Page 36 of Just One More Affair
She bit down on her lower lip, then said, “For the baby.”
He opened his mouth to speak, when Dakota’s voice interrupted them.
“I’m hungry!”
“One minute!” Charlie called back.
Jared tipped her head up with his finger. “This discussion isn’t over. Also, when are you going to tell them?”
She swallowed hard. “I talked to Noah. I wasn’t sure if he felt he’d want to be there for them. But he said it’s my call. I can explain it to them when I’m ready.”
“Do you want to do it together?” he offered.
She blinked in surprise. “You’d want to do that? Help me tell my girls?”
He took her hand in his. “How many times do I need to tell you? We’re in this together.”
She met his gaze, everything inside her pleased by his words. After a day of having help and being catered to, she was in an emotional state and this sealed it. “I’m not used to this. People wanting to help me, being surrounded by family who cares.”
“By a man who cares?”
“Mommy!”
“Coming, girls.” Squeezing his hand, she sent him an apologetic look. “We can pick this up later.”
She turned and walked into the bedroom, focusing on the girls and dinner and not the sexy man who stayed for the meal.
Chapter Thirteen
It was Jared’sfirst time out alone with the twins. He’d volunteered to take them to the paint store to choose the color they wanted for their bedroom. He’d asked Charlotte to come but also explained he wanted to get to know the girls better. She was only too happy to let him and he promised to send a picture of the chosen color to her for approval before buying.
Then, she’d wished him luck.
He picked them up from Charlotte’s apartment and they headed out. They stopped for pizza and he was now sitting across from the girls, who were wearingdifferentshades of pink, which he was sure didn’t bode well for agreeing on color. Especially since he’d ordered a pizza with half pepperoni and half plain after bickering over the toppings each girl wanted.
“So, are you girls excited to pick your room color?” he asked.
They nodded, eyes wide.
Dakota, her hair in a ponytail, put down her half-eaten slice. “Did you know Elvis Presley had a pink Cadillac?”
“What’s a Cadillac?” Dylan asked, wrinkling her nose in confusion.
He smiled. “It’s a type of car. Back when Elvis had it, the car was much bigger and longer than cars today.”
“I want Elvis car pink,” Dakota said.
He bit the inside of his cheek so he wouldn’t laugh. Not when she was so serious. “We’ll see what shades they have that you two agree on.”
He picked up a pepperoni-laden slice and took a bite just as Dakota asked, “Are you gonna marry our mom?”
He choked on his pizza and grabbed a sip of his soda to wash it down.
Dylan pushed her plate back and folded her arms on the table as she met his gaze, obviously also wanting an answer. Put on the spot by two ten-year-olds. “I think it’s a little soon for that conversation.”
“So you like her, not love her?” Dakota asked. As if that was the simple reason in her mind.
He met their serious gazes. “I like your mother a lot.” He was falling for her more every day, in fact. Not that these two needed to know that.
