Page 19 of Crossed Lines

“Sure. Yeah. Do you mind if I take a shower, though?” she asks.

“Yeah, of course. Give me a sec to get Jade in, and I’ll show you where the towels are.”

We both turn to watch as Jade leaps over the sprinkler, laughing as she goes. Willow walks toward the side of the house to turn the water off right as Jade gets one last spin through.

“Alright, Jade. Let’s get cleaned up for dinner.” She groans but walks toward the house anyway. Both girls wrap themselves in their pool towels to dry off before going inside.

“Willow, you can use my shower while Jade takes a bath in her bathroom.” It’s a bad idea, Willow, naked in my shower. I know it the minute it leaves my mouth. I do my absolute best to act like it’s no big deal, and Willow does the same, nodding as we walk down the hall. I stop at the small linen closet and hand her two towels. “You know where the bathroom is?”

“Yep.” She takes the towels and disappears into my bedroom. I quickly focus my attention on Jade. If I stay busy, maybe I won’t think about Willow being naked in my house.

“Alright, let’s get you cleaned up before the pizza gets here,” I say to Jade.

“Pizza!”

“Yep, come on.” I run her a bath. Jade plays with her bath toys while I wash her hair. She tells me all about her day and how much fun she’s having with Willow. It warms my heart to know that she’s having a good summer. I was so worried she’d be bored and never want to come back, but it’s been exactly the opposite, and that’s mostly thanks to Willow.

I dry Jade off and get her in pajamas right as there’s a knock on the front door.

“Must be the pizza,” I say, putting her hairbrush down.

“I’ll get it,” Willow announces as she walks by. She’s back in her shorts and oversized T-shirt from this morning, but this time her hair is braided down her back. “Did you pay online?”

“Yep.”

She nods and heads to the front door.

“Willow, I didn’t expect to see you here.” Alex has been delivering pizza in Blue Haven for years now. He’s an older gentleman who’s been offered countless jobs around town over the years, but he prefers to deliver pizzas. He knows everyone in town, even if they’ve been gone for three years.

“Hey, Alex. How are you?” Willow asks politely.

“Can’t complain. Can’t complain. You staying here with Beck and Jade?” The man seems to be looking for gossip. Maybe that’s why he delivers pizza: so he can stop in at people’s houses to see what’s going on.

“Oh, no. I’m just nannying for Jade this summer,” she explains.

“Well, good for you. I remember now that Sawyer said you’d be home for summer.” I hear him remove the pizzas from his pizza carrier. “You take care now, Willow.”

“Thanks, Alex. Have a good night.”

She closes the door as I finish getting the last tangle out of Jade’s hair.

“Who wants pizza?” Willow asks in a sing-song voice.

“Me me me!” Jade rushes out of the bathroom, and I follow behind. Willow is already in the kitchen, grabbing plates from the cabinet. I love that she’s comfortable here. She moves around my house like it’s hers. That’s what I wanted with this house, a place where people feel like it’s their home too. Lately, it’s just been me and Jade and occasionally Sawyer, Brooks, or Harper. But maybe one day I’ll have more time to create the family that I’ve always wanted.

“Alright, Daddy. What kind of pizza did you get?” Willow asks, and I’m thrown off by her calling me daddy. I know she did it because Jade is here. Gemma calls me daddy all the time when Jade is around, but hearing it come from Willow? It hits a little different. It makes me feel things I shouldn’t.

“I got cheese and pepperoni,” I say, quickly turning to the fridge to get something to drink before I embarrass myself. I set a beer on the counter for myself. “What does everyone want to drink?”

“Sprite, please!” Jade says.

“I’ll take a beer,” Willow answers. I look at her from over my shoulder. “What? I’m twenty-one now. I can legally have a beer.”

She’s not wrong, although it feels wrong giving it to her. But I can’t argue with her, so I grab another one and set it on the counter next to mine.

The three of us settle at the table in the kitchen and dig into the pizza. “Willow, tell us about college.”

“What’s college?” Jade asks.