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“It was her favorite movie last year. I have the songs memorized,” I admitted as I cleared the rest of the dishes from the table.
Alice smiled at me. “I’d love to hear you sing them.”
I chuckled without any humor. “Yeah, no one wants that.”
“Can we watch a movie, Daddy? Will you watch it with us?” Maggie asked Alice.
I didn’t interrupt because I wanted Alice to join us. I was intrigued by everything she’d revealed tonight, and I wanted to know more.
I think she surprised both Maggie and me by saying, “Sure.”
We finished cleaning up, and I started making popcorn. Alice and Maggie cuddled up on the couch with blankets and pillows from her bedroom. When I came in with the bowls of popcorn, it felt good. Like we were a real family. One that cooked dinners and watched movies together.
I didn’t want to do anything to mess this up, yet at the same time, I wanted to explore whatever this attraction was to Alice.
She was hiding something. She answered questions, but not really. She kept her responses simple, not giving much away. And none of it made sense. Why would a young woman not have made friends when she’s lived here for three years? Why didn’t she ever go out? Weren’t most single people on dating apps these days? Yet she said she hadn’t even dated since she moved here.
There was a story there, and I was determined to find out what it was.
The familiar movie came on the screen, and I settled on one end of the couch with Maggie in the middle. Maggie sang along to the familiar songs, and I exchanged frequent looks with Alice, who was surprised when I joined in the sing-along. I wasn’t a singer, but it felt good to sing with Maggie.
When the song came on that I’d heard so many times last year I thought my ears would bleed, Alice joined in. At first, her voice was so soft I could barely hear her, but as she gained confidence, she grew louder.
I stopped singing to hear her. Eventually, even Maggie stopped because Alice was that good. When the song ended, I had chills. “You can sing.”
Alice laughed. “Uh. No. I can’t.”
“What are you talking about? You sounded amazing.”
“Just like her,” Maggie insisted, pointing at the princess on the screen.
“You two are silly.” Alice blew it off and turned her attention back to the movie.
But she could sing. I was surprised she hadn’t done anything with her voice.
We watched until Maggie fell asleep, then I carried her upstairs. I wished I could have stayed on that couch a little longer. By the time I got Maggie into her pajamas and tucked her in, Alice was in her room. There was no light from below the door. It was the same thing night after night. She was avoiding being alone with me. Did that mean she felt the same attraction I did?
Each piece of her she let me see, I wanted more. I wanted to unravel her, ribbon by ribbon, until she was bare. Until there was nothing between us.
There was a part of me that wondered if I’d like what I’d find. What if what she was hiding would hurt Maggie or put her in harm’s way? I couldn’t believe that was true, so I put it out of my mind.
CHAPTER7
ALICE
The rest of the week, I either cooked dinner or helped Sam with Maggie while he did. It was all very domestic, and very much against my no-entanglements policy. I should have gone to my room as soon as Sam got home from work. But I was weak, so weak, when it came to Sam and Maggie. If they asked me to stay for dinner, watch a movie, or go ice skating with them, I couldn’t say no.
I blamed it on the fact that I was so starved for human interaction after only hanging out with my family the last few years. And my stupid heart wanted to get closer to Sam. It made no sense with my track record with guys.
Today was the day I promised Maggie I’d go ice skating with them. I hadn’t been since I was a girl. I wasn’t sure I’d remember how to do it, and I was afraid I’d look like an idiot.
I dressed warmly in a bulky sweater, leggings, and thick socks, and took a deep breath before entering the kitchen, where I could already hear Maggie chatting a mile a minute.
A stack of pancakes sat on the island, along with a carton of orange juice.
Sam turned to me and smiled. “Morning.”
His words, his smile, and the sparkle in his eye warmed me from the inside out. “Good morning.”
