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A popsicle guaranteed twenty solid minutes in the highchair. Twenty minutes to chop vegetables, boil pasta, and fry sausage.
“Popsit, Da. Mine popsit.”
“Yes, Tweetie-bird. Your popsicle.”
Twenty minutes later, Minty knocked on the door while Brayleigh reclined shirtless in her highchair, her face and chest stained pink.
I rushed to open it and drew her immediately into my arms. Only then, with her head tucked under my chin, did the anxiety ease.
“Hello, sweetheart,” I murmured.
Her hands came around my back, her fingers flexing on either side of my spine. She sighed, melted against me. “Hello, Captain.”
I huffed out a laugh then pulled back, cupping my hands around her face. “It’s good to see you. Did you have a good day?”
Her smile lit up the room. “I had a great day!”
“Before you tell me everything, order us dessert from Bliss Kitchen.” I handed her my cell with the app open.
“I can get dessert, Lucky. You’ve already gotten dinner,” she protested.
“Minty, I feel this overwhelming, caveman-like urge to feed you. So, if you don’t want to be thrown over my shoulder and dragged off and fucked, make the order.”
She held my gaze, a tiny smirk on her wide mouth. “With an ultimatum like that, you’re making it really quite difficult to place the order.”
“Alright. Tell you what. I’ll caveman you after Brayleigh goes to sleep, if you make the order.”
She bent her golden head to my phone, muttering, “Now, we’re talking.”
Over dinner, which we finished cooking together, Minty voiced her concerns.
“Lucky, I would never ask you to give up your friendship with Hope. Anyone can see your relationship is special.”
I stilled, cognizant of the fact that her insecurities around other women, and Hope in particular, were at the root of each of our blow-ups. “I’m listening, baby.”
“But I do have my own boundaries around the way I expect to be treated, and those are non-negotiable.”
I crossed my arms on the table and held her eyes. “Hit me with it.”
She swallowed, looked down at the table, and gave a little nod as if to encourage herself. “I expect that your hands do not land on any other woman unless it’s a handshake, a quick hug, or your sister.”
I nodded. “Agreed.”
“If you and Hope are in the habit of kissing each other on the cheek, I can accept that. I don’t like it, but I can accept it.”
I cleared my throat. “We’re not. She only kissed me last time because I told her about you and how I feel about you. She was happy for me.”
Minty’s cool gaze searched my face. “And how do you feel about me?”
I jerked my chin up. “Finish telling me your boundaries and then I’ll tell you mine.”
“Um,” she hesitated. “Don’t be so nicey-nice to the women at the bars. Barrett plows right through, so does Lenny. I don’t want to be sitting there with Barrett and Lenny, Junie and eventually Willa, while you smile and wink and nod and flash your dimples at your fan club.”
“Done. Anything else?”
She eased back in her chair. “No. I think that’s it.”
I sat forward. “Alright, here’s mine. No expiration date. We take it one day at a time and see how far we can go.”
