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“We can help you,” Evie said sweetly as she made a double-decker sandwich of crackers, cheese, and salami.
I chuckled. “That would be amazing, actually.”
“Evie’s a good helper,” Harper said proudly.
We ended up cleaning out one of the spare rooms. It was stacked with boxes I’d never unpacked. I was thinking that eventually, it would be nice to have a guest room, but I didn’t think too hard about who would be sleeping there. We got through several boxes before Evie got bored. Then we ended up in the kitchen, looking for something to eat for dinner.
Harper opened the freezer. “You have chicken.”
“I have some rice in the pantry,” I said as I pulled out my phone to look for a recipe.
“Can I pick something?” Evie asked.
I tipped the screen toward her and scrolled through the various chicken recipes. She finally chose firecracker chicken, after verifying we had the ingredients.
I was surprised that Evie stayed engaged as we added the spice to the chicken and put it in the oven. Then we cooked Spanish rice. The entire experience was domestic.
While dinner was cooking, Evie watched a show on TV about dogs who had an Australian accent. We watched together for a few minutes, and when I thought it had captured Evie’s attention, I gestured for Harper to help me in the kitchen. I moved her so that we were out of Evie’s eyesight and pulled her close, enjoying the feel of her in my arms. “I love having you here.”
Her forehead creased. “Are you sure about that? Kids can be a lot.”
“The house is so full of energy with you two. I love it.” It wasn’t like I laughed when I was here by myself. It was rather lonely, and maybe that was the reason I worked so much. I had nothing to come home to. “But as much as I love it, I would like to see you by yourself. Do you think that’s possible?”
I didn’t want Harper to think I didn’t enjoy Evie’s company, but it was time for us to explore the chemistry between us. It was hard to keep my hands to myself.
Harper’s face fell. “I don’t feel right asking Mrs. G. to watch Evie while we go on a date. It feels like lying to her.”
I had to agree with her on that point. I racked my brain for other possibilities. “How do you feel about my brothers watching her?”
Her brow furrowed. “Are you sure they’d be okay with it?”
“They love Evie, and if there’s two of them, they should be able to handle her.”
Harper’s lips tipped up. “It takes two Giovanni men to watch Evie?”
“When it’s not me, yes,” I said, pleased to put my brothers down.
Harper tapped my chest, the spot over my heart. The one that was quickly softening for her. “You’ve never tried. We’ll have to see if you’re up for the task.”
“I can watch her the next time you have a wedding.” I licked my suddenly dry lips, wondering if I was getting in over my head.
Her forehead wrinkled. “You’d do that?”
I brushed a strand of hair off her forehead, feeling a sudden tenderness toward her. “I’m serious about you, and like you said, you and Evie are a package deal.”
She laughed. “I never thought I’d be standing in your kitchen, talking about you taking care of Evie so I could work.”
We were new, but I wanted her to see that we were good for the long haul. This wasn’t just a fling or a temporary relationship. “You need to get used to this. To us.”
“We’re not going to have a lot of time together, and when we do, Evie will be with us most of the time.”
I’d already prepared myself for the reality of dating a single mother. I adored Evie, and I couldn’t wait to spend more time with Harper. I wasn’t worried about that. “My brothers might make excellent babysitters.”
“That would be convenient for us, but would they be good role models for Evie?”
“They’re troublemakers, so probably not,” I finally concluded. Both raised hell in high school and drove my parents crazy.
Sometimes I wondered if they had more freedom as the middle and youngest children, and I was pressured to do more as the eldest. I didn’t resent them for it, but I was tired of living within the lines. I wanted a brighter life. One without restrictions.
