Page 51 of Daddy's Mail Order Mate

“So let's thank each other and call it even?”

I want to kiss her. And not in that maddened way I've been thinking for the last few days. I want to kiss her tenderly. I want to feel her smile against my mouth more than anything in the world.

“Deal.”

She goes and gets herself sat back down to play with him, and I look reluctantly back to my laptop.

“I'll take a break from work and make dinner instead.”

“Oh. Thank you.”

“We just handled that.”

She huffs in amusement and there's an urge to do whatever it takes to make her laugh.Reallylaugh. But I've never been a particularlyfunnyperson, even with people who have a similar sense of humor to mine. Gwen was the wit between the two of us. It was part of her many charms.

I go back to my laptop and start getting it shut down, and by reflex I check the time and date in the corner.

My stomach lurches with a panicked realization: it's Monday.

Today's the day I call Paige. I try to call her at least once a week, no matter what I need to do to make that happen. And this is the day I've instilled as the day I always call, since I've always thrived on routines.

I hastily whip out my phone and get the call going as I race out to the porch, already expecting an earful when she answers.

“I'm sorry Paige,” I instantly blurt out as soon as the line picks up.

“Hey there! You know, I was worried you might not call after all. Not that youhaveto call on Monday or anything, but, you know, it's kind of a tradition at this point. Hard for me to not wonder what might be wrong unless I know you're off doing your Council stuff somewhere.”

“I'm sorry.”

She laughs brightly, and the sound does put me at ease a bit.

“You already apologized, dummy. It's fine. I figured maybe you might be busy with Gwen, and who am I to get in the way of that?”

I groan and pinch at my temples, palm splaying across my forehead.

“Huh? Are things not going well?”

“I—... It's fine.”

“Uh-huh. Fine,” she retorts teasingly. “Because it's always fine.”

“It is.”

Paige bursts into laughter and I scowl at nothing.

“I can always hang up.”

“But you won't. You love talking to your lil sis.”

I grumble.

“But if things really are ‘fine,’ do you wanna talk about it? Give me the tea!”

“It's fine.Really.”

“Boo.Okaaay. I guess instead, do you want to hear about Lily? She did the cutest thing today.”

“Always.”

---