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The knock at the door pulls me out of my thoughts. It’s just after nine, and everyone isn’t supposed to be here until ten. Going to the door, I peek through the side window and my heart immediately starts to race.
Seth.
He’s standing there, hands in his pockets; I assume to ward off the cold. I can’t see his arms from his jacket, but I know what’s underneath. I ogled him enough the one and only time I saw him to have the ridges of his muscles memorized. Don’t judge. It’s been a while for me, and never with a man who was as… defined as Seth.
“Hey,” I say, opening the door.
“Morning.” He gives me a boyish grin that does nothing to settle my already racing heart.
“Morning.” I step back, letting him in. I hear the pitter-patter of little feet against the hardwood floor. Finley stops when she gets to me and stares up at Seth. I watch as he crouches down to one knee to talk to her.
“Hey, sweetheart, remember me?” he asks. She stares at him, not moving. “Are you excited to move?” he asks.
Still nothing from my daughter. “She’s kind of shy around people she doesn’t know. Especially men,” I tell him, even though he already knows.
“You mentioned that,” he says, looking up at me before turning his attention back to my daughter. “If Mommy says it’s okay, I have something for you.” He raises a bag from the local bakery that I somehow missed. “Mommy?” he prompts.
“Sure, but we had breakfast so she might not eat it.”
“She’s a kid and it’s donuts,” he tells me. “Finley.” He sets the bag on the floor, reaches in, and pulls out a small box before opening it to show her. “You want one?” he asks her. She nods. Standing to his full height, he offers her his hand and she takes it. “Can you show me where the kitchen is?” he asks, even though the house is an open concept so he can see it from where he stands.
With more enthusiasm than I would have thought, Finley pulls him toward the small kitchen table that’s bare, waiting to be loaded into the back of a truck and moved to our new place. I watch as Seth places the box on the table, takes a seat himself, and then holds his arms out for Finley. She goes to him as if she’s known him for years and takes a seat on his lap.
“These are just your size,” he tells her. Reaching into the box, he pulls out a small round donut hole. I watch as he pulls a stack of napkins from his jacket pocket and sets them on the table. Pulling one off the stack, he unfolds it and places the donut hole on it in front of Finley.
Stretching her arm, she pokes it with her finger, getting some of the white powder on the tip, then sticks her finger in her mouth. She looks up at him and smiles. “Good, huh?”
This time she grabs the entire thing and brings it to her mouth for a bite. She has powder all over her, and him, but neither of them seems to care. “Let me try,” he says, and she offers it to him. I’m shocked when he takes a bite—just a small one—but some people, especially those without kids, are freaked out about eating after them. “Yummy.”
“Yummy,” Finley says, taking another bite.
I stand, staring at this man winning over my daughter like it’s his job. Picking up the bag of remaining pastries, I carry it to the kitchen and rest it on the table. “Can Mommy have a bite?” I ask Finley. She offers me her soggy donut, but before I can lean in, she pulls it away and takes another bite, giggling. “You stinker.” I tickle her side and she squirms on Seth’s lap. “She likes you.”
“I mean, I’m an easy guy to like, huh, Fin?” he asks.
Refocusing our conversation, I ask, “So, what brings you by so early?” I unpack the bag and grab a glazed donut from one of the boxes.
“I told them I’d stop and get breakfast. I guess I’m a little early.” He offers Finley another and she greedily accepts. “Actually.” He looks up at me, his brown gaze intense. “That’s not true. I wanted to see you. Before everyone got here.”
I can feel the blush coat my cheeks. “Look at you,” I say to Finley, trying to change the subject. Grabbing a napkin, I wipe her mouth. She fights me on it by twisting her head, but I manage to get her face wiped off.
“Hey.” His hand lands on my arm. “I’m sorry if I made you uncomfortable.”
“No, I just… you didn’t,” I assure him.
“Good. I wanted to see you. I thought maybe one night this week we could do dinner. Maybe I could show you girls around town?”
“It’s a small town.”
He chuckles. “Can a guy not want to take two beautiful ladies for some dinner?” he asks.
“I’m a single mom.” I state the obvious. I know he knows this already, but I felt as though it needed to be said.
“I’m a single guy.” He grins.
“Bite,” Finley says, holding her soggy donut up to Seth.
“Oh, no, that’s all yours. I bought these for you. They’re all Finley’s.”
“Mine.” She reaches for the small box and starts to pull it from the table, but Seth manages to stop her in time.
“One at a time, munchkin.” He taps her nose, and she grins, mouth full of donut.
“These really are hers,” he tells me, sliding the box out of Finley’s reach. “I thought they would be easier for her to hold onto.”
My heart flutters in my chest at his thoughtfulness for my daughter. “That was sweet. Thank you.”
“You’re welcome. Was it sweet enough to get you two ladies to have dinner with me?”
“Seth—” I start, but a knock on the door interrupts me. “You okay with her?” I ask him. I’m just going about twenty feet, but still, I don’t know him. Then again, I think that maybe I do. Our messages these past few months, although light, I feel like I know him. Pulling open the door, I’m immediately crushed in a hug from Amelia.
“Where’s my Fin?” she asks, pulling away.
“Occupied!” Seth calls out from the kitchen.
Amelia looks around the corner. “What are you doing here so early?” she asks.
“I stopped to pick up breakfast. I was starving. It didn’t take as long as I thought it would.”
“Finley, come to Aunt Amelia,” she says, walking into the kitchen and holding her hands out for my daughter. She shakes her head and snuggles into Seth.
“What’s this?” Amelia says, crouching down to get eye level. “Can I have a hug?”
Finley ignores her, chomping another bite from her donut hole. “Fin,” Seth says soothingly. “Aunt Amelia might cry if she doesn’t get a hug,” he tells my daughter. She looks up at him, then to Amelia. I watch in fascination as she sits up, holds out her arms, and gives Amelia a hug. It’s short-lived before she’s snuggling back up to Seth.
“How did you win her over so fast?” Amelia asks Seth, standing and taking a seat at the table. She reaches into the box and helps herself to a donut.
“Donuts.” Seth shrugs.
“I don’t know,” I say, taking my seat. “She was pretty taken with you at the Memorial Day cookout too. Remember I was trying to catch her. You stopped her for me and picked her up?” I look over at Amelia. “She wouldn’t come to me. He carried her back up to the deck.”
“I think someone has a crush,” Amelia says, her eyes quickly glancing at me before she begins tickling Finley’s sock-covered foot. She giggles and pulls her foot away.
“You guys want something to drink? I have some bottled water in the cooler.” I point to the small cooler on the kitchen floor. “It’s on ice and ready.” Now is not the time for my best friend to play matchmaker. Not with everyone here, all of them watching. Nope. Not today, Amelia.
“No thanks,” they say at the same time.
I stand and grab Finley’s sippy
cup, and pour some water into it before handing it to her. She refuses to take it so Seth takes it for her. “You better drink up,” he tells her. “Those donuts taste better with water.” Once again under his spell, my daughter takes the cup she refused from me and has a couple of big pulls.
“I’m starting to get a complex here,” I say, laughing. Of course, I’m kidding, but I am surprised at how easily she’s taken with him.
“The ladies love me,” Seth boasts.
“Oh, brother.” Amelia rolls her eyes. “If your ego gets anymore inflated, it won’t fit out the door.”
“You hear that, Fin? They’re making fun of me.” Amelia and I laugh, which causes Finley to laugh dramatically, even though she has no idea why.
Once the group arrived, they had my entire house loaded in the back of their trucks and trailers in about an hour. Of course, it was faster because I had everything packed and ready to go. It’s sad in a way. This is the house that I brought Finley home to. Where her first words were spoken, and her first steps were taken. No one can take those memories from me, but it still makes me a little melancholy.
“You ready to go to our new house?” I ask Finley.
“New house,” she says and nods.
I know she has no idea what I’m talking about, but her easy acceptance is nice all the same. We’re not really leaving anyone behind. Sure, she has her daycare and her friends and teachers there, but she’s still too young to feel the loss. At least I hope so. I have no family to speak of, at least none that I’m aware of.
“You got everything?” Seth asks.
“Yeah, I just want to do one more walk through just to be sure.”
“Come here, sweetheart.” He holds his arms out for Finley, and she practically leaps from my arms to his. “Let’s walk with Mommy while she makes sure she’s not leaving anything behind.”
