Page 63 of Accidentally Sliding Into A Second Chance

I close my eyes and slowly exhale a few times. When I finally open them and look at Cat, her lopsided grin makes my stomach flip. “Yes.”

“Yes, what?” The corners of my mouth pull up, a silly grin crawling across my face.

“Yes, I want to date you,” she says softly, her mouth twitching at the corners.

My breath stumbles, and my gaze falls to her lips. They part slightly before she pulls her bottom lip between her teeth. I reach my hand out and softly trace her lips, feeling her quiet exhale on my fingertips.

My eyes flick up to hers, and their light leaves me breathless. When her gaze drops to my lips, I feel my body shift forward. A mischievous grin sliding across my mouth. “Good. Because I’m not sure what I would’ve done if you said no.”

She chuckles, and my grin gets impossibly wider.

“Daddy?” Scarlett’s sleepy voice calls from the kitchen. I look up to find my little girl rubbing her eyes, her favorite stuffed animal under her arm. “Emmy didn’t come to bed.”

As if on cue, Emmy gets up and stretches like a cat before drowsily walking toward her partner in crime. My daughter yawns, turns around, and unsteadily walks back to her bedroom, Emmy two steps behind.

The love I feel anytime I watch Scarlett expands through my chest, warming me. Cat reaches out and rests a hand on my forearm, sparking a different type of warmth. When I glance in her direction, her eyes are on Scarlett, a loving glow filling them, and my heart flutters.

If I had any doubt of being in love with Catherine Bailey…James before, it’s replaced with a certainty that I am not just in love with her, but hopelessly so.

“I think it’s bedtime for me, too.” She yawns, before turning to look at me. “Can we talk more tomorrow?”

“Sure. No rush, right?” I pull her up with me as I stand, rolling her hand between mine, marveling at how soft her skin is. When I flick my gaze to hers, it’s to find her staring at me, and for the second time tonight, my stomach flips.

Without letting go of her hand I grab the remote, turn off the TV, and slowly head toward the back of the house. When we reach Cat’s door I grab her other hand and hold it in mine. Leaning in, I press my lips against hers, breathing in deeply, letting the floral scent that surrounds her fill me.

“Good night, Cat,” I whisper against her lips, stealing one more kiss. “Sleep well.”

I drop her hands and turn to head to my bedroom when I feel a tug. I look down to find her holding on to my finger. Glancing up, she has the cutest smile on her face, and in that moment, I hate that I’m going down the hall.

“Good night, David,” she says softly, before dropping my hand and turning. I stand there, unable to move, watching her. She turns to me and smiles just before she echoes. “Sleep well,” and closes the door behind her.

Scrubbing my hand up and down my face, my jaw clenches. I’m not sure I’ll be sleeping at all tonight, forget about well.

Chapter Twenty-Five

Cat

Alighttaponthe door and an innocent, loud voice pulls me from the heavy slumber of a restless night’s sleep. My head is full of cobwebs, my body feels weighed down, and I’m completely disorientated.

“Cat, are you up?” Scarlett stage whispers, waking up the entire house, I’m sure. A light clatter can be heard pacing around her in the hallway.

Usually, I’d be up with her at this time, but last night I struggled to fall asleep, the scene before a sleepy little girl came to grab her pup playing on repeat in my mind.

My cheeks lift, and a flutter spreads through my chest, remembering David asking if I wanted to date him. He was adorable. The expression on his face, the way he looked at me, and the almost kiss that had my heart racing and butterflies swarming were all the reasons I found myself counting sheep at two a.m.

But the thing that kept me tossing was the little girl outside my door now.

What if she’s not okay with us being together? Or what if she thinks I’m trying to replace her mom?

Yes, she’s been asking if we were staying married, and I know she likes me. But being her new mother? That’s a whole different can of worms with big shoes that I’m not sure I’m ready to step into.

I didn’t know Fiona, but I do know that I could never replace her, nor would I want to try. But the pressure I’m putting on myself has me terrified.

And if I dive deeper, maybe not just where Scarlett is concerned.

Some more insistent pounding followed by an even more determined call has me tossing the covers off and dragging myself out of bed.

Opening the door, two radiant faces beam at me. A wry smile pushes through my sleep-deprived mind. “Are you trying to wake the entire house up?”

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