Page 161 of Small Town Firsts
Laurie popped halfway out of the water, her little face screwed up in annoyance. “I do it myself.”
“Oh really? And you did a fine job.” I braced my fist on my hip. “I’m going to let out some more of this water and?—”
“No. Bubbles. I like it.” Laurie crossed her arms and glared. “Is Ally coming over?”
“See?” I said into the phone. “Did you hear that? The princess herself just requested you.”
“Don’t be mean to her. She just likes her bubble baths.”
“Fine. She couldn’t have waited five minutes for me to get up here and start her bath for her?” Spying the almost empty bottle of Cookie Monster bubble bath on the side of the tub, I sighed. “And maybe not finish off the bottle of bubbles in one go?”
“There’s some left. It needed more,” Laurie said stubbornly, plopping back down in the water and sloshing a small tidal wave over the side.
“Women,” I muttered.
“Sorry we’re such a trial to you manly sorts,” Ally said, but the dry humor in her tone made the year Laurie had just chopped off my life worth it.
“Daddy, out.” Laurie stuck out her chin. “Private now.”
“Say what?”
“Daddy, private now!” She flung a handful of soapy water at me and I backed into the other room, casting a glance at the ceiling.
“She won’t let me stay in the room for her bath.”
“Since when?”
“Ask her. So you gonna come over or what? My bathroom tiles will thank you later.”
“Daddy,” Laurie called. “Shut the door, pweese.”
“Did she just ask you to close the door?”
“She sure did.” And I was doing it—partially, though it was damn sure staying cracked so I could keep an eye and both ears on the situation—because hell if I knew what was protocol at Laurie’s age.
I’d been unsure about continuing to help with her bath as she grew older, but sometimes Ruth, the nanny, wasn’t there to help. I was her father, for fuck’s sake. It was my job. But if Laurie felt ready to do it on her own, I supposed I could give her that space.
Especially if Ally could help make sure my daughter—and my bathroom—survived intact.
“Fine, I’m coming over. But to see Laurie, not you.”
“Whatever. I’m grateful regardless. Bring alcohol.”
“Moscato?” Ally asked, mentioning what we’d turned to more often than not lately.
“Nah. A six-pack of whatever you find at the corner store will do.” A thud came from within the bathroom and I tipped back my head. “Make it a twelve-pack. And hurry.”
FIVE
I hungup the phone and frowned at Sage when she took my glass and poured it into hers. “Hey.”
“You’re going off to play Mommy to jackass.” She snorted. “Now that I know he really wants you to play Mommy, it makes it a little more amusing instead of just annoying.”
“You think it’s annoying?”
She shrugged as she swirled the wine. “I think it’s very suspect that he calls you with a SOS a lot.”
“He’s just a little overwhelmed.”
