Page 47 of Recklessly Yours

HATTIE

There weretwo little girls standing in Dylan’s living room, not so quietly commenting on my presence. One thought I might be Dylan’s girlfriend, and I didn’t correct her. After all, that was what he wanted people to think, right?

I didn’t know what to think. My head was spinning, and I was still reeling from the kiss Dylan and I had shared.

It was only a kiss, for Christ’s sake.Get it together, Hattie. So what if it was a knock-your-socks-off and soak-your-panties kind of kiss? That didn’t mean anything would come from it.

“What are your names?” I asked the two little girls.

“I’m Alice,” the one with the pink headband said.

“And I’m Nikki.” She looked over her shoulder, then zeroed in on me. “Are you Mr. Dylan’s girlfriend?”

“No.” Dylan’s typically smooth voice came out gravelly. “She’s just a friend.”

My heart twisted painfully, but I kept my expression neutral. The kiss we’d shared was anything but friendly, but I could understand if he didn’t want to get into it with a set of twins who couldn’t be much older than five or six.

“These are Logan’s daughters,” he said, resting a hand on each of their heads. “His babysitter canceled, and the chief called him in, so they’re going to hang out with us until their mom can come pick them up.”

“Sounds fun.” Thankfully, now that the storm had stopped, I could relax.

“Do you want to play go fish?” Nikki asked.

I gave her a soft smile. “Yeah, sure.”

The girls took spots on the other side of the coffee table, then, in unison, glanced over at Dylan, who was still standing at the edge of the living room.

“Are you playing too?” Alice tilted her head.

With a sigh, he looked at the cushion beside me, his face screwed up as if he were afraid the couch would swallow him whole if he sat down. Reluctantly he made his way over and dropped down next to me, although through the whole exchange, he wouldn’t look at me. Was I reading too much into it?

After a few rounds of go fish, my mood had lifted, and the anxiety that had overtaken me during the storm had disappeared.

Based on the smile Dylan wore, he was having fun too.

I loved hanging out with my nieces and nephews, and lately, I found myself preferring them over my siblings.

Maybe it was their lack of expectations or their ability to find the good in almost everything. Although settling down and having a few of my own was what I wanted, I was starting to wonder if it was in the cards for me.

If it wasn’t, then I’d learn to be okay with being cool Aunt Hattie, I guessed.

“Do you girls like popcorn?” I held out the bowl Dylan and I had been munching from.

“Of course.” They chirped at the same time, each sticking a hand into the bowl.

As I pulled it back, my arm brushed against Dylan’s hand, and I could have sworn he flinched.

Seriously?

I stole a glance at him. Sure enough, as I watched him in my periphery, he scooted away subtly. He refused to meet my gaze, and now I was sure I wasn’t reading too much into it. Since we’d kissed, he’d been acting strange.

I sighed. Of course the first guy in forever that I felt a connection with wasn’t interested. That had happened to me more than a couple of times over the years, so I should be used to it.

Even so, it stung.

I could take a little solace, though, knowing that Dylan’s strong moral code likely kept him from feeling as though he could be involved with one of his friend’s sisters. As much as I wanted to, I couldn’t blame him for that.

We played another round of go fish before the girls pulled out coloring books and crayons. I lay on the floor next to Nikki and helped her color a picture of Ariel. We were almost finished when the doorbell rang and the girls’ mom came in.

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