Page 85 of Sex, Lies, and Margarita Mixes

I stare at him. “How old are they again? They’re like little.”

“Four and six.” He deadpans watching me.

“Four and six?!” I screech.

What the hell?

Who would give me a small human and think I was capable of taking care of it?

This is going to be so bad.

He kisses my temple and chuckles. “You’ve handled nightmare brides, Rox. You can handle a couple of hellions. We’ll be fine.” His tone says he’s second-guessing that confidence.

I flop back onto the bed. “This is gonna end in a hellacious mess and horror.”

At 9:30, Chase’s sister drops them off. Bella is a whirlwind in a tutu clutching a stuffed frog that weirdly looks like a stubby penis. Liam is solemnly clutching a toy dinosaur and looking at me like he’s uncertain of my abilities.

Me, too, lil dude. Me, too.

“Be good for Uncle Chase and Aunt Roxy,” Chase’s sister calls as she practically runs out the door.

“Bye, Mommy!” Bella yells, immediately dumping an entire container of beads I didn’t even see her with onto the floor. They spread into a ten-foot area.

I stare at the mess. “That feels symbolic.”

Chase laughs and ruffles Liam’s hair. “What do you guys wanna do first?”

Liam shrugs. “TV?”

Bella tugs on my hand. “I wanna bake cupcakes!”

Chase looks at me with a twinkle in his eye. “Kitchen’s yours, babe.”

I point at him. “You’re helping.”

He salutes. “Yes, chef.”

I mutter, “You’re the cook. I just look hot beside you.”

Half an hour later, I walk into the kitchen after sending an email. My eyes widen. It looks like a frosting bomb exploded. I think one did.

Bella’s face is covered in pink buttercream and sprinkles. Liam is also licking a spoon. And Chase is attempting to wipe batter… off the ceiling.

The hell? How did that get up there?

“Did you let her use the mixer unsupervised?!” I ask.

He shrugs and continues to clean, unaware of just how fine he looks with his hair all disheveled, frosting on his cheek and the front of his shirt, and flour on his nose. “She said she’d done it before.”

I blink at him. “You asked her? She’s four!”

He grins. “Prodigy?”

“Chaos goblin.” I mutter.

Bella beams proudly holding out a cupcake with a pound of icing and half a bottle of sprinkles towards me. “I made this for you!”

I sigh, unable to stop the huge smile that spreads over my face. “You did? Just for me?”

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