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Harlow leads Ella to a desk in the back where she can sit and work on her spelling homework. I follow behind and help Ella get set up with all her stuff. Once I’m sure she’s settled and working on her school work, I turn to Harlow and smile.
“Thanks,” I say.
She shrugs. “It’s really not a big deal. Ella’s welcome here whenever you need to bring her.”
I can see that she’s being sincere. She’s not just saying it to be nice or so I won’t feel bad about bringing my daughter to work.
“Still,” I say. “It means a lot to me.”
She shrugs and looks away, clearly uncomfortable with my gratitude. I let it go and direct her over to the new sink we’re planning to finish installing tonight. Like the other nights we’ve worked together, it isn’t long before we settle into an easy rhythm, working side by side. Harlow is good with her hands, and I’d be lying if I said I didn’t like watching her work. She’s small but capable and there’s something about seeing her master a skill that I taught her that sends a little thrill through me. It’s also more than a little sexy to watch. Not that it matters. I’m here to do a job, not ogle Harlow.
After a half-hour of working quietly on her homework, Ella calls me over to check her progress. I go over her work, pointing out a misspelled word for her to correct. She grumbles but erases it and writes it correctly this time.
“Perfect,” I say, smiling.
Ella looks up at me with a smile that melts my heart a little. Leaning down, I kiss the top of her head. “Work on your math next,” I say. “Let me know if you need help.”
Math isn’t her favorite subject. I know she’d make me help her with every problem if I stayed here with her. Which is why I’m leaving her to work on it independently. She’s smart and she knows how to solve problems. She just hates math and will try to get out of doing the work if she can.
“Is she okay?” Harlow asks when I rejoin her.
I nod. “She’s good. Thanks.”
“Does she want a snack? I can grab her something from upstairs.”
I shake my head as I look at my watch. “If she eats a snack now, she won’t eat dinner.”
Harlow winces. “I’m keeping you two from dinner, aren’t I?”
I shake my head. “We still have some time. Cole has been cooking for us since I started work here. I feel a little guilty about that.”
“You guys should go,” she says. “Things have been running smoothly so far with one sink. One more day won’t make much difference. Go. Take Ella home and feed her a balanced meal.”
She smiles as she says it, but I still don’t like the idea of leaving a job unfinished or falling behind schedule.
“Harlow can eat dinner at our house!” Ella says from beside me. I turn to look at her. I hadn’t realized she’d walked up beside me while I was talking to Harlow. I open my mouth to respond, but Harlow speaks before I can.
“That’s really sweet of you, Ella,” she says. “But I’m not sure tonight is a good night for that.”
She looks to me as if unsure if she said the right thing.
“Please,” Ella says. “My dad is the best cook. You’ll love it.”
Harlow opens her mouth—probably to refuse again—but something makes me speak up.
“We’d love to have you,” I say. “I don’t know if I’m the best cook, but I do okay.”
Harlow’s wide-eyed gaze shoots to mine and I wonder if I’ve made a mistake. I should have let her refuse. It’s clear she was going to say no. But now Ella and I have both ganged up on her and she has no choice but to say yes. What was I thinking? I hadn’t been. I’d just suddenly pictured Harlow seated at the table in my small kitchen, eating something I cooked and smiling at me. And I’d wanted it to be real.
“You don’t have to—” I begin.
“I’d love to,” she says, speaking over me.
“Yay!” Ella shouts, bouncing up and down beside me.
Harlow smiles down at her, unable to resist her excitement.
“How about you come by in an hour?” I ask.
