Page 17 of Surprise Mother Pucker

On the other end of the phone, Beth spluttered for a moment. “Okay, I'm going to need all the details.”

“I don't know if it's a good idea. I've got Charlotte?—”

“Does he not know that you have a daughter?”

“No, actually, I told him, and he seemed really chill about it.”

“Well, then, I say you shouldn't question it. You know I will be there to babysit my godchild while you finally go on a date. Trust me, it's been long enough. You need it. A little walk on the wild side could be fun.”

“The last time I walked on the wild side, I ended up with Charlotte.”

“And your life is all the richer for it.”

I hummed in agreement. “And how are you and your potential stepchild doing?” I asked pointedly.

Beth groaned. “That's not fair. I'm just giving her some one-on-one lessons. Her father hasn't even asked me on a date yet. He's far too focused on his daughter, which I totally respect.”

“So, you think it's okay for him not to date, because he's focused on his child, but not for me?”

“Oh, don't twist my words.” Beth huffed, making me laugh.

I knew the real reason she was pretending to respect the fact that the single dad wanted to focus on his child was purely because she had been too nervous to make a move herself. She liked him a lot. They had been dancing around each other for almost two years. If one of them didn't make a move soon, they were going to lose their minds.

“But I thought I'd give you a call and tell you about the guy that I'm going on a date with… Unless you don't want to know, of course.”

“Shut up and tell me everything.”

“That depends. Will you come over and help me pick out what to wear?” I asked.

Beth snorted. “Like you could stop me.”

Chapter 8

Kennedy

Three days later, I was dressed and waiting for Eli outside my apartment building. I had insisted I was happy to meet him wherever he was planning to go, but he had been just as insistent that he wanted to pick me up.

So, I’d agreed to let him pick me up from outside the apartment building. I didn't tell him my unit number, but he knew the building.

Just because he was cute didn't mean I should be unsafe.

He pulled up in a large SUV, beaming at me as he hopped out of the vehicle, circling it and coming to greet me. He looked just as painfully handsome as I remembered, wearing a pair of dark-wash jeans and a dark button-down shirt, paired with a black trench coat.

Yummy.

“Hey, you didn’t have to wait out in the cold.” He frowned as he took me in, standing on the sidewalk, waiting for his arrival.

“Oh, it's not that bad.” I waved off his concern.

That wasn't exactly the truth. The weather was unseasonably chilly. I was wearing a thick tartan coat, but even that wasn't doing enough to protect me from the cold.

Eli raised an eyebrow. “You’re a terrible liar, Kennedy. If it's a safety thing, next time, just stay inside until I'm here. I'll text you when I get here, and then you come out. I don't want you getting sick from being out in the cold.”

“You won't be offended that I don't want you to come inside?” I asked, chewing my lip.

Eli snorted. “I would be lecturing you if you let me inside your apartment this early into dating. You have your child to protect.”

“Okay, in that case, next time, I will wait inside until you text me. Although, I must say you're being rather presumptuous that there will be a next time.” I giggled.

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