Page 7 of Her Faithful Protector

“Give me a break, it’s not going to be that bad,” Nic said.

“You couldn’t even peel the potatoes to Aunt Scarlett’s specifications, what are you talking about?” Alice scoffed.

“Is Auntie Scarlett coming over?” Mimi asked. Aside from her Uncle Nic, his mother was one of her favorite people.

“Not today, you’re stuck with just me.” He tweaked the little girl’s nose and she giggled. He loved her giggle. It sounded like bells.

“You know, I could teach you—” Alice started.

“Don’t even think about it. I know you have plans. Off you go, young woman. Where’s your purse? Do you have your cell phone? Is it charged this time?”

“Yeah, Mom, it better be, otherwise Uncle Nic swears, and then he feels bad,” Mimi said, looking up at her mother with a smirk.

“Great, now I have both of you ganging up on me. That’s so not fair.”

Nic looked at Alice. Really looked at her. He could see the signs of strain around her mouth, and the bruising under her eyes from lack of sleep and probably worry. He hated that. He wished he could do more, but she refused to take anything she considered a handout. She was determined to handle things on her own. Stubborn. The woman was stubborn. But at least he had convinced her to let him take care of Mimi once a week while she took time for herself. It had taken a year of coercion to make it happen, but he’d done it.

“Alice, you’re going to be late,” he said softly.

“I know, I know.” She reached up and kissed his cheek. She crouched down in front of Mimi. “You’re going to be a good girl for Uncle Nic, right?”

“Yes, Mom, I promise.”

“I love you bunches and bunches and bunches.”

Mimi threw her arms wide and Alice pulled her frail body into a hug.

“Remember to make Uncle Nic clean up after himself.” Alice grinned at Mimi.

“I will.”

Alice headed for the door, giving her child one last long look.

Damn, Nic hadn’t talked to Alice since the last time he’d been here. Had something gone wrong that he wasn’t aware of? Alice had some ’splaining to do when she got home tonight.

“You ready to bake?” he asked the little girl.

Her blonde curls bounced as she nodded. “Okay, let’s unpack the groceries. There’s more in the car that I’ll have to bring in.”

“Okay. I can help,” she gave a huge smile.

“I’m counting on it.”

* * *

“What’s that awful smell?” Alice asked as she opened the front door. Her nose twitched the same way her daughter’s had after the first burnt offering.

“Be glad you weren’t here at four o’clock. Now that it’s eleven o’clock the smell has dissipated.”

“It’s godawful. Aunt Scarlett was right never to let you in the kitchen.”

“Yeah, but I succeeded. There’s cobbler in the kitchen.”

Alice followed him into the kitchen and burst out laughing. “Honey, this is not cobbler, where’s the crust?”

“There’s some at the bottom, I swear.”

Alice hip-checked him to get to the silverware drawer and took out a fork, then she casually dipped it into his masterpiece.