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Her eyes made a downward trek, lingering on where his jeans hung on trim hips. Despite the momentary below-the-waist hiccup, her eyes moved farther south for their final assessment.
Well, hell. Blundstone work boots. A somewhat pricey shoe made on the island of Tasmania, Australia, that could go through hell and still look heavenly on a testosterone-fueled man’s foot.
Picture perfect.
Welp, that little exercise didn’t pan out too well.
Birdie ran her finger across the top of the counter next to the cash register. “The place is so clean.”
Lucas moved his head slightly to the right and left and bit his lower lip. “I have it professionally cleaned once a month.”
“Professionally cleaned?” she asked. “What for?”
He lifted his shoulder as he looked around the room. “I don’t know. To calm the angry villagers as you call them and… maybe… for nostalgic reasons. I remember stopping here on our way home from school. We’d grab a pack of Nerds and a PAYDAY candy bar.”
“You were the one who stopped for candy. I was always broke.”
“Why do you think I always made sure to buy a PAYDAY?”
“For me?”
“Didn’t you always end up with it?”
“Please, I had to win them. You made me play ‘I see something you don’t see’ all the way home.”
He lifted his eyes to make a point. “And who always won?”
Staring off to the side and squinting her eyes to jar her memory, she reared back her head. “Omigod, I did. I always won.”
Huh, and all that time she had thought she was so damned clever.
He responded with a single head nod.
She didn’t know what to say to that. How did she not realize him helping her save face, while at the same time making sure she got something special to eat while walking to Bernadette’s every day after school?
Standard issue Lucas Santos stuff.
He asked, “So, what did you want to talk to me about.”
Gathering courage, she told herself to keep it simple. Not too much emotion. Just the bare facts of Mia having fallen in love with her dad and wanting to spend the rest of her life with him. Probably grow old together, adopt a house full of cats, and share a burial plot.
“Yes, um… it’s Mia. I know how busy you are… but she has really enjoyed spending time with you and would like to stay a little longer. She asked me to ask you if it would be okay.”
Birdie watched his face, as this didn’t seem to be the topic of discussion he was expecting. He pushed off the counter and rubbed the back of his neck and then shoved both hands into the front pockets of his jeans, blowing out a huge breath and hanging his head.
None of these gestures translated as a thumbs-up.
He dragged his back head up. “Why didn’t she ask me herself?”
“I think she thought it would be easier to handle if I told her you said no, rather than having to hear it from you, yourself.”
“Look…”
Shoot. That really wasn’t a good sign. She knew the man’s gestures and mannerisms. A sentence from Lucas Santos that began with the word “look” wasn’t at all good.
“She’s a really great kid, Bird. You’ve done a great job raising her. You and Marshall. And although I’m still working through the fact that I’m just now learning about her, at the same time I’m not sure I’m meant to be a full-time dad.”
That was fair, but still, Mia was going to be devastated.
