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“Elyssa?” I say, opening the door with a quick flourish. “What are you doing here?”
“I thought since we can’t go out that we’d have a family fun night in.”
A warmth blooms in my chest, spreading throughout my entire body. This woman. This incredible woman has come to me and included my family in her planning. Letting go of the door handle, I reach for her and pull her into my arms.
The bag she’s holding swings into my leg, causing a sting of pain that is quickly ignored. She feels right pressed tight against me. The bag clatters to the ground seconds before her arms encircle my back and squeeze. Dipping my head, I smile into her hair.
“Did I overstep?”
“No, not at all. A night in with you and the kids sounds great.” Leading her farther into the apartment, I motion her to the kitchen. “I hope you like soup with cheese and crackers.”
“Love them,” she laughs, opening the bag she brought on the counter. “I picked up some popsicles I think Logan might find soothing and some other stuff.”
Turning off the stovetop, I look over my shoulder to see Elyssa waving a box of fruit gummies with a popular cartoon character of the front. She then goes back into the bag and reveals more of her home date night offerings.
I’ll have to hide the bag of caramel popcorn for when Logan’s asleep—the kid is a popcorn fiend, but it would just make him sicker tonight. I saunter over to her and slide my hands around her waist until her hips are pressed into mine.
“Thank you, baby,” I say, softly testing out the term of endearment, not knowing if it’s too soon. It feels right. And with the way her eyes flare at the word, I’d say she’s a fan too.
She doesn’t reply. Instead, she rises on her tiptoes, bringing her lips up to mine and giving me a sweet, soft kiss.
Fuck that. I need to devour her.
My hands glide from her hips up to the sides of her face. Angling her head, I take the kiss deeper. Pushing my tongue past her lips, I taste whatever sweet drink she’s consumed recently and her addicting flavor.
Her nails bite into my arms and I groan at the sensation. She’s driving me crazy. I’m seconds away from pressing her into the kitchen counter and having her grind on me, needing us both to find some relief from the mounting sexual tension, when I hear the creak of a door.
Logan is up.
I break our kiss and rest my forehead on hers, sighing out a breath. Giggling like she can read my mind, Elyssa nods and steps away just as Logan trudges into the kitchen. Rubbing his eyes, he squints at me then Elyssa. He’s dressed in his favorite green dinosaur pajamas and is dragging a large car stuffy behind him.
My heart almost bursts out of my chest when I watch Logan walk right over to Elyssa and into her waiting arms. She wastes no time in picking him up and speaking gently to him as she rocks back and forth.
“Hey, buddy. I hear you don’t feel so good.”
Again, Logan stays silent, nodding into the curve of her neck. Giving me an amused smile, she rubs his back and walks into the living room. Thankful for the moment alone to get my body under control, I brace my hands on the counter.
I was in dangerous territory—on the brink of falling in love. It’s really quick—I’m very aware of that. Yet it feels like this has been years in the making. We had a strong connection as teenagers and now as adults that foundation was giving us a solid start in what would otherwise be an impossible time for me.
I liked her being here. Hell, I more than liked it. Her way with Logan and Bridget was natural, and they seemed to have really taken to her as well.
From my spot in the kitchen, I watch as she gently draws the back of her hand over Logan’s forehead, checking for fever. The simple act has my heart clenching. When her arm wraps around him, Logan easily leans into her, telling her something that has her smile returning.
Needing to join them, I quickly ladle the soup and place all the bowls on a large tray my mom had gifted years ago. Adding a box of crackers to the mix, I head into the living room.
Carefully, I help Logan balance his bowl on the tray and start eating the soup. His appetite seems to be back and the weight of worry I didn’t realize I’d been holding on my shoulders dissipates. My eyes meet Elyssa’s over Logan’s head, and we share a small smile.
Half an hour later, with a full, warm belly and covered in crumbs, Logan falls asleep draped over my lap. With soft strokes, I glide my hand over his head, soothing him.
“This isn’t exactly the date night I had been planning,” I joke, dragging my eyes from the cartoon on the TV and glancing at Elyssa. Looking cute and comfortable with her legs tucked under her and her elbow resting on a pillow, she shakes her head at me.
“It’s been perfect. I don’t need to go out to a fancy restaurant and be wined and dined to learn more about you. I’m seeing everything that’s important to me right here. In watching you be with the kids. This has been perfect.”
Her eyes flick downward, as if she’s debating her next words. “I knew you were a good man, Scott Aldridge, but you’re also a great guardian to these kids. Your patience and understanding, your capacity for love is truly inspiring. I’m so proud of you. You’re a hero to them.”
I didn’t know about that.
“I hasn’t been easy,” I find myself saying, needing to tell her everything. “When I first learned that Sara had left them to me, that she’d believed I was the best person to care for them, I thought she’d made a huge mistake. I was angry, for so many reasons, but selfishly too, because I had to walk away from a career I loved.
