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“Oh.” I notice the way his jaw tenses, just as much as I notice he doesn’t look up at me. “Yeah. We’ve had a lot of early prep work to do.”
“Oh.” Maybe it’s the truth. Maybe I’m reading too much into it. Still. “I thought... well.” I shift nervously from one foot to the other. “I guess I was worried you might be...”
He does look at me then, those pretty eyes of his meeting mine and throwing my train of thought off course. “Worried that I might be what?”
“I...” I swallow thickly, unsure how to bring up what I’ve been referring to in my head asthe nipple incidentin a way that won’t be incredibly embarrassing for us both. “I guess I thought maybe you were avoiding me. After... you know...”
I can’t read his expression at all, his stony countenance only made worse by the tight line of his plush mouth and the hard set of his eyes. I’d give anything to know what he was thinking right now, to have some way to prepare myself for a scolding or an incredibly awkward conversation, and by the time he opens his mouth to speak, I might actually be sweating.
“Cassie, actually I—”
“G’morning,” a sleepy voice mumbles from behind him, startling us both.
Sophie shuffles into the kitchen to join us with barely opened eyes and wild hair, having gone unnoticed by us both until this very second. Aiden looks back at me for only a moment, like whatever he was about to say is still hanging on his tongue, but he quickly pastes on a smile and ruffles his daughter’s hair when she sidles up beside him.
“Morning. Someone slept wild last night.”
Sophie frowns. “What do you mean?”
“Look at that hair,” he laughs.
Sophie reaches to pat at wayward tufts that stick up this way and that. “Yours looks weird too.”
“Does it?” Aiden reaches to do something similar, frowning when he notices he’s in no better shape. “I guess you get it from me.”
Sophie places a hand over her stomach. “What’s for breakfast?”
“I have pancake mix,” I chime in. “We could have another go at those that won’t end in a disaster this time, hopefully.”
Sophie grins. “As long as dad doesn’t help.”
“You’re both hilarious,” Aiden remarks dryly. He checks the time on the oven display. “Unfortunately, I can’t stay for breakfast, but at least you know I won’t be able to muck up the pancakes.”
Sophie looks disappointed. “You’re going back to work?”
“I’m sorry,” Aiden tells her, sounding like he actually is. “I have to.”
“Oh.” Sophie looks down at her feet, shrugging. “I thought you were gonna go to the beach with us today.”
Her demeanor and tone touches something inside me, sparking memories of eating alone and wishing for anyone’s company other than my own. I know Aiden is a far cry from my parents, but seeing Sophie make the face that she is in this moment, triggers emotions I thought I’d long packed away.
“I wish I could,” he says, sounding sincere. “You two are going to have a much more fun day than I will.”
Suddenly I’m struck with the image of Aiden in nothing but swim trunks, and that imagining might actually be bad for my health.
He glances over at me. “Which beach are you going to?”
“Coronado. I figure we can get lunch at the Del.”
“ENO’s has great pizza,” he says. “I’ll leave you some cash.”
I try to wave him off. “Oh, no, it’s okay, I can—”
“You’re going to be wrestling a nine-year-old at the beach all day,” he says bluntly. “I’m buying your lunch.”
“Fine,” I concede, rolling my eyes.
It feels weird accepting money from him for something that’s most likely going to end up being fun for me, too, but I reason with myself that itisstill technically an on-the-clock activity, and that makes me feel better about it.
