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Kneeling down in front of Haley, I smirked and said, “Get on my back.”
“Yay! Rocket ship up here, Haley and we’ll show you how to travel through space!” Seraph yelled, and all three of them ran back to my bedroom.
“Liam, you don’t have to—”
“Wrap your arms around my neck, baby, and get those legs around me.”
“This should not be turning me on,” she whispered.
I laughed and hooked my hands behind her knees. Her hands connected around me, and once I knew she was secured, I shot off, running up the stairs. She let out the cutest little giggle that hit me in the chest harder than any punch ever had. I held her to me as I passed each step, and instead of throwing her on the bed, I jumped in the middle, making the girls squeal with laughter.
“Do you have the control panel, Maddy?” I asked, moving around the bed to get settled. Haley had nestled in next to Seraph and pulled Mila into her lap while she scooted back against the headboard.
Maddy ran to her closet and grabbed the massive piece of cardboard that we’d drawn buttons onto, pretending it was our control panel. It was long enough that it reached across the length of my king-sized bed. She brought it over, as I positioned myself against the footboard of the bed. I grabbed the remote and selected a science video that was about space discovery.
Once the lights were lowered and the movie started, I looked back at my girls and smiled. Haley was tucked in between my kids like she’d always belonged there. This was a tradition we’d never had with Lacey, and now it was something that we had with Haley. This was ours.She was ours.
I just had to confess that I was in love with her.
And tell my daughters.
CHAPTERTWENTY-FIVE
Wine
New Recipes
Sex Toys
Groveling
Eavesdropping
Feeling Wanted
“Doyou think the pie is even done all the way?”
Liam gripped the steering wheel and glanced over at me with that same expression on his face he’d had the last time. It was like I had disrupted him from a dream, or a trance.
“What?”
I shifted in the seat, adjusting the hot pie in my lap.
“It only baked for forty-five minutes…I just don’t know if the bottom is cooked through.”
I knew Liam wouldn’t know if this pie was baked or not, I was just rambling because I was nervous.
My brother Colson had reached out and asked if we wanted to come over for dinner. I initially thought that meant Liam and the girls would go and I would arrive separately, but no. Liam said we’d be arriving together. Which meant he was going to tell the girls, or just kiss me in front of everyone and let the kids play catch up.
I wish he’d talk to me about it, but after the past few nights it’s been hard to bring up.
After the rocket ship, we had all passed out in Liam’s bed. We were all a big pile of bodies, snuggling each other under blankets. When I woke up, Maddy was between Liam and me, but his eyes were on me and the sweet smile he gave me was still melting my heart days later. His expression spoke a thousand words.
Words I wanted to hear but knew I wouldn’t, at least not anytime soon. That’s just how people were. I understood. Actions spoke louder than words.
“I’m sure it’s fine,” he said distractedly and focused on the road.
Liam parked along the curb outside of Colson’s house, and my nerves felt raw. If the girls weren’t in the back, I’d just ask him what he was planning tonight. I knew he’d had a conversation with Colson about us, one that seemed to settle this entire dispute over whether or not I should be dating Liam. The thing was, I still hadn’t ever kissed or done anything with Liam in public. Behind doors we were insatiable for one another, but the furthest we’d gone in front of anyone else was holding hands at the fun center with the girls.
