Page 77 of Fierce-Michael

“Ty,” he said. “This is Kelly. Kelly, this is my son, Ty.”

“It’s nice to meet you,” she said. “I’ve got a book here for you. Your father told me you liked to read or be read to.”

“I do like books a lot,” Ty said. “Thank you.”

So polite too. “Do you want to take the chocolate off so I can give him the book?” she asked Michael.

“Ty can wait until we get to the back of the house,” he said.

“Hey, Dad,” Ty said. “Why do I have to wait?”

“Because it’s the right thing to do,” he said. He picked Ty up by the waist and carried him under his arm like a football, the child giggling the whole way.

If she wasn’t so head over heels in love with Michael before, she sure the hell would be now. Maybe it was time to say the words to him.

They’d both been beating around the bush and someone was going to have to make that move.

“Hi,” she said when she got to the back of the house and saw Michael’s parents.

His father was tall, his mother too. She almost felt like she was a dwarf in this house. Being on the petite side had never bothered her before and she wouldn’t let it now.

“It’s so nice to meet you. I’m Susan and this is my husband, Jay.”

“Nice to meet you both too. I’ve got chocolate and beer. I picked one thing for you both but then got thinking you can share. Or maybe Jay wants the chocolate and Susan the beer. I didn’t think of that before.”

“I like her,” Susan said. “You didn’t need to bring us anything and it’s sweet you did, but I love your response to it. I will be eating the chocolate and not drinking the beer.”

“I like chocolate too,” Jay said, coming forward and shaking her hand. “It’s not my fault you don’t like beer, Susan.”

Kelly grinned. “I have to almost like it considering where I work. I can drink a glass now and again, but wine is normally better. Not that I drink a lot,” she rushed out to say.

“Don’t worry,” Susan said. “Michael has told us a lot about you. Nothing bad either.”

She supposed that was a good thing. She hadn’t asked him what he’d told his parents. She didn’t think it would be that she was widowed or had been on a dating reality show.

“That’s good to know,” she said. “He’s said a lot about you all too. Though I do hear most about Ty. And here is your book that you are patiently waiting for me to hand over. I’m so sorry.”

“Thank you,” Ty said, snatching it out of her hand and flipping through it immediately. “It’s got everything in it! Animals and cars and trucks and colors.”

Ty turned and ran to the couch. “Glad he liked it,” she said.

“He’s a good kid,” Susan said. “Just likes or needs to be entertained. It can tire you out, but it’s worth it when he puts his head down at night and is out until morning.”

Michael had said that Ty had a lot of energy. She guessed she didn’t realize it until she saw him moving around so quickly.

“I love kids,” she said. “As you know, my employers have a bunch of them.”

“We went to see Jordan the other day,” Susan said. “Have you seen her yet?”

“Just in pictures,” she said.

Though she got along great with Cade, she didn’t feel as if she was close enough to go to their house and visit just yet. There were a lot of the women in the office who wanted to see the baby and knew either Alex or Cade would bring her in when the time was right.

“They are trying to get into a routine,” Michael said. “Ty and I stopped over, as you know, last week. He took one look at thebaby, then ran off with his cousins. He sees them in daycare daily, but you wouldn’t know it with them running to find toys.”

“Regan wants to play with the baby like a doll,” Susan said. “Alex had said that would happen.”

“Could be a good little helper. Maybe they should teach her to change a diaper in Cade’s place,” Kelly said.

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