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That made perfect sense, and yet she still didn’t like it. But there was no way she’d ever say that out loud. Even in her head, she knew it made her sound like an asshole.
“Of course, I don’t mind,” she said with a smile.Just don’t make a habit out of it.
Again, she kept that last part to herself.
“We need pictures!” Chloe declared.
“Yes!” Brianna and Kailey agreed in unison.
For the next five minutes, Aiden and Dakota posed for pictures like they were going to prom.
Aiden handed Brianna his phone to snap some shots with, and Dakota did the same, handing hers to Chloe.
“I want to be in the picture,” Asher whined.
“You don’t have your costume, Ash,” his mom told him.
“I’ll be right back! I need to show Kailey!”
Without a second look back, he bolted toward the door, and Chloe took off after him.
“Asher Todd Brighton! Stop right there!”
But he was too excited and kept going like he didn’t hear her.
Chloe cast them a sheepish look. “I’m sorry. Do you mind waiting for him to put his costume on?”
“Not at all,” Aiden said with a warm smile, obviously charmed by the three-year-old’s antics, and Chloe disappeared after her son.
Dakota took a breath through her nose and slowly exhaled it quietly.
“Can I get you ladies something to drink?” She opened her refrigerator and examined its contents. “Orange juice? Soda? Water? Chocolate milk?”
Aiden chuckled. “Tell me you have a three-year-old who visits regularly without telling me you have a three-year-old who visits regularly.”
“He’s not allowed soda.”
“No, I meant the chocolate milk.”
“Oh,” she felt a small blush creep up her cheeks as she admitted, “Well, I buy that for me.” Then quickly added, “But I do share.”
He winked at her. “Why doesn’t that surprise me?”
His daughters were watching their exchange with interest, so, Dakota coughed as she averted her attention back to the girls. “I’m happy to share with you, too, if that’s what you want.”
“Water is fine, thanks,” Kailey said.
Brianna agreed. “Yes, water, please.”
She felt their eyes on her as she got the glasses from the cupboard and felt self-conscious in the silence while she filled them with ice and water from the refrigerator door.
“You look amazing, Sunshine,” he told her as she handed the water to the girls.
Dakota glanced down with a shy smile. “Thanks. So do you.” She shifted her weight as she continued, “I’m sorry about Asher. It’s the first year where he really understands what’s going on. And since Kailey told him she liked Spiderman the best, he’s been practicing his web-throwing skills. I have no idea how he even learned that, since there’s no way Chloe would actually let him watch the movie at his age.”
As soon as she said that, “Spiderman” came bursting through her door, throwing imaginary webs all over the kitchen.
“Oh, thank goodness, you’re here, Spiderman!” Kailey cried out. “You scared the bad guys away!”
