Page 40 of Twisted Fate

Her brow knitted with confusion, and she looked from him to me, then back to him again. “Why is Delilah here?” Her question was innocent, but it made me feel like I had a scarlet “A” stuck to my chest. I wasn’t sure if she remembered coming to pick me up at the restaurant last night since she was half asleep. I hoped not because that would mean she knew I’d spent the night.

“Well, um…” Vance began, tripping over his words, eyes wide with panic. This wasn’t good. I was at a loss. There was no viable reason for me to be here.

Suddenly, Vance straightened and blurted out, “The fair!”

I gave him a questioning look, and he smiled apologetically, before refocusing on Charlie. “Delilah is going to the fair with us today.”

Charlie gasped and clasped her hands in front of her. “She is?”

“Uh huh,” Vance replied, nodding. He looked at me with pleading in his eyes as Charlie’s gaze bounced between us.

“That’s right,” I confirmed, and he relaxed back in his seat. “We’re going to eat cotton candy, get our faces painted, and ride all the rides.” If Vance was going to rope me into a surprise trip to the county fair, then we would make the most of it.

Her mouth formed a disbelieving but excited “o,” and she squirmed in her chair.

“Finish your breakfast and brush your teeth, then you can pick out an outfit to wear,” Vance instructed, and she picked up her fork. Her tiny body buzzed with excitement as she finished her breakfast. “I’ll be up in a minute to help you,” Vance called through the open kitchen door as she raced up the stairs.

When he turned back to me, I leveled a displeased glare at him. He held up his hands in surrender. “I’m sorry. I panicked and didn’t know what else to say.”

“I can’t go to the fair dressed like this,” I said, motioning down my body. I was still wearing the dress from my date the night before. Not exactly county fair attire. Plus, there was no way I could spend hours walking around in heels. “I have nothing else to wear.”

“Actually, youdohave something else to wear.” He didn’t elaborate. Instead, he went to the laundry room and returned carrying a small stack of folded clothes.

“You left these here last night,” he said, handing the garments to me. They were the clothes I wore yesterday but were freshly laundered. I didn’t even realize I'd left them here after changing for my date. I shot him a questioning look, and he winced. “I may have been a little worked up after you left, so I decided to clean to try to distract myself. I found those in the upstairs bathroom while I was collecting the laundry.” That was where I’d gotten ready yesterday. I must’ve forgotten to grab my clothes before rushing out the door. My shoes were probably still here as well.

“I see.”

“So now that you have something to wear,” he said, stepping closer, “will you go to the fair with us?” He slid his arm around my waist and pulled me into him. His mouth was only inches from mine. With the way he stared into my eyes, his sparkling blue gaze hopeful, I couldn’t say no if I wanted to.

“Yes,” I breathed.

His lips curved into a delighted grin before he brought them down on mine. “Good. Now get dressed,” he added playfully. A fluttering erupted in my stomach as relief spread through my body. I wasn’t sure how he would act toward me after everything that had happened, or if regret would keep him from letting it happen again. But here he was touching and kissing me like any lover would.

“Do you mind if I grab a quick shower first?” His eyes flickered down my body as though he was imagining me naked, and I gulped. He saw every intimate part of me last night, and judging by the heat in his eyes, he liked what he saw.

“I don’t mind at all,” he replied, his voice husky. “I should get one too.” Before I could do something completely stupid and reckless, I turned and headed upstairs. Shutting myself in the bathroom, I hopped in the shower. I frowned when I realized the only soap available was strawberry scented kid’s body wash. I guessed it would have to do since my only other option was to ask to use Vance’s. A disturbing thought entered my mind. Had he kept Sarah’s body wash? If I went into his bathroom, would I find her toiletries still scattered about?

I shook away those thoughts. I didn’t want to know if there were still traces of her in his private spaces. She was his wife. This was their home. I certainly didn’t expect him to remove any signs that she’d lived here.

But after making love to him last night, I didn’t want to go looking for them either. A pang of guilt speared through my chest. I'd slept with my cousin’s grieving husband. If anyone in our families found out, they would hate me. It would have to stay our little secret. At least for now.

* * *

“What doyou want to ride first?” Vance asked, glancing down at Charlie. She walked between us, holding our hands in each of hers.

“The horsey!” She pointed to the Merry-Go-Round and tugged us toward the ride. Vance stood next to the chestnut horse Charlie chose, and I took the one next to her. I swung my leg over the saddle and sat astride the fake horse, gripping the pole jutting from its back. Vance’s eyes met mine, and he shook his head as a playful grin tipped the corner of his lips.

“What?” I asked.

“Nothing,” he replied, amusement gleaming in his eyes. He hadn’t expected me to hop on, but this was my first time taking Charlie to the fair, and I wanted the full experience. I would ride every damn ride here if she asked me to. And it seemed she was determined to do just that.

Charlie’s excited giggles echoed around me as we spun in the Tilt-A-Whirl and rocked back and forth in the miniature pirate ship. She insisted on going down the giant slide with me even though she was tall enough to ride by herself. I happily obliged, taking every opportunity I could to be close to my daughter. My chest tightened at that thought, and I swallowed back my emotions. Most days I tried not to think about how there was an expiration date on my time as her nanny. I wasn’t sure how or when I’d get to spend time with her once I was no longer employed by her father. Surely, he would let me stay in her life, especially if what happened last night continued.

My stomach dipped violently as we crested the first big bump in the slide, but it wasn’t from the ride. Last night was amazing. I’d finally been able to let go and enjoy a man’s touch. I didn’t freeze up or panic when I felt his weight on top of me or the pressure between my legs when he finally slid into me. It had been euphoric. However, it seriously complicated our arrangement. If things went sideways between us, would it jeopardize my job? Surely, he wouldn’t fire me over it.Would he?

I shoved down those thoughts, burying my trepidation deep as Charlie slid her hand into mine and led me to the next ride. It did me no good to worry about what could happen; instead, I focused on what I knew: I was damn good at my job, I loved Charlie with my entire heart, and Vance needed me to take care of her. Besides, he was a good man. I needed to trust that he wouldn’t do something so extreme as fire me if something went wrong between us.

After a few more rides, we decided to grab some lunch. Despite my reservations about coming, I was having a blast. Charlie was on cloud nine, and Vance hadn’t stopped smiling. The man who, for the first few months I worked for him, didn’t so much as crack a grin, had one permanently fixed to his perfectly chiseled face. It fell as he caught sight of something over my shoulder.

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