Page 19 of Stick Play

With that she heads down the hall and I put Tate’s pancake on a plate and slide him back to the table. “You’re up next, Zoe.”

I slide her over, and repeat the process, but this time I don’t let my mind wander and nearly burn it. Up next is Camryn, who insists she’s old enough to flip her own pancake, and pouts when I refuse. What was I doing at seven years old? Probably flipping pancakes, because I learned independence very early on. It was only Dad and me and we were a team. Camryn might be old enough, but I don’t really know how things are done in her house, so I’m not going to let her close to the stove.

“How about this,” I say, lowering my voice. “We can make cupcakes later when Tate takes a nap, and surprise him with them. You can help fill the muffin pan.” She beams, loving the idea of responsibility.

Maybe I’m not so bad at this.

I make a fist and she bumps it with me. “It’s a deal, Uncle Ash.”

A hissing sound reaches my ears, and I turn to see Tate pretty much empty the can of whip cream on his pancake. “Tate,” I yell, and turn to snatch it from him. Zoe giggles, as Tate dips his face and starts eating the whip cream.

I turn back to the stove to see black smoke and hurry back to flip the pancake, only to find it black on the other side. “You burnt it,” Camryn says, and puts her hands on her hip. “I could have flipped it.”

“Let’s whip you up some more.”

She side eyes me. “I’m going to use my wish lumps to wish for a pancake that’s not burnt.”

“Good idea.”

I toss the burnt pancake into the garbage and put the pan in the sink to wash it, as Camryn goes for the box to put more mix into her bowl. She takes it to the sink and adds the perfect amount of water. Once she’s done, I clean the frying pan, and spray it with oil.

I get Camryn’s pancake back on, and pay close attention to it this time. Once it’s done, she sits at the table with the others, and I head down the hall to check on Gina. She’s walking from the bathroom to her room, wrapped in a towel, and I instantly have to tame my dick.

I clear my throat outside her bedroom door, and she turns to see me. “Hey,” I say for lack of anything else.

She frowns. “Everything okay? Did something burn?”

“Yes, I burnt a pancake and no, not everything is okay.” A worried look comes over her face. “The kids are fine.” I let my gaze race over her body. “It’s me who’s not fine.”

She laughs at that and I glance over my shoulder to make sure the coast is clear. “I’m not going to get this image out of my brain all day.”

“Oh, let me give you a different one then.” She opens the towel and exposes herself to me.

I grip my hair and tug. “Jesus, Gina. Are you trying to kill me?”

“Kill you no. Give you something to look forward to, yes.” She wraps herself back up again, and goes to her closet to pull out clothes. “You better not leave them alone too long.”

“Right.” With that I head back down the hall, happy to find them all still at the table. “When you’re done, go brush your teeth and get dressed. We’ll clear the driveway and walkway and then go sledding.”

A round of cheers erupt from the table, as I work on making a pancake for Gina. The kids jump up. “Plates on the counter.”

They do as I ask and all run down the hall. I turn around as Gina enters, looking warm and inviting, dressed in jeans and a blouse that I hope to take off her later.

She sits and I put the pancake in front of her. “A girl could get used to this kind of service.”

“Oh, I plan to service you.”

She laughs at that. “Funny, I had that thought about you when you were fixing my fridge last year.”

“You didn’t just have that thought, you followed through with it.” I glance up. No kids. I bend quickly and press my lips to hers. I only mean for it to be a fast kiss, but the second I taste her sweet mouth, I linger a moment longer.

Footsteps sound on the wooden floor, and I jolt upright before we get caught. “This looks delicious,” Gina says, recovering quickly as Tate runs back to grab his little toy car from the table.

He disappears as fast as he appears, and I exhale. “Sorry about that.”

I take in her half-lidded eyes. Okay, maybe she didn’t recover as fast as I thought. “Now I’m going to be thinking about that all day.”

“Good, you deserve it after you just flashed me.”

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