Page 37 of Born to Make You Smile

His words and the way he looked at me made blood rush to my cheeks. Was his comment referring to me? Could he be starting to feel something too? Perhaps everything I’d been experiencing lately wasn’t one-sided at all.

I nodded slowly. The air suddenly felt thick and heavy.

“So I’ll see you soon!” I said abruptly. “I'll change, get out of the scrubs, and have a quick shower, then I'll be right over.”

“Brilliant.” He tapped his fingers on the steering wheel. “Any requests? Besides vegetable spring rolls and ginger chicken.”

Licking my lips, I flashed him a smile. Of course, he knew my favorite go-to order. “I’m good with anything.”

“I will however get the hot sauce on the side. You know I can’t handle the heat.” Then he leaned toward me. “Not like you can.”

I swallowed with a nod and left his car, knowing full well that whatever was going on between us was the kind of heat I couldn’t handle at all.

***

Dinner consisted of plenty of conversation and laughs as the girls discussed their days at school. Mackenzie proudly told us all about her presentation on energy consumption and the environment, and Charlotte beamed with excitement about an upcoming field trip to the museum, eager to see the Ancient Egyptian exhibit.

As I sat there, looking at his daughters, sitting at their dinner table, deep in discussion, I had a flashback of them as babies, then toddlers. I recalled the days when I’d accompany them to the park, push them in the swings, then go for ice cream at Baskin-Robbins after.

The girls and I shared a special connection. A pleasant warmth radiated over me, the sense that I was exactly where I was supposed to be.

I glanced at Gavin. He stared back at me, a tender smile painted on his face. I wondered if he had the same feeling. Then I remembered Michelle. A possible engagement.A marriage.

My stomach twisted and turned at the thought.

“Grace, are you gonna help us carve pumpkins after dinner?” asked Charlotte. “We have two big ones. I want mine to be really scary this year.”

“Of course.” I nodded, taking a bite of chicken.

Mackenzie clapped. “I want a cute pumpkin. A happy one.”

Gavin raised his brow. “Girls. What about your homework?”

They groaned in unison.

“Dad…come on,” said Charlotte.

“Do your homework, then pumpkins,” he said firmly.

“Tell you what.” I leaned close to them. “Get started on your homework. I’ll help you with it so we can get it done faster, then we’ll carve the pumpkins afterward.”

The girls cheered in agreement.

“Grace, that’s not necessary,” Gavin whispered into my ear.

I waved my hand, brushing him away as the girls got up from the table.

“Don’t forget your plates, please,” I reminded them before they left.

A few moments later, the lights went off in the dining room. Gavin and I glanced over, and Mackenzie was standing by the light switch.

“We need to conserve energy!” Mackenzie put her hands on her hips and smiled. “There’s enough light to see.”

“Sweetheart.” Gavin dropped his chopsticks with a sigh of frustration. “Grace and I are still having dinner. We need the lights on. I'm going to mistake the hot sauce for dipping sauce and burn my mouth to shreds.”

Pressing my lips together, I suppressed a giggle.

“Okay,” Mackenzie agreed. “I'm going to dim them, though. Every little bit helps.”

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