Page 38 of The Last Thing
“Daddy.”
“So, I’m going to head home.”
I kiss Sophia’s cheek and set her down.
“Hallie.”
“I’ll be back in a couple of hours with my special tools to help curl your hair.”
“You’re not going to stay for dinner?” Sophia asks, eyes big.
Hallie looks from her to me. Then her eyes shift and her gaze narrows. I follow her line of sight to my hand. Where my keys are. Where the half heart she gave me is. For some stupid reason, I kept the damn thing and put it on my keychain.
My eyes meet hers.
Maybe it wasn’t stupid at all.
“We’d love for you to stay,” I say gently. Then I lean in and whisper, “If you think you can stomach it.”
She lets out a sigh. “I’ll stay.”
I’ll consider that a win. Especially since she hasn’t slapped me or told me to go fuck myself. Both of which I deserve.
“I’ll get changed, then we can eat.”
“We’ll dish it up,” Hallie says, and before I can say anything else, she and Sophia start plating things up.
After changing, I head back to the kitchen, but I pause at the edge of it, staring at the set table and two girls waiting for me.
My heart quakes.
I want this.
I asked Hallie to stay because that’s what I was always planning on. It’s stupid for her to cook for us, then go home and cook for herself. And maybe it was me letting my professionalism slip because I was hoping we’d feel a bit like a family.
It’s completely stupid, but… fuck. As much as my mother harped on me about finding a partner, I always shut it down. Looking at it now, though, I realize it wasn’t because I was against the idea. I was afraid to admit I wanted it.
Now fate threw it in my lap.
The possibility of it, at least.
I make my way over to the table and sit down. It all looks amazing.
As we eat, Sophia tells me all about her day and how she helped Hallie cook everything. Then she eats the whole meal without a hint of coercion or leveraging dessert.
I can’t remember the last time that happened with something other than chicken nuggets and fries.
In case I wasn’t sure before, it’s clear now. Hallie is magic.
Once we’ve finished, Hallie heads home, promising to come back and bring whatever hair accessories she has planned.
I get to work on dishes, and the evening goes by quickly.
When Hallie returns, wearing a tank top and sweats, I have to force my eyes off her. She’s so gorgeous it hurts.
Sophia settles on the couch with her, and I try to distract myself with a book while Hallie twirls Sophia’s hair around some silky things that she’ll leave in all night.
“Thanks, Miss Hallie,” Sophia chirps, throwing her arms around Hallie. “Goodnight.”
