Page 14 of Snowed In With The Second Chance Daddy

Until she decided we weren’t a team.

I stop in front of a display of Montessori toys, all made of natural wood with little color. I know this stuff is supposed to be good for child development, but man is it boring.

I pick up one of the boxes and start to read the copy on the back.

Am I really going to be the relative that starts buying a literal baby educational toys?

Argh. No.

“Hi, Trevor.”

I jump out of my skin at the sound of Iris’s voice.

“Jesus!” I lose my grip on the box.

It tumbles to the ground with a clatter.

Cursing under my breath, I bend over and grab the box, before coming face to face with my ex-fiancée.

“Sorry,” she says with a sheepish smile. Her blue hair is tied up in a flouncy, messy bun on top of her head.

I ignore how much I like the messy buns on her. Always reminds me of mornings with her. “What are you doing here?”

Iris lifts an eyebrow and smirks. “Uh…shopping for a toy for Rose? You? Deciding to start your Montessori collection?”

I roll my eyes and turn away without a response, heading back down the aisle.

Iris laughs and follows me, her fancy sneakers squeaking against the ground. “Oh, don’t be like that. I’m just teasing.”

Yes, I know. And teasing used to be so cute. Made my heart flutter, my stomach swoop. Now it’s just annoying.

I glance at her.

She’s carrying a box. “You found anything good?”

She presses the box to her chest. “No copying.”

“Why would I copy? That would ruin the point of gift giving.”

We continue walking, rounding into the next aisle.

She shrugs. “I don’t know, to make me look bad?”

“I’m not going to sacrifice giving Rose a good Christmas to makeyoulook bad.”

“I don’t know that.”

I stop in my tracks and turn to face her.

That hurts more than I can say, but I’m not going to give her the satisfaction of having wounded me. “You really think I’m that petty?”

She puts a hand on her hip, narrowing her gray eyes. “You ignored me most of last night. I think you’re very petty.”

Fair point.

“Whatever. Now, if you don’t mind, I need to look for a gift, so–”

“Me too. This is only the pièce de resistance.”

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