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“I might have to make two trips.”
“Wait here, I’ll pick them up for you.”
“But…” I was out the door before she got to finish that sentence.
The backdoor to the car was still open and I grabbed the few bags that were there and a long and thin box, and then I went to the trunk. God damn it! Amelia wasn’t kidding. The thing was full of toy boxes and baby clothes and shit. Well, I was a fucking man, I wasn’t going to make two trips to the car, so I loaded everything in my arms and walked blindly to the house.
“Thank you, Mr. Knox.”
“You had a successful shopping trip, I see.”
She bit her lip and moved Sofi’s car seat to the couch before returning to where I was.
“Look, Mr. Knox, I’m sorry if I went a little too crazy today, but I’d cleared everything with Emily beforehand. Sofi needs some toys and a few things for her room. She needs things to challenge her, to amuse her, and to keep her focus. She’s entering a developing stage and all the toys I got will help her experience new things and start learning words. All of that will tire her and, in the end, she’ll sleep better at night, which will help her settle into a sleep cycle routine. I got her a few nightlights that will make the room more welcoming and help her rest. Maybe she doesn’t need all the clothes I bought her, but she just looks so adorable in everything.”
I wasn’t sure she took a breath for that entire rant.
“I’m sure everything you got is good. I gave you a no spending limit credit-card for a reason. Go ahead and spend. Everything she needs, get it for her. The money is no object.”
“Good, because I also ordered a changing table, a rocking chair, and a few other things that will arrive tomorrow.” She exhaled deeply. “I was a little worried I stepped over the line.”
“I’m not mad at you, Amelia.”
“You will be, Mr. Knox, when I’m done talking.”
I frowned.
“Why?”
“I…” She reached for the long box that I brought in and handed it to me. “I bought this with my own money. For you.”
What. The. Fuck.
I gave her one fucking orgasm and she bought me something. I wasn’t her fucking husband. The curiosity still pushed me to open it and I discovered a hand-carved pool cue which only added to my confusion.
“Amelia…” I really had no idea how to reject her gift and not make it awkward.This is why—I reminded myself—you don’t mix business with pleasure. “Why?”
“I broke one of yours. It was an accident and I am so sorry.”
“You played pool and broke a cue, that’s all this is about?” I felt relief settling in my bones. She wasn’t crazy. She wasn’t looking for a spot in my heart, thank God.
“No, umm, no, I wa-wasn’t playing pool, I, umm…” She spoke the last part in one breath, “You got a package and I left it in your bedroom and when I came back, I stepped on the cue and broke it.”
Her words were so smushed together, I could barely make sense of them.
“You received my package?”
“Yes.”
“You took it into mybedroom?” She just couldn’t follow the damn simple rules, could she?
“I know, Mr. Knox. I know you specifically said that I shouldn’t go in that part of the house and it wasn’t my intention to invade your privacy, but I can explain.”
“Explain then.”
“The package you got had a privacy label and I didn’t want to leave it around where someone could find it and look into it, so I decided your bedroom would be a safe place for it. I didn’t mean to break that stick, and I hope the replacement is good enough.”
The replacement was not good enough because I hadn’t played pool in months, and I sure as hell didn’t have a damn cue in my bedroom. She had no idea what really happened.
