Page 63 of Scarred Hearts

“I know nothing about kids either,” I snickered in agreement. “We’ll have to finish this conversation soon.”

“Hey,” he greeted me with a tired sigh, stepping to the side so I could enter.

“Hi, where’s my dog?” I joked.

“He’s outside with the kids.” He shook his head with a half-amused expression.

I took a step into the house before turning to face him as he shut the door behind us. His normally put-together appearance was slightly disheveled, his hair tousled, and his shirt untucked.

“Is everything okay?” I asked, noticing his flustered demeanor.

“Yeah, it’s fine,” he replied quickly, leading me through the foyer and down a hallway into the family room.

My eyes landed on the couch, memories flooding back of our passionate encounter not too long ago. I wanted to ask him about last night and where he had disappeared to, but now didn’t seem like the right time. He seemed in a rush... or maybe something was bothering him.

I turned to speak to him, but he surprised me by grabbing my hips and pulling me close against him. “Thank you for doing this. I know it’s probably awkward for you.”

“It’s okay, I promise. I’m?—”

“Dad, is she here?” A young voice interrupted us as Naya came bounding around the corner with a wide grin. Tyler took a step back from me, his hands resting on his hips as he watched her approach.

Before he could reply, she reached us and stood in front of me with an eager smile. “Hi!”

“Hi!” I matched her tone.

Without warning, she threw her arms around my hips, hugging me tightly. Stifling a huge grin, I pressed my hands to her back, holding her. It melted me instantly, and I didn’t want to appear too happy as not to scare anyone.

“I’ve been wanting you to come over!” she exclaimed, tilting her head back to look up at me.

“You have?” I laughed, genuinely surprised, but also touched by her words. “I’m happy to be here.”

She took a small step back, still looking up at me with those brown, hopeful eyes. As much as I wanted to be here with her and her family, I felt a bit nervous about potentially overstepping or making anyone uncomfortable. Out of the corner of my eye, I could see Tyler watching us, his expression unreadable.

Maybe he was wondering if he’d made a mistake in asking me to watch another woman’s children. However, when he looked down at her, love and adoration appeared in his eyes. Naya wasn’t just a part of him; she was everything to him.

Offering him a warm smile, I leaned down closer to her, getting on her level even though she had grown so much since I last saw her. “What would you like to do today?”

She tapped a finger on her chin. “Do you know how to make cookies?”

A playful grin tugged at my lips as I replied, “Why yes, it just so happens that cookies are my specialty. What kind were you thinking of?”

She tilted her head back, gazing up at the ceiling in deep thought, before returning her eyes to mine. Her long ponytail swayed behind her with each movement. With a happy glint in her eye, she wiggled a finger toward her father, and he leaned down closer. She cupped her hand over her mouth to whisper loudly, “Dad, can we make chocolate cookies with chocolate chips?”

He let out a chuckle, standing up straight. “That sounds perfect, as long as she knows how to make them.”

Nodding once, I beamed, “Those are my favorite!”

“Me too!” She exclaimed, spinning around and skipping off. “I’m gonna go tell my brothers and I’ll be right back.”

As soon as the back door closed behind her, Tyler took a step closer to me, his hands finding their way back to my hips. “When I get back, we need to talk, if that’s okay?”

A thousand words swirled in my mind, waiting for the perfect moment to spill out and change everything between us. I knew that once he heard them, there was no going back. The weight of my secrets hung heavy on my shoulders as I nodded.

He looked into my eyes, searching for something, before speaking again. “I have to go. If things get too crazy, text me and I’ll try to leave the meeting.”

“Is there anything I should know? Just in case I need to protect them?”

He lifted his hand and traced my bottom lip with his thumb. “Everything is fine, and I know if they’re safe with anyone, it’s you.”

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