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I was making progress, albeit baby steps. I was getting back to my art, and I was excited to go home and get started on the mosaic I’d promised Maggie.
Home.
When had I started to think of Sam’s house as mine?
It was a dangerous thought because it was temporary. I wasn’t part of his family. I couldn’t let myself get in too deep with Sam and Maggie. Her mother might return, or Sam might not need me anymore. Maggie might get that opening at the school. I couldn’t get too settled.
I’d enjoy it while I could. The more I thought about it over dinner, the more what Elle said made sense. A fling with Sam was attractive. If our arrangement was temporary, then it didn’t matter if I indulged in the temptation.
There was just one tiny problem—Sam hadn’t given me any indication that he was interested.
CHAPTER10
SAM
Ispent time with Maggie on Sunday afternoon and evening while Alice spent time with her family. Maggie kept asking when she’d be back, and I couldn’t blame her. I wanted to know, as well. I’d gotten used to our evenings together, and I wanted to watch a movie with her.
Those shared moments were my favorite during the week. Sometimes, Alice arranged a game night, too. We were finding new ones we enjoyed, and they weren’t the board games from my past. There were so many options, so Maggie didn’t get bored.
Currently, Maggie was loving Sleeping Queens, and I was playing what felt like the hundredth round of it. “Are you sure you don’t want to switch to Skyjo?” That one at least was a numbers game and had more strategy to it.
“Not until you win a game, Daddy.”
I’d lost every game we’d played tonight. “I don’t think that’s going to happen.”
She gave me an exasperated look. “You don’t have to put your kings down right away. You can hold them back.”
“Is that what you do?” I asked, surprised she’d used a strategy in this game created by a six-year-old.
Maggie nodded. “Miss Alice taught me that.”
Every time she mentioned Alice, my chest warmed. I’d gotten used to having her in the house, and I wanted to do more outings like ice-skating.
I’d never spent this much time with someone I wasn’t dating. It felt like we were getting to know each other without ever being alone. That might have been because Alice was adept at spending time together during Maggie’s waking hours.
I wondered if I drew her out in the evenings if I could feel out her attraction to me. Was she feeling it, too, and avoiding me because she was worried about her job?
Finally, I heard the closing of a car door out front.
“She’s here,” Maggie said as she raced to the door and pulled it open. “She’s getting something from her trunk.”
Seeing her struggling with a large item, I slid on my work boots and met her at the back of her car. “What do you have there?”
Alice averted her gaze. “A kiln. Do you mind if I keep it in the garage?”
“Of course not.” I used the keypad to open the garage before easily picking it up and setting it inside. It was a double-car garage, but I used the second side for storage.
By the time it was in the garage, Maggie had joined us. “What’s that?”
“It’s a kiln. I use it to make the ceramic pieces.”
“I’ve seen this at the pottery place. Can we make something?” Maggie asked, excitement making her voice raise.
“I think it’s too late now, but we can another day if your dad is okay with it.”
“Of course.” Kids loved art, and we happened to have an artist in the house. I didn’t mind taking advantage of it.
We headed back inside, and Alice said, “I hope you don’t mind that I keep it here. I should have asked before I brought it over, but I didn’t even think about it until I was there.”
