Page 55
“Hey, Daddy?”
“Yeah, baby.” I trim down Sir’s hoof, prepping it for the new shoe.
“Is Kylie gonna stay forever now? Like for reals gonna live with us forever?”
I finish what I’m doing before straightening to look at my daughter. “Yeah, she is. Kylie and I are in a relationship and want to be together forever.”
She tilts her head. “Does that mean Peanut will be my little brother or sister?”
I move to squat down in front of her. Those blue eyes are like looking in a mirror sometimes. “It does. What do you think about that?”
We’ve talked about having a baby in the house with Luddy, but we haven’t said she has to see them as her sibling. I didn’t want to throw too many new ideas at her too fast, but it seems I didn’t move fast enough.
She shrugs one shoulder. “I always wanted a sister.”
“Yeah?”
“Mm-hmm.” She bites her lip. A clear sign she’s got something else on her mind. I wait her out, knowing she’ll tell me when she finds the words she wants to use.
Determination fills her face. “Can I call Kylie Mama then?”
My eyebrows fly up. I wasn’t even close to prepared for that question.
She keeps talking before I can respond. “You call her that and the baby will too, so I want to call her Mama.”
I swear this kid blows me away with how her brain works. She’s so far ahead of her age that it’s hard to remember that she’s only four sometimes. “I think Kylie would really love that, baby.”
Her wide grin melts my heart. “Yeah?”
“Definitely. How about we get her some flowers on the way home today and make her a big dinner together? We can surprise her with your idea.”
She nods her head rapidly. “I’m gonna make her a card too. I can write Mama on it now.”
“That sounds perfect.”
* * *
Chimes signal our entrance to Garden Botanicals. The smell of essential oils has been subtly diffused into the shop, and I appreciate Willa’s ability to keep the scent from being overpowering.
“Don’t you have a class to teach?” The sharp tone has me zeroing in on Willa. A man is leaning against the counter, pushing into her personal space a little too much for my liking.
“I’ve got a free period.”
I finally recognize Nix’s voice, but I don’t stop watching him. He might be my friend, but if Willa doesn’t want him here, I’ll happily throw his ass out for her.
But then she narrows her eyes and leans closer to him. “Then go be free somewhere else. You’re pretty good at that.”
It seems she’s plenty capable of standing up for herself, although her taunt doesn’t make much sense to me.
“Come on, Lala. That was over a decade ago.”
Lala? Not a nickname I would’ve ever imagined she’d like.
“And from what I’ve heard, nothing’s changed,” she counters.
Nix’s jaw ticks, the only sign her words hit their mark. “Not every rumor you hear is true. You’d know that better than anyone.” He softly taps his fist on the counter. “I’ll see you around.”
He quickly walks away, his eyes widening when he finally clocks Luddy and me. “Gray.”
