Page 34 of Trust Me
Me: You too. Talk to you later.
I smile widely, thinking about the terms of endearment he’s been using lately. Babe or baby. I never liked them when Drake tried using them, but coming from Maddox, I think I could definitely get used to them.
I wander back to Brooklyn’s room and begin the process of getting her ready for the day. Once she’s dressed, teeth are brushed, and hair is pulled up in pigtails, I fix her up with her favorite Frosted Flakes for breakfast. As she’s eating, I fire off a text message to Jake to confirm he’s ready for Brooklyn’s arrival.
I have help with Brooklyn four days a week from a neighbor who stays home with hergrandkids. Between my mom, brothers, or Holly, they all take turns watching her on Mondays. Brooklyn has preschool on Tuesday and Thursday, so I always drop her off at school on my way to work, and my neighbor, Rosemary, picks her up when she’s done.
Today is one of those days where everyone is working but Jake. He loves spending time with her and gladly does it when he can. With his work schedule though, it doesn’t happen all that often, so Brooklyn is extremely excited to go spend the day with Uncle Jake. I pack a bag of toys and all her necessities and head out the door.
When we pull up to Jake’s house, Brooklyn is already buzzing in the back seat. I help her out and she takes off toward the back. Jake’s already walking through the door and down the stairs toward us.
“Uncle Jake!”
“Hi, Bean,” he exclaims as he kisses her face. “I’ve missed you!”
“Me too! Let’s go pway dollies!”
“Dollies?” he mumbles at me.
“Oh, you just wait, Uncle Jake. She has a whole bunch of Barbies in this bag. And no Ken dolls,” I say with a laugh as I see his face take on alook of pain.
“Barbies? I’m going to play Barbie dolls?”
“Yep! We pway Barbies! Dollies first, though. You can be a mommy too!” Brooklyn exclaims. They both take off inside the house, me bringing up the rear.
“Got any coffee?” I ask.
“Sure, help yourself. Late night last night?”
I almost miss the cup as I pour the coffee. I’m not sure what to tell him. I hate lying to him, but I can’t tell him that I was sleeping with his best friend last night. And this morning. “I was reading too late. You know how it is when I get engrossed in a good book.”
“No, actually I don’t know. I hate reading. Always bribed the pretty girls with dates in school to help me,” he says with a wolfish grin.
“I’m surprised you passed,” I reply dryly.
“Oh, I passed all right. Sex Ed was my favorite class. Straight A’s.”
“Anyway,” I say, drawing out the word, “her blanket for naptime is in the bag, she’s already had breakfast, and don’t give her a Snickers bar this time. She was wound up forhours after the last time.”
“I deny her nothing. She wants a Snickers, she gets a Snickers.”
“Well, Uncle Jake, next time she’s wound for sound,youget to chase her around until the sugar rush wears off.”
“Deal,” he chuckles. “Wanna meet at the bakery for lunch? Bean and I will stop by a drive-thru and grab some lunch and meet you there.”
“Sounds good,” I say as I rinse my coffee cup out in the sink. “I should get lunch at noon today. I don’t think Mr. Andrews has any luncheons on the calendar.”
“Still going okay with him?”
“Yep. I just wish I was doing something, oh I don’t know, less boring? He’s a wonderful ol’ man, but I’m bored stiff by eleven o’clock and looking for stuff to do.”
“Do you still want to get into the bakery with Mom?”
“I think so. I love to bake. She just doesn’t have the hours to keep me full time. And with Brooklyn, I have to work full time with benefits.”
“She’s not gonna run the bakery forever. When she’s ready to give it up, I’m sure she’dlove to have you step in and take her place.”
“I hope so. I don’t have anything saved for it though. I need to start putting back a little more money each paycheck. I’ll never get to the point where I can buy the business if I don’t start saving now.”
