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“Well, Wanda is closer to that than my actual parents, so. It’s not too far off.”
“Right. Shit. I’m sorry.”
“Bad word, Dad,” Sophie chides from beside us.
“I know,” he apologizes. “Sorry.”
Sophie leans to look at her dad from my side. “Is Dad scared of Wanda?”
“I am not scared of Wanda,” he argues.
I nudge Sophie with my elbow. “He’s totally scared of Wanda.”
“I amnotscared of—”
Aiden falls silent when the door finally opens, Wanda pulling open the door in her house shoes and her robe and her pink flannel pajamas. Basically the polar opposite of intimidating. Doesn’t keep Aiden from standing as stiff as a statue next to me. She smiles brightly at Sophie, who immediately rushes her in a hug, and Wanda leans into it as she pats the little girl’s head. Seeing the way Wanda lights up with Sophie makes me feel all fuzzy inside.
Wanda gives Sophie a serious look. “You ready to get whooped in gin rummy tonight?”
“No! I’m going to win this time. I’ve been practicing.”
Wanda looks unconvinced, shooting her a look. “She’s got a long way to go before I start dragging her to the casino with me.”
Aiden is still completely mute beside me during all of this, and Wanda doesn’t acknowledge him at first. Not until she directs Sophie into the house to go find her deck of cards. Sophie gives us a rushed goodbye, but I can tell she has higher priorities than us now.
Wanda’s face loses its kindly warmth when she finally turns back to Aiden, her hands moving to her hips as she looks him up and down. “You Aiden?”
He nods stiffly. “Yes, ma’am.”
“None of that ma’am stuff. Wanda’s fine.”
“Right. Wanda. Sorry.”
Wanda purses her lips as she taps her foot. “You got a hell of a kid in there,” she tells him.
“Thank you,” Aiden answers. “She speaks highly of you. We appreciate you watching her tonight.”
“Well, since you snatched this one”—she hitches a thumb in my direction—“I could use the company.”
Aiden looks like he wants to melt into the floor, and I have to force myself not to laugh. “Sorry about that,” he offers. “I, ah, didn’t mean to snatch her away.”
Wanda looks my way then, whistling. “Look at you,” she praises. “That dress makes your ass look like a million bucks.”
I tuck my chin, batting my eyelashes at her as I turn to give her my side profile. “Doesn’t it? Aiden picked it out.”
“Oh?” She peeks over at Aiden, looking amused. “Did he?”
I smooth my hands over the silky black material that hugs me like a glove, patting the roundness of my hips as I nod. “He did good.”
“I’m sure he wasn’t thinking about your ass at all when he bought it,” she teases.
I turn again to peek back at the ass in question. “Pretty sure this doesn’t happen by accident.”
When I sneak a glance in Aiden’s direction, I notice the tips of his ears are red, and I decide to cut the teasing short. He might never take me out again if he thinks this is what he has to look forward to. I try to tell Wanda with my eyes to cut it out, but it doesn’t work in the slightest.
“So, Aiden.” She leans in to lower her voice. “You aren’t still looking at those booby cams, are you?”
“Wanda,” I admonish. “Oh my God.”
