Page 48 of Second Chance Baby

“Then I absolutely want to watch it. Especially if we can get hot during and afterward.” He cupped my cheek for a moment, brushing his thumb over my quivering lower lip while I tried to breathe.

Then he slipped out of the driver’s seat and jogged across the lot to where our daughter was waiting impatiently in front of Spirit’s front door. I glimpsed him lift his hands in an obvious apology and then they both looked back at the Chevy.

They were obviously waiting for me.

I forced myself to hop down to follow them into the store. “Hang on, I’m coming,” I called gaily as if I wasn’t on the verge of tears.

Just being included with them was still new enough to take me out. But I shoved back my tears as I flashed them my brightest smile. “Last one in has to put the skeletons we get in crazy poses,” I decided, darting inside before they could catch me.

ELEVEN

Carrington grumbled under her breath.“How could she race ahead of her own kid? Bad enough there probably won’t be any bitchin’ costumes left because we waited too long.”

I let the swear word pass, since she wasn’t lying. Spirit still had a ton of decorations left, but the costume section was a little sparse.

I also had no clue what kind of mental damage I’d recently suffered prior to our trip to the store. Why had I pressed that whole movie issue?

True, this whole new relationship thing was brand new, and I was fumbling my way through all of it.

Even so, she was blowing my mind. And not because she seemed to love gigantic skeletons almost as much as our daughter. Or not only because of that.

“You can’t put a cowboy hat on a skeleton,” I insisted as Carrington rooted through a huge box of props. “Bad enough you got me to buy some cowboy boots at that western store.”

“You looked hot in them,” Bridget volunteered before ducking her head.

I started to preen before I remembered that wasn’t the point.

Sure, I looked okay in them. I knew how to sell what I was putting out there.

Like having sex with Bridget for the masses. I’d definitely sold that one.

Ahem.

“Why not? Cowboys need love too.” She pried out a pink cowboy hat and started jumping to try to reach the skeleton’s head.

So, of course, I plucked the cowboy hat out of her hand and put it on the display skeleton’s head.

“Tilt it more,” she announced.

I did as she asked, but she shook her head and motioned with her hand to tilt it more the other way. I obeyed her and yet she still was motioning.

What the heck?

Bridget sidestepped me and angled up on her tiptoes to adjust the hat yet again. Then Carrington clapped her hands with a joyful smile wreathing her face. “Perfect. See, Daddy?”

Oh, I saw, all right. I was outvoted.

I kind of loved it.

But I knew my part and I played it off with a low growl that made Carrington giggle and hold up a hand for her mom to slap. Bridget shot me an overwhelmed look that briefly made me wonder if I’d gone too far, but then she slapped hands with her daughter and drew her in for a hard hug.

I let out a relieved breath. I simply didn’t know my moves in this sphere.

I was used to being a dad by now. Most of the time, I actually felt as if I had those steps down. I knew I was taking a risk by ever thinking that way, because that was tempting the universe to knock you down a few pegs. I was quite certain I’d be reminded soon enough that I was no expert there, either, butcompared to this new situation with Bridget, in the father arena, I felt like I had it all nailed down.

But then again, I’d demanded to see my ex in some apparently explicit movie, so I was cruising for a damn bruising.

Big time.

---