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“Now we need to let it dry for twenty-four hours to make sure the adhesive dries completely. I’ll put it in the laundry room and clean up. Your dad will be home soon.”
“Can we leave it out so he can see it?” she asked me before leaving to wash her hands.
“Sure.” I moved it to the counter and cleaned up the table. I’d finish the project because the next step was grout, and it was a tedious job. I wasn’t sure she could sit through that.
Each minute that passed, I grew more nervous. Would he act like nothing had happened? Most likely, because Maggie was here.
The doorbell rang around the time he usually came home. I checked the peephole before opening it. “Why are you ringing the doorbell at your own house?”
Then I was rendered speechless because Sam was holding two bouquets of flowers. “I wanted to take you out to dinner.”
Maggie came skidding around the corner. “Daddy!”
He handed me the bouquets before swinging her into his arms. “Why are you ringing the doorbell, silly?”
Sam smiled, and he looked so much younger. For once, the pressure of being a single dad seemed to have eased. “I wanted to take you out to dinner.”
“Yay!” Maggie cheered as he carried her inside.
I closed the door behind them, wondering what he was up to. In the kitchen, I pulled down a couple of vases I’d seen when I was putting away dishes. I added water, carefully trimming the stems before arranging the bouquets.
The pink and white roses were mixed with other pink flowers and greenery. I didn’t know the official names, but it was sweet.
I placed one on the counter and one on the table. “Is this where you want your flowers, Maggie?”
Sam cleared his throat. “One bouquet is yours.”
“You got me flowers?” No one had ever gotten me flowers before. My parents would say I hadn’t done anything to deserve them. No theater performance or concert. No straight-As report card or landing of a TV show. Now I realized the message I received was that I wasn’t good enough.
“One for each of my girls.”
My girls.Was this a sign he wanted to remain friends, or a sign of something else? My mind was reeling. “Thank you.”
“You’re welcome.” He seemed genuinely happy, as if what happened last night hadn’t affected him. He didn’t seem run down and tired like he was up all night questioning his sanity. Not like I’d been.
Needing a second to process, I leaned over to smell the petals, and then I said, “I’ll take them to my room.”
I set them on my desk, admiring their beauty, wondering if this was what friends did. Or were the flowers his way of telling me he wanted something more? I let the possibility of that settle into my chest.
He appeared in the doorway and leaned a shoulder against the jamb.
I chewed my lip, unsure what to say. “After what I said last night and what happened—”
He moved to stand in front of me. “I thought about it and realized that you might be scared or reluctant to make a move because of Maggie.”
It wasn’t the right moment to talk about this. Maggie could walk in at any moment. “What do you mean?”
“I like you. I don’t think it has to complicate our working relationship. I want to spend time with you with Maggie around and when it can be just the two of us. I can get my mom to watch Maggie.”
I tipped my head to the side. “Are you saying you want to date me?”
He smiled. “Yes.”
I opened my mouth and then closed it. The dates I’d had in school were more like group events, bonfires, shopping at the mall, and parties at other kids’ houses. Then later, when I’d dated Jace, it was late nights after he was done with work. He’d never taken me out to dinner or to a club. Looking back, I felt a little like I was his dirty secret.
“What do you say? Will you go to dinner with me and Maggie?”
I immediately softened. “Of course.”
