Page 73 of When We Met

She throws her hands up in the air. “Where’s my ankle?”

“There.”

She points to her hip. “I thought dis is.”

“What the fuck have they been teaching you in school?”

“I not go to school.”

“Right. So this is your elbow.” I tickle her elbow and then slide my hand to hers. “Hand.” I touch her hip playfully. “That’s your hip and this is your knee. And this, crazy, is your ankle.”

“Got it.” She cackles, trying to pry herself from my arms. “Stop, Daddy. That tickles.” When I don’t stop, she squishes my cheeks together so hard it actually pinches. “Stop.”

“Now, help me steal this battery.” I point to the door. “Don’t let anyone come through that door, and then act like you hurt yourself.”

“Deal.”

While Sev watches the door to the office, I take the battery out of Kacy’s car, hide it in the parts room, and then carry Sev into the office. “Little girl hurt her ankle.”

Immediate attention from Kacy and Lillian. “Oh no.” Kacy reaches for her. “What happened?” So clueless. Or she’s playing dumb for the sake of letting me have my fun. I don’t know.

Sev immediately goes to Kacy, resting her head on her shoulders. If you look close enough, you can see the smirk she’s keeping at bay.

“I need to order a battery too,” I tell Kacy, kissing Sev’s forehead, inches from Kacy’s face. There’s a good part of me that nearly kisses her too. But I don’t. “It’s missing.”

She raises an eyebrow, her breathing picking up at my proximity. “Missing?”

“Yep.”

Lillian rolls her eyes. “Guess I’ll add that to the parts list.”

“Weird.” Kacy watches me. “It was there the other day, wasn’t it?”

“Yeah. But it’s not now.” I play dumb, fighting the urge to stick my tongue out again at Lillian and rub Sev’s back. “Someone could have stolen it.”

“Do you have problems with theft here?”

Lillian speaks up, scowling at me as she types on the computer. “Lately.”

I think Kacy sees through my lie, but then she hits me with it. “I got a room in Amarillo. Could you give me a ride?”

I nod but give her no words.

What the fuck am I supposed to do now? Fuck that. She’s not leaving. I’m not letting her. I’m going to tie her to my bed. That’s illegal and uncomfortable. I’ve been there before, but I have to think of something and fast.

Once you go Texas, you never go back.

KACY

“You didn’t need to get a room,” he tells me once we’re back at his house. He says he wants to take the girls home first, and I agree because, like it or not, I don’t want to leave, and the more time spent with him, the greedier I get. “I don’t mind you staying here.”

Oh God. What do I say? I really truly do not want to leave, but I’m so afraid that me staying is going to cause problems for him and the girls. “Because.” I can feel the lie on the tip of my tongue, and I know I should tell him how I know him, but I can’t, so I spit out whatever it is rattling around in my mouth. “You have a life here, Barron. I’m just some girl that crashed into your shop.” I can’t make eye contact with him. I can barely breathe. What the fuck is this feeling constricting my throat? And it feels like I snorted hot sauce.

“You’re notjusta girl who crashed into my shop,” he assures me, as if this was stupid of me to say.

You’re right. I’m not. I’m the girl who used to work for your wife. “Regardless, I think I should go. It’s getting closer to Christmas, and I’m sure you want to spend it with your girls.”

Blowing out a quick, defeated breath, he nods. “Right. Well, I’ll give you a ride. Camdyn?” he yells, searching the counter for where he left his keys. “Where are my keys?”

---