Page 8 of Falling for the Single Daddy

“Emery, is everything okay?”

“I can’t sleep, C-A-L-L-I-E.”

I smile. “You don’t have to spell my nameeverytime.”

“Am I being an annoying little brat?”

I gasp. “Why would you say that?”

“The witch nanny said it to me once.”

I kneel down and gently touch Emery’s hand. “It wasn’t okay for her to say that. You’re not annoying. And you’re not a brat. Why don’t we go inside, and I’ll braid your hair, and maybe as I’m doing that, you can tell me one of your fascinating stories?”

“Really?”

“Really.”

“Yippee!”

“Can you wait here while I get dressed?”

She gives me a once-over. “But youaredressed.”

I laughed. “I mean, change out of my PJs.”

“Why, Callie? Your PJs are the cutest.”

Children have a way of cutting right to the heart of an issue. When she sayswhy, I realize I don’t have an answer. At least, it’s not one I can tell her. The truth is that I don’t want her dad to see me in an old T-shirt and pants that have seen better days.

“Thanks,” I say. “You’re right. I don’t need to wear a Cinderella dress, do I?”

“Whoa. Do you have one of those?”

“Maybe one day.” I slip on my sneakers, then take her hand. “You’ll have to show me the way.”

“Okay, follow me!”

I almost have to pinch myself as we approach the giant house. With the sky still dark and a few stars still showing, it looks almost Gothic. Emery traipses over to the house as though it’s the most regular thing in the world, which, to her, it is. Shetakes me into what I can only assume is the second living room, pointing at a vanity unit. “All my stuff is in there.”

“Let’s get started, then.”

She sits at the vanity unit. I begin brushing her hair, but after a few minutes, I realize she’s not going to make it for long. Her eyes start to close. When I stop, she murmurs, “I’m not sleepy.”

I laugh. “If you say so…”

But a minute later, she’s snoring. I look at myself over the top of her lolling head, a smile on my face. Then, gently, I lift her into my arms and leave the room, heading for the double staircase which overlooks the foyer. It seems grand to me. I can’t imagine walking these wide hallways as a kid, having them be my reality, feel normal.

I walk up and down the hallways, trying to be quiet. All the doors are closed. I can’t just go around opening and closing doors, hoping to find her bedroom. Emery murmurs and hugs closer to me, putting her face in my chest.

I almost scream when Gray speaks from behind me. “Are you lost?”

I turn, letting out a shaky laugh. “Jeez.” My heart starts beating crazy fast when I realize he’s just wearing a pair of shorts. It’s his house. It’s not even six am yet. Of course, he has every right to wear that, and that alone.

I stare for too long at the moonlight shafting in through the big windows, the steel coloring bouncing off his broad chest, the ridges of his abs clearly defined. It’s like he’s carved from stone. He looks down at himself as if only now realizing he’s halfnaked. When he looks up, he smirks, maybe to smooth over any awkwardness.

“I’ll show you to her room.”

“Yeah, sure. Um. Thanks,” I mutter.

---