Page 51 of Suddenly Entwined

“Yeah, they fell asleep fast.”

“Probably because I fumbled it last night when you were late and they’re tired,” I say, blowing on a spoonful of the steaming chili.

“You did not fumble it. They don’t really have a lot of experience with people other than me. It means we’re really close, but it also means that they’re set in their way.”

He shrugs his shoulders, chewing and swallowing a bite.

“I’m set in my ways too.”

“You don’t say?” I tease. I drop my voice an octave lower. “I make the sandwiches around here. Watch and learn.”

“Is that an impression of me?”

“Yes. Yes it is.”

“Fair enough. I’m trying.”

“Why haven’t you hired a nanny before? It seems like a no-brainer for a single dad.”

I hope that isn’t too forward of me to ask, or that he thinks I’m implying that he’s been struggling.

“When Trudy passed away I took full parental leave with Louisa. When she turned one there was a spot for her at Natalie’s daycare. I don’t know. I guess I’ve been managing everything, but Isaac asked me to take on a bit more at work. I want to fill that role, don’t get me wrong, but I want them to have a bit more attention than being the last kids in the after school care room every afternoon. It’s not like it was when I was a kid. I’d walk home after school.”

“Chris and I too! He had the key and we’d walk home and get a snack and watch tv and our parents would be home not long after.”

“Right. You can’t do that stuff anymore. Not that I’d want them here alone anyway.” He winces at the idea.

“The idea of a stranger in my house was sort of weird too. Going through a whole hiring process? No, thanks.”

“I was a stranger.”

Berg rests his hand on the table, his fingers brushing absentmindedly against my arm.

“You have never felt like a stranger, Caro.”

His sincerity is obvious as he watches me.

“Maybe it’s because you’re related to a friend, but I think it was because of how naturally you interacted with them. It set me at ease right away.”

His thumb finds my upturned hand and strokes down the lines of my palm. The simple touch sends a tingle up my spine.

Not strangers. Not lovers? Whatarewe? Do we even have the potential to be anything but a couple of people with unreal sexual chemistry? Bonds were forming between all of us, that’s undeniable. I squeeze his hand once before pulling it away.

I stand, faking a tired stretch.

“I think I should get to bed early tonight. Friday tomorrow!”

Berg rubs his hands on his thighs, looking as frustrated as I feel.

“Caro…”

He always walks me to the door, hovering there while I put on my shoes. It’s a part of our weird routine that just makes sense. It’s like the end of a date, except without the awkwardness. But tonight I don’t want that. I need the space because without it, I fear that the yearning I possess for this man will only grow.

“I’ll let myself out. See you in the morning.”

Like he can sense I require the distance, he stays put at the table, and it’s as though I can feel his eyes trained on me until I leave the room.

Chapter eighteen

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