Page 50 of Babydoll

Jeff

After checking on Lulah in the kitchen, I go back out to the car and bring her bags inside. There isn’t much yet, but she doesn’t seem to mind. I dump her stuff on the bed in the attic and head back down to see how the game’s going and to put my plan in place.

My mom looks up at me with a smile as I enter the kitchen. I can tell by just that smile alone that Lulah has nothing to worry about. My mom loves having her here just like I knew she would.

“Who’s winning?” I ask.

“The game has just commenced, Uncle Jeff. You’re silly.” Reece flicks the arrow on the spinner and it lands on pink. She whoops and moves her pony forward to the second pink block.

“Right. It’s justcommenced.What was I thinking?” My brow furrows at my mother and she shrugs, but then as her eyes slide over to Lulah, she gives me a thumbs up.

“Have you two made any plans for dinner?” my mom asks innocently as Lulah flicks the spinner arrow.

“We haven’t, but how do you feel about takeout? I thought I’d order in.”

“Can we still have dessert?” Reece asks, sliding around on her knees to face me. She gives me an exaggerated wink that no one else notices. I wink back.

“Of course. Pizza okay by you two?”

“Not cooking sounds good to me,” Mom says. “I’ll ask your dad to grab it on the way home. Where are you ordering from?”

I tell her and she texts my dad.

Lulah nods but then leans over to Reece and says, “I bet I can guess what we’re having for dessert.” Lu tickles Reece’s middle and my niece bursts into giggles.

“Butterscotch pudding, maybe?” she asks, making Reece’s giggles double.

I watch them play their game but I’m distracted. As nervous as Lulah was about moving in with my family, and meeting Reece, I’m twice as nervous.

I never thought in a million years when I saw the hot blonde heading into Gage’s apartment building seven months ago, I’d be in love with her, let alone asking her to marry me.

It’s soon. Maybe too soon for some, but not for us. We’ve wasted too much of our lives on other things. Me on vengeance, and her on dealing with the trauma and complications of her past. But all that ended when Satan’s Ransom fell. And now it’s time. Time to start living in the present, and for the future and there’s no one I’d rather do it with than her.

When the pizza is finished and cleared, I nudge Reece. She gives me a pizza-sauce grin and slides off her chair.

“I’ll get the pudding!” she calls and heads to the pantry. Both my mom and dad glance at me.

“I think I’ll skip dessert tonight,” my mom says. “A hot bath sounds nice since I’m off reading duty tonight.”

For a second, Lulah looks panicked as if she’s stolen something from my mother.

“It was my turn,” I tell her, and watch as she visibly relaxes. “Dad? You having dessert?”

He pats his flat stomach. “I’m full. Too many carbs.”

“Just us, Reece’s Pieces.”

Reece comes back out with three pudding cups gathered against her little belly. All butterscotch. I take one, tear the top and slip something inside. The second one, I tear the lid off and hand it to Reece.

“I’ll get some spoons,” Lulah says, but I stop her, asking Reece to grab them instead.

Reece bobs her head eagerly and runs for the drawer.

Pulling the top off my own cup, I hold the lid out for Lulah. “Lick.”

She flushes but sticks out her tongue and licks the lid.

“Good girl,” I whisper. “I’ll reward you later for being so obedient, yeah?”

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