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About two hours later, we pulled into the parking lot at the wildlife park and children’s zoo. I cringed a little when the cashier gave us the total for our tickets, but when I went to pull my wallet out of my purse, Roan wrapped his fingers around my wrist and asked, “What are you doing?”
“Um, paying?” I blinked up at him. “You got dinner last night, and you’re letting me stay at your place this weekend.”
“It’s not gonna happen, baby. If you’re with me, I pay.” My eyes widened at the finality in his tone as he handed his credit card to the cashier. I was used to paying my own way—and my brother’s more often than I should. It was refreshing to be around someone who wanted to take care of me for a change.
He was still muttering to himself about me trying to pay when we headed toward the first exhibit. Bumping my hip against him, I murmured, “Sorry, I didn’t mean to put a damper on our outing.”
“No, I’m the one who’s sorry, baby.” He flashed me a sheepish grin. “I’ll shake it off, don’t worry.”
I wasn’t sure if he used nicknames like baby for everyone in his life, but I loved to hear him call me that. Probably too much. Same with when he called Cassidy sweet cheeks.
“Ready to see the lemurs?” I asked.
“Lemurs, yay!” Cassidy screeched while Daisy clapped her hands.
Being here with the girls made me feel Carrie’s loss more than usual. She loved to bring them to the zoo in West Orange, so as we stopped to see her favorite animals, I shared stories with the girls about their mommy. Seeing Cassidy’s eyes light up as I reminded her of things she’d forgotten about Carrie got me teary-eyed after a while.
As we neared a restroom, I tapped Roan’s arm. “I need to make a quick pit stop.”
“Okay.” Tilting his head back as he grabbed the stroller, he asked, “Do you need to go potty, sweet cheeks?”
“Nuh-uh.” She shook her head. “I’s still good.”
Walking away, I listened as Roan corrected her grammar. Luckily, there wasn’t a line, so I was in and out of the bathroom in only a few minutes.
Even though I was very aware that I wasn’t their mommy, touring the exhibits with Roan carrying Cassidy on his shoulders while I pushed Daisy’s stroller, I felt as though we were almost like an instant family. So I was even more rattled than normal when a man tugging a toddler boy in a wagon blocked my path to chat me up.
His gaze raked the length of my body, lingering on my boobs as he said, “Hey, want to come see the peacocks with us?”
The way he stressed the last half of the animal’s name was creepy, especially with his son sitting right there. Taking a step back, I bumped into Roan, who must have moved closer while they were waiting for me. He tugged me behind the stroller, then lifted Cassidy off his shoulders and handed her to me.
“What the fu—” He bit off his curse and took a deep breath, his nostrils flaring. “You don’t come up to a woman and ask something like that, especially when she’s somewhere with my daughters and me.”
The guy’s gaze landed on Roan’s face, and his beady eyes practically bugged out of his head. “Holy fuck, you’re Roan Ellis. Sorry, man. Didn’t mean to tread on your territory. I suppose I blew my chance at getting an autograph?”
“An autograph is the last thing I’m gonna give you after the stunt you just pulled.” Roan slid his arm around my back, wrapping his hand around Cassidy’s thigh where it dangled from my hip.
“Damn,” the guy groaned.
“I’m not gonna tell you how to raise your own kid, but I am going to insist that you watch what you say around mine. Or even better, get lost,” Roan growled.
The other dad held his palms up in a gesture of surrender. “Shi—um, I mean…crap. Sorry again.”
I bit my bottom lip to hold back a giggle as Roan stared the guy down while he rolled his kid down the sidewalk. His reaction made me feel better about the spurt of jealousy I’d experienced before he told me who his sister was this morning. It made my encounter with the creep worth it.
7
Roan
“Can we go again tomorrow?” Cassidy asked sleepily as I tucked her into bed.
I chuckled and kissed her forehead. “We have to give the monkeys a chance to miss us before we go back, Cassidy.”
“Oh. Okay, Daddy.”
“Love you,” I murmured with a tender smile.
“Love you. Love you, too Aunt Ava.”
