Page 53 of Suddenly Entwined

“I thought…I thought maybe I’d surprise them. Do you think you could show me on your hair?”

Caro swallows a squeak, a hand touching her bun. “Mine?”

This was a stupid idea. The literal last thing in the world either of us needs is me running my hands through her hair. But we won’t have Carolina forever, and it’ll only be a few years before the girls know how to do these things themselves. As much as having Caro has improved our lives for the better, there are small rituals in my day that I’ve had to leave behind. Learning how to do something that will make them smile is well worth it. But, if Caro doesn’t want to do it, I’ll ask Anna. She’s a literal stylist, after all. I take a step back, ready to retreat, but Caro shoots her arm out and clutches my bicep, squeezing it a bit harder than necessary. I resist the urge to flex.

“It’s really sweet, Berg. I want to help. C’mon.”

She tugs me across the threshold, and all I can do is follow and pray that I have a shred of self-control.

***

“Make yourself comfortable,” Caro says when I hover awkwardly in the front entrance.

“What? You only barge in here when I’m naked or you’re wearing a tool belt? Sit.”

Caro jerks her head toward the leather recliners and I smile, recalling all the times Chris and I hung out on these. They’re so bachelor it’s not even funny. When I think of Caro I imagine an overstuffed couch and pillows and something she can really curl up under a blanket on. God knows I like to sink into my couch after the girls run me ragged.

Reluctantly, I sit down in the chair on the right. An episode of Jeopardy! plays on the television, the show only beginning.

She points at the brush in my hand. “Is that all you brought?”

“Yeah, I wasn’t sure what you’d say,” I admit.

The last thing I wanted was to come down here with an armful of supplies and have her turn me down.

“No problem, I have stuff. Be right back.”

Caro pads down the hall and I listen to her opening and closing drawers in the bathroom.

“So, I grabbed some elastics, a better brush, and some detangling spray.”

Caro walks around the recliner, peels off her hoodie, and sinks down onto her knees on the floor in front of me. My throat gets tight at the sight of her below me like that. It’s not unlike the mystery woman I usually imagine while I’m blowing off some steam in my shower. Except, lately, that woman has been looking a hell of a lot more like my nanny.

“What are you doing?” I ask, hands clutching my thighs.

“How are you going to reach me if I’m standing?”

“Right, right,” I say.

If that self-control could show up soon, that would be great.

She works the scrunchy out, shaking her head and rubbing her scalp with the tips of her fingers.

“First, you’ll use the detangler, and then you need to split it into three equal parts. But, I could do that bit for you, if you want.”

I clear my throat. “No, I could use the practice.”

I’ve detangled the girl's hair countless times. I can do a pretty sleek ponytail if I do say so myself, but the little lie slips off my tongue at the thought of extra time with Caro. Of extra touches.

She settles down in front of me to face the television. “Be my guest.”

Wiggling until she’s comfortable in a cross legged position, I spread my thighs and scoot forward ever so slightly. If Caro leaned back, she could rest against my thighs.

“I miss curling up on a couch. There’s nothing like wedging yourself into a couch corner with a blanket and a movie, you know? I thought about moving the tv to the bedroom, even.”

I could move a television. If she wanted me to. And I knew Caro well enough to know that these dumb recliners aren’t enough for her. Her confirming it makes me want to pump my fist in the air.

“I have a comfy couch,” I say.

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