Page 65 of One and Only

Yet there I sat, wondering what my fake wife would do if I walked up behind her and slid my hands underneath those short shorts.

Wondered if she’d make a different sort of noise, with a different arch of her back.

There was a knock on the door, and I blew out a hard puff of air. With a slight glance down at my lap, I made a brief concerted effort to think about algebra before I stood to greet Josie and Olive.

The door opened, Josie’s smiling face popping through. “Can we come in?”

My brow furrowed. “Of course.”

She aimed a loaded look at Greer. “Just checking.”

Greer cleared her throat delicately, cheeks flushed a pretty pink. “You’re safe,” she said.

Olive skipped into the house, and I crouched down to greet her, my heart melting when she jumped straight into my arms. “Hey, sweet pea,” I said, dropping a kiss onto her hair. “You have a good week with Mommy and Micah?”

She nodded, pointing to a new headband covered in sparkles and tiny little printed butterflies. “Look what I got,” she whispered.

“It’s beautiful,” I told her.

Olive beamed. Her eyes slid over to Greer, and I held my breath a little to see how this would go.

“Wanna go show her?” I asked quietly.

Olive’s gaze locked with mine, and she managed a shy nod.

Josie and I watched quietly as Olive tiptoed toward the kitchen, light little steps on the balls of her feet. Greer kept her expression neutral, setting her drink down as Olive approached. Then she crouched down in the same way I did.

Olive stopped a couple of feet away, spinning back and forth, then tapping her headband with a tiny smile.

“Did your mom pick that for you?” Greer asked, keeping her hands tucked between her knees. Her eyes were warm and steady on my daughter’s face.

Olive nodded.

“Can I see it?” she asked.

Olive nodded again, coming a few steps closer and tilting her head down.

“Iloveit,” Greer said. “I wish they made one that could fit me too.”

Olive smiled, shyly reaching out her hand to touch the ends of Greer’s hair, right where the pink paint stained the tips.

Greer’s eyes met mine, and she grinned.

“Do you like pink?” she asked Olive.

My daughter nodded again, a bit more forcefully.

“I’m very glad to hear that,” Greer continued. “Is it okay if I put a little bit of that color in your bedroom upstairs?” she asked quietly, tapping a light finger to her hair, where Olive’s fingers still rubbed against the dried paint.

Olive’s eyes widened, and a quick gasp left her mouth. “Yes,” she breathed. “Can I go look?”

“Go ahead,” I told her. “But don’t open the door until we’re up there with you.”

Olive raced up the stairs, hair streaming behind her, and the three of us laughed.

“I can’t wait to see it,” Josie said to Greer.

“Me too,” I added.

---