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I motioned to her with my spoon before I took a big bite. "You just worked the same hours as I did yesterday. More, actually. How're you still going?"
She shook her head to disagree. "But I had plenty of down time."
I snorted. "When? When you were watching not just mine, but your own kid, cleaning my house or cooking me supper? Oh, and don't think I didn't notice you gave Fighter a bath last night. He smelled all clean and fresh when I leaned in to kiss his head just now."
"Okay, fine," she relented on a sigh. "I'm secretly Wonder Woman. I just hid my bracelets, tiara, and lasso in Skylar's diaper bag so you wouldn't find out."
I grinned. "Wonder Woman was always my favorite superhero."
"And I'm sure her breast size, tiny waist, and incredible thighs had nothing to do with it either."
I snorted out a laugh and nearly choked on the last of the milk I was drinking from my bowl. "You know me too well." Rising to my feet, I went to rinse it in the sink, only to realize how freaking spotless the sink was. Not only had she done dishes, she'd scrubbed the sink as well.
Shaking my head and thinking she really must be Wonder Woman, I turned to say, "I can drive you back to Lowe's whenever you're ready."
She looked up in surprise. "Aren't I watching Julian again today?"
I drew in a quick, pleased breath. "You were serious about that?"
"Of course." She frowned as if I was crazy for asking. "You still need help watching him, don't you?"
"Yeah, but . . . " I shrugged, suddenly self-conscious. "I was kind of an asshole to you the last time we saw each other. I don't get why you're being so amazing and helping me like this."
She shook her head, her confusion blatant. "How were you an asshole to me?"
I glanced away, ashamed. "I basically told you I didn't want you knowing I didn't have a real marriage because I didn't want you tempting me into something I knew you could very easily tempt me into doing. And then I walked out on you and never talked to you again."
"Okay, first of all, that was three days ago, not decades like you're making it sound. And your hands were full, Pick. That's totally understandable. Besides, you weren't obligated to ever talk to me again, though not calling when your wife left you hanging with a four-month-old to take care of by yourself stung a little. I thought we'd become friends. Why didn't you think I'd help you watch him?"
"I . . . " I gave a small laugh. "Actually, the idea didn't even occur to me. I'm not used to asking anyone for help. Usually, it's the other way around and people come to me when they need something."
"Then it sounds as if you need new friends. If you never get anything in return from them, they're not your friends. They're just people who use you." Before I could respond to her statement, she continued, "And besides, I totally understand why you didn't tell me about the true nature of your wedding vows. I only had to spend five minutes with Julian to know how amazing he is and how much he needs you in his life. I would never do anything to jeopardize that." A line between her brows formed. "How is that going to work out, anyway? Now that she's gone. I mean, it's okay for you to keep him, right?"
"I don't know," I confessed quietly as I leaned against the kitchen counter to wipe the exhaustion from my eyes. "But I'm certainly not going to call up a social worker to see if it's fine. No way in hell am I doing anything that might land him in the foster care system."
Her eyes softened with sympathy. "You had a pretty bad experience with foster care, didn't you?"
I shrugged and glanced down into my cleaned cereal bowl before I cleared my throat and set it on the counter. "Some places were okay. Others were fucking hell. It's all a crapshoot. Most of those people take on kids for the money. They don't care what happens to you as long as they keep getting a check. You never feel like you belong. Anywhere." When a cry came from my bedroom, I glanced toward the sound. "Julian doesn't deserve that. Not when he's got me."
I left her in the kitchen to go get my boy out of his crib. When I pulled him to my chest and kissed his head, he burrowed into me, grabbing a handful of my shirt.
Eva and Skylar appeared in the doorway. When Tink smiled at me, her gaze soft and understanding, something in my chest screwed in tight. It hurt even more, knowing she completely understood why I couldn't pursue the attraction between us.
"You sure you don't need to go back to your place to get anything this morning? Change of clothes, stuff for Skylar?"
She shook her head. "Already got it covered. Reese is on her summer break from college and she doesn't have to watch Mason's sister today. She can bring me anything I need. Besides she'll need to give me a ride to the grocery store."
My eyebrow shot up. "You were serious about that too?"
"Hell, yes. I'll starve if I don't get more food in your cabinets soon."
"You can take my car if you need to go anywhere. The garage where I work is only about twelve blocks from here."
She shuddered as if that was a horrible idea. "I kicked you out of your own bed last night. I'm not taking your ride too. Especially in this heat."
"Yeah, but you looked really hot all curled up in my sheets, so that was more of a bonus for me."
She sighed and rolled her eyes. "There it is. I was wondering where that flirty side of you had gone this morning."
