Page 64 of Fate

“No, Carson. You’re right. You are. I’m being childish. It would be wonderful to have privacy with you again. And to have more one-on-one time with Cora would be a delight. I love my angelbaby.”

“And she loves you. I can feel it deep in my bones, babe. This is the answer. The start of our new harmonious future.”

I giggle, momentarily taken by his joy. He’s such a free spirit sometimes. It’s refreshing to know he hasn’t lost that side of him. Then a thought hits me. “Oh, you didn’t tell me how Misty was doing with Charles.” I fire up the sauce again and take the time to get it back to temperature before adding the chicken I’d already cooked.

“Actually, really well. Dad says she’s a quick learner and smart. He’s enjoying her company.”

Huh. Enjoying her company. Shocking. Then again, that’s probably just my pettiness rearing its ugly head. I curb that bit of enthusiasm to keep the peace. “Wow. Great. Good to hear. So, she’s got a solid job and a potential new place on the horizon. One I assume you’re paying for…” I filter the irritation from my tone. I know Carson too well to believe he’d ever let the mother of his child pay her ownrent.

As expected, his response is warning yet kind. “Kat, you know my daughter having a roof over her head, food in her belly, and a happy family is paramount to my sanity. I’m a new father. I don’t care if Misty ever pays her own rent. As long as she has my daughter living under her roof, I’m happy to foot the bill. You know it’s a drop in the bucket. Hell, I’d pay your rent if I could get away withit.”

“Don’t you dare, Carson Davis! Take the thought right out of your head. I’ve got plenty of money on my own. I don’t need or want you paying my way, thank you very much. I know you’re old-fashioned, and I appreciate the offer, baby.” I finish my diatribe with as much grace as I can muster.

“Won’t matter in the long run. You’ll be living here soon enough.” He prods the beast once more for good measure.

I chuckle, pour the uncooked linguini into the boiling water, and set the timer on the microwave. Again, I turn down the marsala and chicken so it can simmer together while I finish the noodles.

“Keep it up, he-man. Keep it up and you’re liable to never get me to movein.”

“Oh, I have my ways.” His tone carries a sultry note, and I feel my nipples tighten with the erotic suggestion of what he might do tome.

“Not if you can’t nail medown.”

“Oh, Sweetcheeks…I have absolutely no problem nailing you. Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Fri—”

“Shut up! Crazyman.”

“Crazy in love withyou.”

I roll my eyes. “Go ahead and tell Chase you’ll take the place. I can put my big-girl panties on and take one for theteam.”

“Team Davis?”

“Yeah, Team Davis.” I hum, knowing it sounds good to say that I’m part of a team again.

“I’m excited about this. I really believe it’s the answer we were looking for. I get my home back, Misty gets a place, and my daughter has two loving, safe homes to goto.”

I grunt. “Except the hard part will be getting her to A, leave without a fight. And B, divide custody.”

“It shouldn’t be an issue. Misty’s reasonable, babe. Sheis.”

My eyebrows rise as if of their own accord, but thankfully, he can’t see me. That woman is not quite right. Definitely has a few screws loose. “If you say so. I’ll have faith.”

“I’m sure sharing custody will be hard at first. She’s not been without Cora even one full night, and I want a fifty-fifty split.”

Trying not to let my Negative Nancy come out, I suck in a long, slow breath before speaking. “That might be difficult at first. Perhaps you should start with one or two nights a week and then gradually over a period of several weeks, possibly even months, increase the number to three and four nights.”

“I just don’t see why this would be a problem. Do you really think she’ll try to keep me from my daughter?” A hint of fear enters his voice.

Quickly I dump the cooked noodles in the strainer and turn off the sauce. “It’s not that I think she’ll try to keep her from you, but it’s a huge change for her. To go from having her daughter every single night under the same roof where she can keep a watchful eye… I don’t know. My Spidey-sense, as Ria would say, is telling me this isn’t going to be an easy transition.”

He sighs heavily, and it sounds like the weight of the world just crushed his happy, unicorn-revealing, rose-colored glasses.

“Honey, I don’t know what she’s going to say or do. Just tread lightly. Think about how this is going to affect her and you right now, not just a year from now. By then it will all be a moot point. So goslow.”

“Yeah, you’re probably right. Maybe I’ll discuss it with Chase. See what he thinks.”

I snort. “Chase is going to say sue her ass and get full custody. Um, hello, Chase is a happy family man, but he’s a right bastard when it comes to what he perceives as his property. Children are everything in his mind. You’d be better off talking to yourdad.”

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