Page 15 of The Archer and his Rosebud

“Archer. Arrow. Never heard that one.” I wink, and the air between us thickens. I’m flirting with her and I shouldn’t be. She has enough on her plate without dealing with me coming on to her. I give the colander a shake and vow to stay in the friend zone.

Biting her lip, Willa nods. “So, um, everything went all right with the car?”

“Yeah, good as new.” I dump the noodles into a serving bowl. “You know, if you’re comfortable with it, I’d be happy to keep an extra set of keys here for you, just in case.”

She cocks her head. “Are you implying I’m forgetful?”

“I’m implying you’re human.”

Eli whisper-shouts from the living room. “She fell asleep.”

Willa’s head whips around. “What is it with you Thomas boys? Do you have some secret wizardry heritage?”

“What can we say? We’re natural-born sorcerers.” I smirk and gesture to the kitchen table. “We should eat before she wakes up. Think we can get through a whole meal as mimes?”

My question worksas a challenge to Nolan and Eli who take turns making Willa and I guess what they’re thinking using nothing but hand gestures and facial expressions until we’re turning red in the face as we suppress our laughter. Struggling to keep up with Nolan, Eli grabs a notepad and pen from the junk drawer and starts playing a five-year-olds version of Pictionary.

“Good lord, son.” I steal the paper and pen. “Will you eat already?”

My boy’s eyes grow cartoon character large, their heads whipping around to check on a sound asleep Clementine. Willa’s muffled snort has me rubbing my hand down my face.

“She’s not going to wake up at the slightest sound, you rascals. Eat up or no dessert.”

While Nolan flashes me a frown, calling my bluff before he returns to his dinner, Eli dives in, shoveling a heaping bite of noodles into his mouth and splattering sauce across his chin.

“They made rice crispy treats this afternoon, and I had them wait for tonight to eat them,” I explain, keeping my gaze on the boys so they don’t pull any tricks when something taps the side of my hand on the table.

I find the notepad I commandeered with, Thank you for this, written in perfect block letters.

I cover her fingers and squeeze. If only she understood the significance of her being here. The last few years have been a roller-coaster, and I’ve made Nolan and Eli my priority above any romantic expectations. Looking for a partner was the furthest thing from my mind, but the way the boys interact with a woman who isn’t Leah proves they can handle me bringing someone into their lives. Willa has unknowingly reminded me I have a future beyond my boys. Maybe I’m ready to start dating.

“I shouldn’t be eating this,” Willa says after a few minutes. “The pediatrician suggested I try a dairy and soy-free diet today. They think that might be why Clem’s so fussy and struggling to sleep or gain weight.”

I set my fork down. “You should have said something. We could have—”

“No, it’s fine. I’m not ready to cut it all out cold turkey, so I bought her a small can of special formula. And it’s not like I can run right out and fix my diet in one afternoon. I need to figure out meal plans and recipes.” She pokes at her salad. “I can cut dairy and soy for a while, right? There are good options for dairy-free ice cream, aren’t there?”

Nolan scrunches his nose in disgust.

“If you’re telling me you’re an ice cream addict, I’m sure you can find something to replace it. My nephew has a milk allergy. I can ask my sister for suggestions.”

“That would be great. And soy is infreakingeverything, more than you realize. I just… ugh, I’m no good at sticking to diets. In high school, a bunch of us tried this ridiculous fad diet before spring break. My failure was epic, but it wasn’t like I needed to do it. This is different. This is for her, and for my sanity. And that of my wall-sharing neighbor.”

I huff a laugh. “Don’t worry about me. I have earplugs.” Willa’s bottom lip curls under. “I’m teasing. I barely hear her.” Not true since I’m a light sleeper, but Willa doesn’t need to know that.

“I could continue to buy her this special formula, but it’s really not affordable on my budget. Not that cutting out dairy and soy will be great on my grocery bill, but it’ll hurt less.”

Never have I wanted to ask about Clementine’s dad like I do now. Is the man not in their lives at all? He should be held financially responsible. Willa shouldn’t have to pay for everything on her own. It’s hard enough taking care of yourself as a college student. What kind of man doesn’t help his child? Or maybe he doesn’t know about Clem.

Or maybe—not passing judgment—she doesn’t know who the father is.

“I’m willing to help whenever you need. If you’ll let me.”

Willa chuckles, her head shaking. “Not with this.”

We’ll see about that.

By the timeClem’s little grunts and soft whines alert us of her waking, Willa’s eaten a warm meal without interruption and downed two homemade rice crispy treats.

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