“What?” Lyric said.
Stroking her bump, Elle insisted, “My monster baby says I shouldn’t repeat myself for a little hellion like you.”
Lyric waved off Elle’s comment like Zodiac had waved off her tongue gesture.
“Why don’t you work on your alphabet while Elle and I talk?” I suggested and got Lyric set up at the table where Dillon and Skylar did their schoolwork.
Sitting on the couch next to Elle, I asked, “How are you feeling?”
“Hemorrhoidal. Zodiac, Sutter, and I decided to stay in town until after Halloween to give my body a chance to relax after thedrive up here,” Elle said and then smiled. “So, what do you think of our mutual friend?”
“You know I like him.”
“Yeah, but did he make a good impression yesterday?”
Nodding, I glanced at Lyric and picked my words carefully so she wouldn’t feel the need to join us and add details.
“He did well with the girls. We had a nice meal. I look forward to seeing him tonight.”
Elle smiled softly. “He’s a good guy. For a long time, I thought he and Clint would end up living together as elderly bachelors. They showed zero interest in dating.”
“Neither did you.”
“Huh, it’s so weird, too. Our parents have great marriages, so you’d think Clint, Boone, and I would be psyched to hook up with someone. Maybe our lives were too comfortable. Or we were too spoiled. Maybe we’re rotten people.”
Frowning, I reminded her, “You and Clint are in relationships now.”
“That’s true. So maybe we didn’t date because no one was good enough until we found the right people. Speaking of people who deserve happiness, Boone would be a great friend to you. However, he isn’t really a kid person.”
“I’m a kid,” Lyric said and showed me how she had finished her first sheet. “I’m a hard worker. I’m doing another one now.”
“Such a smart kiddo,” Elle cooed.
Once Lyric stopped watching us, I leaned forward and whispered to Elle, “He brought them presents and was really friendly.”
“You have good kids, so it might be easy for Boone to warm up to them.”
My stomach dropped, and I asked, “Does he not like kids?”
“He’s like Zodiac, I guess. He doesn’t have a natural way with kids, but he can do it for the right people.”
I considered my daughters’ future. What if Boone and I could build something real?
“I feel like you’re stressing,” Elle said and stood up. “How about we pick out your outfit for tonight and take your mind off stressful stuff? Lyric can help us choose. We can put music on and do a movie montage scenario.”
Standing up, I smiled at her attempt to put my worries to rest. Before we brought Lyric into the mix, I took Elle’s hand and stared into her gray eyes.
“Boone was everything I hoped,” I whispered. “Since I’m old-fashioned, I’m already thinking about the future. But that also means I can’t slow down and enjoy anything.Help me.”
“Don’t fight your feelings. I wasted a lot of time with Zodiac because my head was stressing the details. Once I got to know him, I was hooked. And he, of course, couldn’t get enough of me. The guy really is my sex slave now.”
Smirking at her bragging, I mumbled, “But what if Boone doesn’t want to become my sex slave?”
“Aww, you said ‘sex’ like a big girl,” Elle mocked. “Yeah, you’ve got a horny vibe now. I don’t blame you. Boone is a hot man.”
Feeling territorial, I frowned at how she complimented Boone’s physical appearance.
“Oh, you’re the possessive type, huh?” Elle asked and laughed loudly. “I love it. I ought to hire a woman to throw herself at him, so I can watch you go homicidal.”
