Page 91 of Suddenly Entwined

I pull her tight against me, rocking her slowly in my arms.

“I lied at the beach,” I blurt, surprising myself with more bold honesty.

Now that I'm getting things off my chest, it's like I can’t hold back anymore.

“What do you mean?”

“I told you I still didn’t know what the future looks like for me and the girls. That was a load of crap. It looks like me and you and two crazy kids that keep us on our toes every second. It looks like sick days, and afternoons at the beach, and you finishing school.”

Shelaughs, and it's a joyful sound that grounds me.

“I want all that too but do you remember that you have two little girls unattended at a school dance?”

I scoff, “They’re fine.”

“You should get a nanny to watch them.”

“I tried that once, but I fell into strong like with her and now I don’t even know if she’ll want to be my nanny anymore.”

I cover her mouth in a hard kiss, buying more precious seconds with her. A sigh of surprise opens her lips, and I swipe over her tongue with my own. Her fingers dig into my arms, pulling me against her so I have no choice but to step forward. The hand that was against the wall slides down, cupping the back of her head to protect it from the rough surface. Our breaths are heavy and we deepen the kiss, making out behind a school in the dark like a couple of teenagers. With a groan, I pull my lips away, staring down at Caro and the dazed expression on her face. Even in the dim lighting, I can see her flushed cheeks and rising chest.

“That’s quite the coincidence, because I think I might have fallen in love with the man I’m nannying for too.”

“You have the worst damn timing, Berg MacMillan. Telling me you’re crazy about me in your truck outside Isaac’s? Professing your love outside an elementary school dance?”

I grin, relieved and perfectly happy to accept her tongue lashing. If the timing is the only thing she’s finding fault with here, that’s fine by me.

Chapter thirty-one

Carolina

We float back into the school dance, hands twitching at our sides, desperate to reach out to each other. But we need to have more of a discussion. One that covers how we’ll move forward and what that will mean for the girls. Tamara steps up to the mic on the stage, her voice sing songy and shrill.

“Helllloooo, West Isle Elementary families! I’m Tamara Leavey, your PAC President, and it is the moment you’ve all been waiting for. It is tiiiime!”

“Bring back the microphone feedback,” I murmur, grinning when Berg has to cover his mouth with his hand. I love making the grouch laugh.

“The much anticipated cake auction has arrived. Can we have some of our volunteers bring up the first cake, please?”

The auction itself is adorable. Little homemade cakes are going for twenty bucks or so and it’s all in good fun. Every time a child recognizes a cake their mom or dad made, they proudly announce it to all their friends. Tamara’s cake is second to last and I really can’t help but eye roll at the oohs and aahs. Especially now that I know she bought the damn thing. By the time the bidding for the cake reaches one hundred dollars, my eyes aren’t rolling, they are bugging out of my head.

“This is ridiculous,” I hiss.

“Oh, sold to the Hanson family for one hundred and fifty dollars!” Tamara fans her face. “I’m honoured!”

“I bet she didn’t even make her money back on that.”

Tamara’s giggles are still echoing through the room when an older student at the school brings my cake up to the table on stage. A couple hours in the heat of the gym has not improved its state.

“Oh, my.” Tamara places her hand on her heart like the cake caused her personal affront.

“Last…but, um, not least…we have this.”

“Christ,” Berg swears next to me.

“I’ll get the girls. You bring the truck around.”

“Stay.” He wraps an arm around my shoulders.

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