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Chapter Four
“Lucy?”Leo looked from her to his kid and back again.
“I was out with my sisters and found her like this. Her boyfriend ditched her, so I took her home,” Lucy explained, still holding his kid’s hair.
“Where at?” he demanded too harshly, but thankfully, she had been there when Aubrey needed someone.
“The Grog, just outside of downtown.” She patted Aubrey on the back.
The doorbell had pulled him from his thoughts of how to move his entire life to a new city and how it would affect everything. His kids were with their respective mothers, and none were expected to come to his house until tomorrow night. The doorbell had been unexpected—as unexpected as his personal assistant in a sweatshirt that said “O hi” on it. Or in jeans that hugged her butt like they were made just to show it off. This was not the Lucy he had worked with for months now. Her hair was up in a ponytail, making her look like she was still in college herself.
“Never heard of it,” he admitted, wishing his kid hadn’t either.
“It’s just a dive. We only go to it because we live nearby.” She grabbed the hand towel and wet it.
“We?” He leaned against the door jam, wondering who she liked to go to bars with. Probably her husband.
She handed the wet towel to Aubrey and said, “My sisters. It was a girl’s night. No men allowed.”
“Cliff must have been disappointed,” he said before stopping himself. He wasn’t supposed to know her husband’s name; she had never said it to him.
“No, he had a meeting tonight, I guess.” She shrugged and took the towel back from the kid and tossed it in the sink. “I think she’s done. For now, at least.”
He looked at her, concerned. “How much did she have?”
“I don’t know. I saw them come in, but at first, I didn’t realize she was your daughter. It was only later that I saw it, her smile from the picture on your desk.”
“You recognized her from a picture?” Her memory was amazing and surprised him every day.
“Sure, my sister made sure it was her. How awkward to bring home your kid and it not be yours.” She laughed at the image. She had such a nice laugh.
“You were right; this one’s mine. She’s supposed to be at her mother’s place,” he replied. Kelly was going to hear from him in the morning.
“I’m not dragging her there. I have to work tomorrow,” she said as if he wouldn’t be there also.
“You can leave her here.”
“She can’t leave me!” Aubrey cried from the ground.
“I’m right here, honey.” Lucy crouched down and rubbed the kid’s back again. She was really good with either kids or drunk people. Her brown eyes looked up at him, and she asked, “Can I help her to her room?”
“Sure,” he said, backing out of the room.
Lucy helped Aubrey to her feet and brought her out of the bathroom. Leading the way, Leo went up the stairs and to the girl’s room. Lucy, for her part, just slowly pulled the girl all the way. In the bedroom, she made sure Aubrey was in bed and had her covers up to her chin.
His kid rolled in her bed away from her new friend, and Lucy got up and quietly left the room. He turned and followed Lucy down the hallway, not believing she had recognized Aubrey from her picture, but Lucy’s mind was sharper than anyone he knew about detail.
At the landing, she asked, “Does she have school tomorrow?”
“Yes,” he said. She would probably miss it after her evening, though.
“Then I suggest a cold bucket of water at 6 a.m. and send her off. Nothing says regret more than school after binging, and the Lovely wakeup is the best on those days.” She grinned, and her eyes lit up.
“Lovely wakeup?” He liked when she talked about herself.
She just laughed and didn’t answer him. “Cold water,” she reminded him as she headed to the front door.
“How often do you get woken up that way?”
