Page 35 of An Unexpected Chance

I burst out laughing, because there was nothing else to do. Fun times had been had aplenty. I’d stayed, and we’d made love again, with Simon’s wandering hands finding me in the night two more times. In trying to sneak out, we’d been busted.

And now we had to have pancakes to celebrate that.

I dropped my purse. “I love pancakes. And it was pretty fun. Your daddy snores, though.”

Mia’s eyes widened. “I know!”

“Hey,” Simon protested. “I don’t snore.”

“You can sleep with me next time. Or in the guest room. I guess Daddy was too lazy to make up the bed.” She shook her head. “He hates making the bed.”

I tried not to laugh again. She was adorable and funny.

Simon huffed under his breath. “She sleeps with me when she’s here. That’s the rule.”

“I don’t get much sleep with you. Maybe the guest room is a good idea,” I teased, keeping my voice low.

“I don’t think so,” Simon growled.

I met his dancing gaze. He was thrilled we’d been busted. In fact, I wondered if he had set an alarm at all. I narrowed my eyes and he grinned. He was never going to admit it even if the sneaky man had planned this.

“You do snore,” I said, just to piss him off.

“Yes, you do,” Mia agreed. “Big snores, Daddy.”

“Whatever,” he muttered. He leaned close and kissed my ear. “You make noises too. But those ones I like.”

I slapped him away and took Mia’s hand. “Do you like peanut butter on your pancakes?”

“Peanut butter?” she repeated. “With syrup too?”

“Yep.”

“Oh, can I try, Daddy?”

He scratched his head. “Peanut butter and syrup? That seems a little weird to me.”

“Don’t knock weird until you’ve tried it.”

“Yeah, Daddy,” Mia quipped. “You always tell me I have to try it before I decide I don’t like it. I think it sounds nummy.”

He threw up his hands. “Fine. We’ll try it.”

I grinned. “Good answer.”

“Sure, sure. Whatever makes my girls happy.”

That made me smile. And as I walked into the kitchen, I had a feeling today was the start of my future.

Simon, Mia, and me.

* * *

First day of school, I was up early and in my classroom, making sure everything was ready. The past while had flown by. I’d spent more time with Simon and Mia than anywhere else. More time at their house than my apartment. In fact, I hated leaving them, my little space now feeling empty when I was there. Lonely.

At Simon’s place, I was now part of the nighttime routine. Reading to Mia, both Simon and me on her bed, her cuddled between us. I helped her with her bath, brushed out her long hair. Showed her a fancy braid I liked to do. I loved her good-night kisses, morning snuggles, and how she just accepted me as me. Simon tried not to laugh the day she came downstairs wearing a bandanna in her hair like mine and boots on her feet with her skirt. He told her she was adorable and kissed her. Then he did the same to me. I was Chippy to Simon; she was Sweet Pea. I loved how she called him Daddy.

He loved it when I did the same thing, but for an entirely different reason.