Page 44 of All Too Well
“We won’t be late.”
She doesn’t look all that confident in my promise. The guestbedroom door opens, and Ainsley comes out wearing shorts and a tank top.
Thank God I don’t have coffee in my hand, because I would’ve dropped it. She yawns, lifting her arms up, and I want to fucking pour the hot liquid from the pot into my eyes, because that is a sight I will never get out of my head. Maybe I can burn it out.
Rose calls her name and rushes to her. “Do you want to come to my competition today?”
Please. God no.
“Wow! Look at you in your outfit. I’d love to come watch a West play a real sport,” Ainsley says with a grin as she looks at me.
“Great.” I turn to pour the coffee in my cup and down it.
Big mistake.
Holy fuck.
It’s scalding.
I do everything not to cough or show any discomfort because I will not look like more of a moron in front of this girl.
I just barely have it under control when I feel a hand on my shoulder. “Oh, coffee.” The gasp that comes out is loud, and Ainsley turns to me. “Oh my God, are you okay?”
I nod, tears stinging my eyes from holding my breath, and I cough. “Yup. Fine. Great.”
She stares at me, concern in those doe eyes, and then smiles. “Coffee is hot. Do we need to put a warning label on your cup?”
“No.”
It’s her who should come with a warning label.
Ainsley laughs softly and turns to Rose. “What time is the competition?”
Rose nearly bounces. “Two hours, but we have to drive there, and I need to warm up, and I need one of the moms to do my makeup, because Daddy can’t.”
“Okay, let me go change. I want to make sure I look presentable.”
I clear my throat, which is still burning. “You look good in anything you wear.”
“Aww, is that a compliment?”
“It could be.”
“Could be? Then I really have to find something to wow you.”
I chuckle. “Ainsley, you’ve been doing that your whole life.”
She smiles and blinks a few times. “Thank you ...”
Rose huffs. “We’re never going to make it on time!”
“Never fear, I hate being late,” Ainsley tells her. “I’ll change and we can head out. Do you mind if we do one thing on the way?” she asks Rose.
“What?”
“Can we maybe stop for coffee?”
Rose seems to ponder that. “If you promise we won’t be late.”
