Page 39 of Already Callin’ You Mine

I freeze, the squeaky tone filling my ears and surrounding my heart. Spinning around, I expect to find Little Man, but there’s nothing. No one. I’m all alone in the kitchen.

And now I’m hearing things…

“I’m a good helper!”

Presley’s laugh immediately follows, stealing all of my attention. Fuck, is that a beautiful sound.

“You are a good helper,” she confirms.

Looking around, I scan the kitchen, trying to figure out where their voices are coming from. They’re too clear to be wafting down the hall, but they are absolutely not in here. Or in my head.

Then I see it—the baby monitor. Or, well, kid monitor, I guess. Otis isn’t a baby. The small little device is resting against the backsplash, green lights flickering as Otis starts up again.

“I know all ’bout stranger danger. I taught Socks. I teach Jace too.”

I laugh, loving his spirit. He’s a smart kid—just like his mama—with a wild curiosity. He also doesn’t seem to have ever met a stranger. Something that I’m sure has made Presley all kinds of anxious. It also explains a lot about that day at the farmers’ market, and why this topic came to mind so quickly. It’s one she’s well-versed in.

“We can talk about that tomorrow. Right now, it’s sleepy time. Do you want to share your sunshine and rain first?”

Sunshine and rain? I stop what I’m doing and turn my attention to their conversation, my desire to know why they are discussing weather as part of their bedtime routine getting the better of me.

“Rain, I frowed up. Sunshine, Jace came over and we watched movies.”

At this point I think I should just carve my heart straight out of my chest and hand it to the kid on a plate.

“Can Jace come over again?”

The question hits me like a Mack truck, and it’s all I can do not to fall over. A long pause fills the air, and for a moment I think I’ve missed Presley’s response.

“You really like him, huh?”

Another beat of silence, one I can see being filled with Otis nodding his answer.

“You like him too.”

That’s where you’re wrong, Little Man…

“Do you want to know my sunshine and rain?” Presley responds, not even acknowledging the statement.

“Yes.”

“Well, my rain⁠—”

I reach over, hitting the power button on the monitor as quickly as I can. Listening to Otis’s answers was one thing. Listening to Presley’s…that feels like a bridge too far. Makes me feel like I’m creeping on her.

Plus, I don’t think I can stand hearing her say that her rain was that I came over and watched movies. I’m too in my feels at the moment, all tenderized from so much cuteness in one single three-year-old.

Only problem is now it’s too quiet in here. Being left alone with my thoughts is never a good idea.

I pull out my phone, setting it on the counter and starting a random playlist I have loaded. Kenny Chesney blasts through the little speaker, the almost tinny sound helping drown out everything, allowing me to focus back on the dishes.

Which is exactly what I do.

I dance around the kitchen, each new song giving me the energy I need to get it all taken care of, plus wipe down some extra surfaces. Losing track of time, I continue to move, not paying attention to anything else around me.

“I thought you didn’t dance.”

Busted…