Page 33 of A Little Twist

I’m not sure what any of that means, but I’ll go with it. “That’s very good. Miss Cass won’t know where we keep all our stuff or what you do every day. I’ll tell her, but will you help her remember if she forgets?”

Her eyes widen, and she nods. “I’ll tell hereverything.”

“That’s my girl.”

She spears another penny cake, looking up at me. “But it’s summertime now. Gram says in summertime, we do whatever we want.”

“That’s true, but we still have things we do everyday.”

Rocking back and forth in her chair, she nods. “Like bath time.”

“Right. Like bath time and meals and whatever else you do.”

“In the summer we swim in Gram’s pool.”

“There you go.”

Nodding, she shoves her last penny cake into her little mouth. “I can do that.”

“Don’t talk with your mouth full.” Reaching out with a napkin, I wipe the syrup off her chin as she wiggles. “Finish your milk and brush your teeth.”

“Ew! Daddy, that’s gross.” Her nose wrinkles, and she hops off the stool, carrying her plate to the sink.

At least she’s mastered cleaning up her place. I’m not a total failure. Unless Mom taught her that. Still, brushing teeth is something I can control.

“It’s not as gross as cavities and bad breath.” I stab three penny cakes at a time, and shove them in my mouth before carrying my plate to the sink.

“Gram lets me wait until afterNemoto brush my teeth. That way it doesn’t taste yucky.”

Hesitating at the cooktop, I watch as she pulls up the animated movie on the streaming service.

“Okay.” I set the timer on my phone. “When this dings, that means pause the movie and brush your teeth.”

The orchestral music begins, and I quickly load the dishwasher and head back to my master suite on the first floor.

All the other bedrooms, including my daughter’s, are on the second floor with connecting bathrooms. I would offer to let Cass take one of them, but she might prefer having more personal space.

And after that kiss last night, it might be a good idea to give us some boundaries. When she pressed her body to mine, her soft curves melting into my arms, I almost lost control. I almost yanked her skirt up and drove my cock home.

The fantasy has a semi rising in my pants.

Fuck, she’s so sexy. Keeping her in the garage apartment is the right idea. Otherwise, I don’t think I’d make it through the month without testing her willingness to push some boundaries.

That settles it. The day kindergarten starts, she is no longer my employee. It’s the day I can bring what I’ve been thinking about into the realm of possibility. Until then…

A banging noise comes from the garage, and my stomach tightens. She’s here.

My pulse ticks faster, and I give the house a quick survey. The pine floors are warm and inviting, and the vaulted, exposed pine ceilings make the living room appear larger than it is. Harriet came on Friday, so the rugs are vacuumed and the furniture is dusted.

Pinky is on the couch happily watching her fish movie. Reaching down, I slide the messy ponytail I did out of her hair, and her shiny pink curls fall around her little shoulders. That’s better.

Returning to the kitchen, I drop the band in a drawer, giving that space a cursory glance. Our breakfast dishes are in the sink, but the room is otherwise spotless. A vase of Gerber daisies is on the reclaimed wood bar, again, thanks to Harriet the maid, and the sun shines through the windows, giving the place a happy morning vibe.

It’s an inviting workspace, I think.

Stopping in front of the large mirror in the foyer, I rake my fingers through my dark hair. Overnight, it seems, my hair has gotten too long. It’ll have to do. Glancing down at my jeans and white linen button-up shirt, I roll the sleeves to look less formal.

Welcoming. I’m going for welcoming.

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