Page 35 of The Single Dad Dilemma

“Yeah, you?”

“Really good, actually.”

I feel a little heat in my cheeks, remembering how he held me and—for a moment—wonder if that’s why he slept “really good.”

“How about you order some room service while I get ready for the convention?” he asks.

I nod, pushing the blanket from me and stretching. I could definitely go for a coffee, and I know he’s going to have a long day, so he’s probably thinking the same.

“What do you want?” I ask, walking toward the phone on the little desk.

“You know what I like. Surprise me.” He grabs clothes and heads into the bathroom.

There’s a little tingle in my belly, a nervous flutter as the idea that yes, I do know what he likes. We’ve had breakfast together enough times for me to know. And I find that sort of… intimate.

I look at Lou. “Pancakes?”

She nods vigorously, bouncing on her heels.

I send her to find an outfit she likes for today and tell her to get ready for some walking, because we’re going to go exploringafter her dad leaves for the convention. The hotel we’re staying in is located in a busy area of downtown, so I’m sure there will be lots of places within walking distance.

I place an order of pancakes and chocolate milk for Lou; eggs, bacon, and biscuits for Ridge; a cheese omelet and fruit for myself; plus two coffees and water for all of us. Right after I hang up, Ridge emerges from the bathroom wearing torn black jeans, his signature classic black T-shirt, and black boots. Normally, I’m not an all-black-ensemble girlie, but he makes it look so damn good.

Lou claims the bathroom second, taking her chosen outfit in with her so she can change. I have no idea what she picked, and she has a tendency to get very creative, so I brace myself for what it could be.

“So, what are you guys going to do today?” Ridge asks, grabbing his watch from the table.

“I figured we’d go exploring on foot, then have some lunch. After that, I was going to see if she wanted to swim in the hotel pool. And Lord willing, she’ll be tired enough to come back here and watch a little TV with me. Possibly nap.”

“If she swims, she will definitely fall asleep after. She can’t help it. It wears her completely out.”

“Good to know.” I smile at him and he smiles back.

“And I probably won’t be done until seven, so you guys should eat dinner without me,” he says. “I’ll just get something after.”

“Are you sure?”

“Yeah, it’s fine,” he says, waving his hand in the air.

There’s a knock on the door, so he turns to answer it. He returns a moment later with our room service, and Lou comes out just as he’s setting it down. Much like when we’re at his house, we all have breakfast together, talking between bitesabout what the convention will be like and what we might find on our walk today.

After we eat, we say our goodbyes to Ridge as he heads out for what ultimately sounds like a busy day. I’m sure he’s going to be very tired later, which is why I’ve convinced Lou we need to find him a special present.

She volunteers to clean up our breakfast trash while I get dressed, which is so sweet of her. She’s a very responsible child.

I put on black leggings, a pink crop top, my pink sneakers, and sunglasses. I throw my hair into a messy bun and apply some moisturizer with SPF. After adding some mascara, I’m satisfied with myself and emerge from the bathroom.

“You look so cute, Darcy,” Lou says, giving me a huge smile.

“Thank you, Lou,” I say. “So do you.”

And then we set off. I tuck a key card into my purse, sling it over my shoulder, and we’re out the door. The first stop we make is a cute coffee shop next door, where I treat myself to an iced espresso, despite having just had coffee. Lou opts for an iced hot chocolate with foam, and we snap a selfie with our drinks and send it to Ridge.

I know he likes it when I send him updates of our adventures throughout the day. This weekend should be no different. Granted, I don’t know if he’ll see them since he will be much busier, but they’ll be there for him whenever.

We spend the next couple of hours visiting several different boutique shops, a pet store, and an art museum. Then we take a break for lunch. We sit outside, snap more selfies for Ridge, and we’re off again.

True to Ridge’s word, after more than an hour of swimming, Lou falls asleep at the end of the bed after I brush her wet hair and put it into braids. And honestly, I scrolled through my phone for maybe ten minutes after she knocked out and then fellasleep myself. We took a glorious two-hour-long snooze, and I awoke so refreshed. Swimming really takes it out of you.

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