Page 79 of Suddenly Entwined

“Daddy! We’re hungry!”

Caro presses her lips together, falling silent and freezing. Her eyebrows shoot up and the guilty expression that washes over her face like we’ve done something wrong is adorable. Of course, we haven’t, but it’s easy to feel that we’re doing something naughty.

“Be right out, girls!” I say, reaching for a washcloth to remove the last of my shaving cream.

Caro straightens her underwear and pats down her hair. “What are we doing?”

I slip on the clean boxer briefs I placed on the shelf above the toilet.

“How do you mean?”

“Like, are we going to act ‘normal’?” She puts air quotes around normal.

Should have seen this coming. Of course, we need to sort out some details here so that we’re on the same page. And, most importantly, to keep anyone from getting hurt. Although if there’s one thing I know about relationships and love, there’s no such thing as protecting your heart fully, not if you’re going to go all in.

“I understand that your family comes first here, Berg.”

I speak slowly. “Okay.”

I understand her sentiment, but her thoughts matter here too.

“Last night was amazing.”

Don’t let there be a ‘but’.

“And I want there to be a next time.”

“Me too,” I tell her. “This…isn’t only about sex for me. Not at this stage of my life.”

I grimace at my own words. This ‘stage of life’? What am I on about?

“Please ignore that. I aged myself about ten years saying that,” I laugh.

“I don’t know what ‘stage of life’ I’m in, but I think it’s the one where I get pretty serious with a really hot guy who has cute kids and a bit of confusion around what doors are for.”

“Listen, lady, if you are on one side of a door, and I am on another, and I think for any reason that you need help, I will find a way to get through it.”

“Okay, okay,” she pats my chest. “I could get used to that.”

“Good. I think you’ll have to.”

“So, we’ll be…exclusive?”

Oh, my god. What does she think of me?

“Yes. Delete your apps.”

“I was just checking!” She throws her arms around me, kissing me softly on the lips. “I never had any in the first place.”

“Hey, what do you say we go out for breakfast? I know the power is back on, but it would be fun.”

“Pancakes, bacon, coffee. Sounds perfect,” she says, bouncing out of the bathroom and rifling through some of my drawers.

“I’ll put these on then go down to get my own clothes,” she says, hopping on one foot as she sticks her leg into a pair of my sweatpants.

“Perfect,” I echo, leaning against the doorframe to admire her.

Excitement surges through me, stronger than it has in years. But beneath the happiness that’s growing in my chest, there is worry. How long will she want to be exclusive with a guy with two kids?

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