Page 9 of Bossy Baby

“I can’t see you eating this stuff. Husband? Wife?”

What the hell? Why was Hayley acting so strangely? He growled. “I am not married.” If he was married, why would he go see Hayley every week? He’d go more often, every day, but Mitch had said no more stalking.

Hayley shuddered when Mac growled. Mac instantly felt bad. Now he was scaring the boy again.

“Boyfriend? Girlfriend?” Hayley asked quietly.

“What?” Mac barked.

Hayley jumped.

Frustrated, he rubbed the back of his head again. “I don’t understand you,” Mac said.

Hayley didn’t back away. Instead he put his hands on his hips as he pushed his chest out. “I don’t understand you, either.”

Mac reached for Hayley, wanting to put his mouth on Hayley’s cute lips, but quickly caught himself. He lowered his arms.

“See!” Hayley pointed at him. “You confuse me.”

“You confuse me more,” Mac shot back. That might not be the most grown-up thing to do, though.

Hayley glared at him, which was absolutely adorable. Then grinned. “Are you single or not?”

“I am.” Mac was surprised enough to answer automatically.

“Good, then you need to take me on a date.”

“A date,” Mac repeated.

Hayley nodded. “If you’re single, and I’m single, we should go on a date.”

Mac frowned. “I’m supposed to ask you on a date.”

“Well, I asked you first,” Hayley responded with sass. “And it’s going to be a good date.”

“A good date,” Mac repeated. He could probably plan a good date. Probably. He only needed a few days, weeks, okay, maybe a month. That was a lot of pressure. He started to sweat.

“Right now.”

“Wait. What? Now?” Mac repeated dumbly. He couldn’t take Hayley on a date right then. He needed to call Mitch. Or someone. He had to have help. He’d never gone on a date before.

“Yes, now,” Hayley said. “I think if I give you too much time to think about our date, I might never see you again. So you are going to take me on a date right now.”

He rubbed the back of his head harder. Things had gotten out of hand. He had no idea what to do. He wanted to go on a date with Hayley, but this wasn’t how he’d thought the date would start. “What about the groceries?” he asked helplessly.

“Do you really plan to eat all this crap?” Hayley flicked a finger at the bag of chips.

“You don’t like…?” He waved his hand at the items in his cart.

“Me?”

“Yes, you,” Mac growled again. “Who else would I be shopping for?”

“I don’t know,” Hayley answered. He shook his hips.

He was a little spark of sass. Who knew?

“I thought you were married!”