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Daisy stomps up the two metal steps leading inside the van, and I’m right behind her. When she enters the cramped kitchen, she pushes up onto the tips of her toes and reaches for the nob on one of the upper cupboards, but those damn marshmallow hands of hers make opening it nearly impossible.
“Let me, darlin’,” I say, stepping up behind her.
Her eyes move over her shoulder, locking on me. “Why are you in my house? Did I invite you inside?”
My hand stills on the doorknob. My chest is pressed against her back, and those plump fucking lips of hers are only inches from mine. “I’m here to help you, Dais.”
“I don’t need your help, Nolan.”
“Really? Because you can’t even open this door on your own. How are you supposed to look after a child?”
“I’ll manage. I always do.”
“I don’t doubt your capabilities. But with everything you’ve got going on right now, you’re going to need some help. At least for the next few days.” My voice lowers. “Where’s Jonah’s father?”
Her eyes flicker away. “Not in his life.”
“Okay.” I tilt my head towards the annex. “Then here’s how I see it. You’ve got two choices. You either accept my help, or you keep relying on Puff the Magic Dragon out there.”
A small grin tugs at the corners of her lips, and I know she likes Mabel’s new nickname. “Fine,” she eventually says.
“Good.” I turn my attention back to the cupboard. “What do you require from here?” I ask because I need to put some serious distance between us before I do something stupid, like kiss her again.
“There’s an empty glass jar behind the box of breakfast cereal.” Her lips twitch. “There’s money inside. I have to pay Puff for her babysitting duties.”
I chuckle, unable to help myself. I can’t believe she’s actually going along with the nickname. There’s hope for this woman yet.
Chapter 5
Daisy
When I left for my first shift at my new job this afternoon, I didn’t expect my night to end this way. Never in a million years did I imagine I’d be bringing a stranger home and introducing him to my son.
I’m fiercely protective of my baby boy, and although I barely know Nolan, something in my gut tells me he’s a good guy.
After I pay Mabel the fifty dollars I owe her, she begs me not to tell Stan about the smoking, and I agree. The condition of her lungs is the least of my worries. Besides, I still have to live across the road from her, and the last thing I want is to bring any more trouble into my life.
I haven’t forgotten how kind she was to me the day Jonah and I moved in. She invited me over for coffee. Her place was neat and tidy, with photos of her grandkids covering every spare space on the walls. She reminded me of the kind of grandmother every child deserves, and I never questioned leaving Jonah with her until now.
When I re-enter the van, Nolan’s standing in the kitchen where I left him. His broad frame seems to dwarf the tiny space.
I move past him, still unsure about having him here, and head towards the closed accordion door where Jonah sleeps in a portable bassinet. There wasn’t enough room for a full-sized cot, so his little bed sits tucked beside mine in the only place I could make it work.
The faint smell of Mabel’s cigarette smoke still lingers in the air, and it pisses me off. I can’t even air the van out because it’s freezing outside. Two of the windows are permanently jammed shut, and the ones that do open don’t have screens.
In spite of all the disasters I faced tonight and for the foreseeable future, the moment I glance down at my son’s sweet cherub face, my heart squeezes.
All my uncertainty melts away. I know I did the right thing by moving, and I hope I’ll eventually find my feet.
“Shit, Dais, he’s so tiny,” Nolan whispers. I glance back to find him way too close again. “How old is he?”
“Three months.”
“He’s cute. He looks like you, darlin’.”
“You think?”
“Yeah, he does. He has your cute nose and full lips.” His eyes flicker down to my mouth, and my breath catches. A familiar heat spreads through my body, and I hate how easily this man affects me.
