“Cal,” Alexis said in a warning tone.
“What?” He shrugged, going over to Sophia. “I am staying, aren’t I?”
I didn’t like the way he was manipulating the situation, manipulating his daughter to get what he wanted. He’d been gone all this time, and then he waltzed in, acting like he owned the place. Still, I kept my mouth shut for Sophia’s sake.
Alexis glared at Cal. “With Preston staying in the pool house, I think it would be best if you got a hotel room this time.”
“But, Mommy—” Sophia pouted. “Daddy always stays for my birthday and Christmas. It’s tradition.”
I swallowed my tongue. Her ex stayinghere? At the house?
“What’s the big deal, Lex?”
Lex?
Cal draped his arm over Alexis’s shoulder. She bristled beneath his touch, but I kept my mouth shut. I wanted her to do something, say something.
“Yeah, Mom,” Sophia said, tugging on her hand. “He can stay in the guest room down the hall.”
Fuck no.
“I don’t think that’s a good idea,” Alexis said, shrugging out of Cal’s touch. The bands on my chest loosened, allowing me to breathe just slightly.
“Please, Mommy? Please. Please. Please.” Sophia could be relentless when she wanted something.
A pregnant silence followed, a stretch of unspoken and unanswered questions. Alexis glanced at me, but I didn’t know what she was expecting. After all, I was just the manny, right? And the manny wouldn’t weigh in on something like this. At least, that’s what was expected. Just like it wasexpectedthat I wouldn’t be sleeping with my employer.
“Fine,” she huffed. “You can stay in the room at the end of the hall.”
I bit the inside of my cheek to keep from making a remark.
“Perfect.” Cal grinned at me like he’d won a contest. “I’ll grab my stuff.” He paused when he reached Alexis, turning to face me so he was standing at her side, showing me exactly how they’d look together as a couple.
“Oh, and Preston,” he said it casually, as if it were an afterthought. But the twinkle in his eyes let me know just how calculating he was. “You can take the rest of the day off. Alexis and I have it covered.”
“Daddy’s staying,” Sophia sang, prancing around her room, looping a feather boa around her neck.
I turned to Alexis once he was gone. “Can I talk to you for a minute?”
She followed me out to the hallway, but I grabbed her hand and tugged her into one of the spare bedrooms. I closed the door softly, and she immediately started pacing. “I can’t believe he actually decided to show up.”
“I don’t want him staying here.”
“Neither do I, but what was I supposed to do? He always stays here. And you saw how excited Sophia was.”
“Mommy. Mommy, where are you?”
“Coming,” Alexis called before turning back to me and lowering her voice. “It’s just for a few days, okay? Then we can go back to doing what we were doing before.”
The problem was, I wasn’t sure I could go back to that. I didn’t want to be a secret anymore. I didn’t want to watch from the sidelines.
But for now, I had to put my feelings aside and do what was best for Sophia. What was best for Alexis. And if that meant stepping back and allowing Cal to have time with his daughter, then so be it.
Chapter Twenty-One
“Someone’s awfully excited,” Christine said, peeking her head in the door to my office.
I’d been doing a happy dance when she discovered me, and I slowly lowered my arms to my sides. But I couldn’t contain the smile that was overtaking my face or the excitement that was bubbling out of me like the champagne I hoped to be popping soon.
