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“Hi, Dolly,” Minty replied softly, linking her fingers together in front.
I wondered what had wound her up and determined to ask her about it later.
I stood up and patted the closed lid of the toilet as I pulled Brayleigh’s stepstool over to sit on. “Here. You sit here.”
“Oh, I get the throne, do I?” she teased.
“Well, you’re the queen, it’s only fitting.” I dropped a kiss on her soft mouth then dropped down onto the stool.
“What happened?” she asked with a nod toward Brayleigh.
“I thought it would be a good idea to feed her early so we could take her to the park and maybe get ice cream.” I scrubbed a hand over my hair and laughed. “It was an amateur mistake. I turned my back to do the dishes and clean the pots and,” I waved a hand at the spaghetti monster in the tub, “that happened.”
Minty looked at Brayleigh, affectionate amusement in her eyes. “She looks happy enough.”
I snorted. “Yes. She loves pasta, she says.”
“Loves to wear it, maybe,” Minty murmured with a soft smile. “She’s so soft and squishy, Lucky.”
I heard a note of yearning in her voice. “You want to bathe her?” I offered, but even as the words left my mouth, I saw her draw back.
“No, no. I’ll just keep you company.”
I looked her over for the first time. “What are you wearing? Stand up!”
She complied and gave a little spin. Fitted shorts, tight cami, sheer blouse. Her tiny ribcage, large bust, and shapely ass all on display.
“Good Lord, woman! I thought we were going to keep that under wraps for my eyes only!”
Her face fell. “You don’t like it.” She smoothed her palms down the front of her shorts. “I went shopping with the girls. They said I dressed like a PTA MILF and encouraged me to dress more my style. A little less covered.”
I tugged her hand and kissed the back of it. “I do like it. I love it. I’m just not used to seeing so much of your skin, yourshape! I’m not complaining. I’ll have to start carrying a baseball bat to beat off the competition.”
She didn’t give me the smile I expected.
I stood and cupped her cheek. “Minty. You look beautiful. You’re a beautiful woman and you should not be afraid to celebrate that.”
She took a breath. “It’s not too much?”
I shook my head decisively. “Not even a little bit. It’s sexy as hell only because you’re sexy as hell. You look beautiful.” I shook my head again. “I’d planned to stay home but I need to take you out and show you off. Let me get Tweetie out of the tub and we’ll go out. Sound good?”
Her shoulders relaxed and she gave me a genuine smile.
I jerked my chin toward the door. “Get out of here. She’s going to splash up a storm and I don’t want her ruining your outfit. I’ll meet you downstairs.”
Within the hour, we sat surrounded by Minty’s family as Brayleigh enchanted her Yiayia and her sisters. I knew they weren’t blood-related, but they were sisters just the same.
Around her family, Minty relaxed her usual control, although it snapped back into place when the boys barreled into her.
“Whoa,” I involuntarily exclaimed even as I wondered at the change in her demeanor. Why did she feel the need for that control around the boys?
“Yeah,” Gus replied apologetically. “They still plow into her like they’re two years old. We’ve tried to correct them, but Minty reprimands us.”
His blue eyes twinkled as he tipped his beer into his smiling mouth. Gus, I could relate to. Vander was just as open and friendly but possessed an underlying intensity, perhaps a darkness, I didn’t recognize.
“They love her.” I said as I turned my attention back to Minty and the boys. My heart broke at the mix of joy and yearning on her face. “She would have made a wonderful mother.”
“They do,” Vander agreed. “And she would.”
