth certificate, something told him they weren’t all selfish. It seemed he truly cared for the girl.

Crossing the threshold into the kitchen, Esther and Leah looked up from the table. Esther slapped a hand over her mouth, mirth dancing in her eyes. But it was the sunny smile on Leah’s face that held his attention.

She giggled softly. Moments later, that giggle turned into many giggles, then belly-clenching laughter when Esther snort-laughed. Asher glanced at Rob and saw a genuine smile on his face.

Setting the box down on the table, Asher decided to ham it up. He spun in a poor imitation of a pirouette. Pulling the candy flowers from under his arm, he swept into a low bow and held them out. The girl cackled and took the bouquet.

He hopped into a standing position and—still hamming it up—stood like a flamingo. He knew it wasn’t logical, but it didn’t matter. Unicorns weren’t real, so he could do whatever his little heart desired.

“Happy birthday, Leah,” Esther said.

“This is awesome.” The girl wrapped her arms around Esther’s neck. “Thank you, Miss Campbell.”

“You’re welcome, sweetie. But thank your dad. He okayed all of this.”

Leah turned to Rob, bestowing a cheerful smile on him. “Thanks, Dad. This is a great day. I can’t wait to go out to eat tonight too.”

“You’re welcome, pumpkin.” He came closer and ruffled her hair, smiling at her. “As soon as your mom gets home, we’ll go. She’s looking forward to it too. Especially after being cooped up last week and over the weekend because she was sick.”

“Let’s tell Asher the Unicorn thank you for the delivery, then we’ll dig into your cake. I’m betting your dad won’t mind if you spoil you dinner just a little.” She cast a quick look at Rob.

“Nope. It’s your special day, pumpkin. A small piece will be fine.”

Leah pulled the box closer and opened the lid. “M&M’s! Oh, yum!” She looked at Asher. “Thank you, Mr. Unicorn.”

Taking his cue to leave, Asher jumped, lifting his arms above his head as he performed a quick scissor movement with his feet. With a flourish, he executed a pretty darn good split jump through the kitchen doorway for a grand exit. Laughter, and the dog’s wild barking, followed him through the living room as he swished toward the front door.

Grinning ear to ear, he exited the house, swishing all the way back to the car. He wasn’t upset he’d lost his bet with Esther. Seeing Leah’s smile and hearing her laugh had been worth every sweaty second.

And he was definitely sweaty. The suit didn’t breathe well. Even with the fan, moisture dripped down the sides of his face. His dance moves hadn’t helped.

---