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“Me,” Fender answers as he opens the backdoor.
Isla’s nose wrinkles. “Why are you coming through the backdoor? Did Mom kick you out? Was she mad at you?”
Fender raises an eyebrow my way.
“What do you mean?” I hedge.
Isla rolls her eyes. “He stayed overnight.”
I groan. So much for her not knowing I had sex. I fear another conversation about what adults do when they like each other is approaching.
“He did?”
“Mom,” she huffs. “He was in your bed. Are you mad at him?”
“I’m not mad at him,” I claim although I’m a little irritated with the know-it-all look Fender’s got going on his face at the moment.
“Good. Because I like Fender.”
He ruffles her hair. “I like you, too, cutie pie.”
“Did you have fun at the sleepover?” I ask because I am done discussing where Fender slept last night.
“It was okay. After Storm got sick, they took our candy away.”
I bite my tongue before I say good. “What did you do? Watch movies? Play games?”
“Yeah.”
She pats the chair next to her. “Sit down here, Fender.”
“Maybe your mom needs help making the pancakes.”
I lift the box of pancake mix. “All fine here. Go ahead and relax.”
He sits next to my daughter and she smiles up at him. “Does this mean you’re my new daddy now?”
I gasp and drop the pan onto the stove with a thump. “What?”
“Storm said if a man stays over night with your mom, he’s your new daddy.”
My gaze meets Fender’s. Panic is clear to see in his eyes. The same panic is coursing through my body. I could barely agree to date Fender. I’m not ready for a full-on relationship with him.
And, considering he’s panicking as hard as I am, Fender obviously isn’t ready for one either. Disappointment kicks me in the stomach. Why do I feel disappointed? I literally just thought I’m not ready for a full-on relationship with him.
“Did I say the wrong thing?” Isla glances back and forth between us.
“Maybe I should go.” Fender starts for the door. “We’ll talk later.”
“Is he mad at me?” Isla asks when the door shuts behind him.
“Of course not, honey.”
“But he was happy before I asked him about being my daddy.” Her bottom lip trembles and I rush to her.
“It’s okay. Everything’s okay,” I reassure her.
“He hates me!” she screams and promptly bursts into tears.
