Page 26 of Lost Times

Jasmine wrangled out of my hold and bounced over to him, her little dress adorable as she leaned on one of the few clear spots on his desk.

“We have food!” She crowed and I caught the tiny flinch he gave. He must have a headache. Sympathy welled and I gently pulled Jasmine back, putting his plate of food in front of him before shushing her lightly.

“Indoor voice, honey.”

He shot me an appreciative look, then nodded to his food. “Thanks for this. It’s going to be a long night, and having homemade food is better than takeout.”

I shrugged, ignoring the fluttery feelings the simple thanks inspired. “We were already making dinner; why not add enough for you?”

Jasmine chipped in, spreading her arms wide as she spoke. “Mom made sure to make abighelping because she said she didn’t think you stopped to eat today.”

Heat slapped over my cheeks as Ludwig raised a brow my way. I coughed, wishing she hadn’t spilled that particular fact even as I nodded.

“I know when I get busy eating tends to slide through the cracks. I just worried you hadn’t found time to stop and snack.”

His lips quirked at one side. “You’d be right. I ate a granola bar for breakfast and that’s it.” Something in his eyes shifted, melting, but this time the look wasn’t angled at Jasmine. It was all for me, and having that softness directed at me made my heart squeeze uncomfortably.

Shaking the weird sensation to the side, I gestured to his food. “Well, now you have real food to eat. We should head out, though; it’s approaching this one’s bedtime.”

Jasmine pouted, already gearing up to argue, but I cut her off with a stern look. “Don’t. We promised you could stay up a bit later to bring him dinner with me, but that won’t be happening again if you throw a tantrum now.”

She dropped it, her pout still firmly in place. Then she looked at Ludwig. “Can I have a hug before we go?” She asked and he blinked, clearly taken aback. Poor guy had no idea how much the kid loved hugs or how many she’d be extorting from him in the near future.

He nodded and she was around the desk in a heartbeat, her arms thrown around his neck as she cuddled in. He was faster to return it this time, his grip firmer, and when Jasmine pulled away she was smiling again.

“Night!”

Then she zipped off toward the entrance, leaving me shaking my head. “I love her, but that energy is something else,” I muttered, then focused on him again.

“I already know you won’t accept help with the paperwork, but please try to get some sleep tonight. You look exhausted as it is.”

Before he could say anything to that, I turned and left, not wanting to leave Jasmine alone for too long.

It was strange, telling him to take care of himself like this, but also kind of nice. It’d been a long time since I’d had someone to worry over aside from Jasmine.

As long as he didn’t mind, I’d probably keep doing it.

Chapter 13

Jasmine raced around the nearby playground, her laughter a perfect background noise as Ludwig and I sat nearby on a bench outside the bistro we’d just eaten at. It was our ‘family day’, and we’d decided to leave what we did up to Jasmine.

She’d wanted to go to the playground and have ice cream, thus here we were.

There weren’t any other kids out today, but she didn’t let that stop her from enjoying herself. Occasionally she’d look at us before going back to her imaginary games, but for the most part Ludwig and I were happy to sit in companionable silence.

At least, that was the case until Jasmine tripped, tumbling into a roll before landing almost face-first in the grass. Ludwig snapped ramrod straight, alarm clear, and when she sat up, tears in her eyes while clutching her knee, he was off the bench and moving in a blink.

Of course once he got to her, he didn’t know what to do. His hands hovered over her, not touching but clearly wanting to soothe and I followed him, patting his back when he looked ready to call an ambulance.

“Easy, big guy. Scrapes happen.” I said, then turned to her, kneeling to get a better look. It wasn’t even bleeding, but it probably stung all the same. Wiping away some of her tears, I kissed her knee and soothed.

“All better?”

She sniffed but nodded, letting me help her up. It only took a minute before she was back to racing around, but Ludwig stared as if he couldn’t comprehend what’d happened. Bringing him back to the bench, I chuckled.

“Kids are pretty resilient. There isn’t much she does that’ll keep her down for long. Sometimes a hug and a kiss solve everything.”

His confused mask stayed in place, something painful and old lingering under the surface, but that disappeared in the next minute. The air shifted, something cold sliding into place where the peace had been previously. Ludwig tensed, his voice hardly a whisper as he cursed.

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