Page 40 of Mr. Almost

“Great job, sweetheart. Now onto the next!” I point to the house next door.

“If you would have warned me, I could have packed an overnight bag,” Livvy says quietly.

I whip my head toward her.

“Stop looking at me like that,” she says lightly, still not looking my way.

“You mean that you would be willing to stay here tonight? With me?”

Livvy shrugs. “It’s just one night, and it would make sense. Why should you have to make so many trips back and forth in one night?”

I open my mouth, but no words come out. Hell, I don’t know what to say. I didn’t mention coming to my neighborhood because I suspected she would put up a fight, but in not mentioning it, I might have lost the opportunity to have my girls sleeping under my roof.

God, I miss sleeping in the same place as them.

“Maybe next time,” she says lightly.

“And maybe I can stay at your place tonight. You know, so that way I don’t have to drive home late.”

Livvy turns toward me and eyes me slowly. “I think that would be smart. Everyone knows to stay off the roads late at night on Halloween to avoid drunk drivers. My daughter is rather fond of you, so I would rather you stay alive.”

I raise a brow. “Just your daughter?”

She raises a dainty shoulder. “Her mother might be impartial.”

“Good to know.”

“Now come on. Someone is running out of steam.”

I look up and see that, sure enough, Ari is starting to lag, and her eyes are looking awfully heavy.

“Did you have a good time tonight, sweetheart?” I ask as I scoop her up once she gets close.

She lays her head on my shoulder and mumbles against my neck, “This is the best night of my life.”

I look at Livvy as I hold our girl, and I can’t help but agree.

This is one of the best nights of my life, and I wouldn’t change a thing…except maybe telling them to pack a sleepover bag.

Chapter

Nine

OLIVIA

“No,I don’t want to take a shower!”

I close my eyes and take a deep breath.

Do not fold to the demands of a domestic terrorist.

Yes, I just called my daughter a terrorist because since she woke up this morning, she’s been an absolute terror.

“Arianna, you have to. If you do it now, then you don’t have to do it later.”

“No.”

“Arianna, I’m not asking. You will be getting in the shower. Get in there now,” I say sternly.

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