Page 9 of Don't Bet On It
Rex obediently lowered his head and allowed Ruby to attach the baby carrier to him. It took her several seconds to manage it with one hand. When she was finished, she handed him the baby and planted a kiss on his cheek. “It’s all you for the nextthree hours,” she said as she walked away. “I have meetings all afternoon.”
Rex watched her go, little hearts floating over his head. “I love you, too, baby.”
Ruby stopped at the door. Her expression was hard to read. “If you still feel that way after a whole afternoon with your demanding offspring, I might have a little something special planned for you tonight.”
Rex’s grin only grew. “I’ll be waiting with nothing but boxer shorts on when you get home.”
Ruby snorted. “Yeah, that’s not quite the flex you think it is. I’ll bring dinner, though.”
“I’ll see you later, babycakes,” he called out, so much flirty energy flying around the room that I almost ducked.
Ruby merely waved at him before disappearing through the entrance.
Rex looked down at his daughter—she was all dark hair and bright eyes—and grinned at her. “How is Daddy’s favorite girl?”
“Gah!” Chloe—that was her name—threw out her hands, mimicking Rex’s expressive nature as she babbled something only a father could pretend to understand.
“Is that so?” Rex asked in an exaggerated voice. “I’m sorry that Mommy was so annoying.”
Chloe nodded as if she agreed with him.
“Do you really think you should be teaching her to think things like that about her mother?” I asked, curiosity getting the better of me. I didn’t understand kids. Not completely.
He shrugged. “Don’t think for a second that Ruby’s not doing the same thing to me. We’re mired in a competition to see who the kid loves more. I’m determined to make sure it’s me.”
“Can’t she love both of you equally?”
“No. If I win the week, then Ruby has to serve me breakfast in bed … naked. If she wins, I have to serve her dinner in the atrium after closing. Also naked.”
“You guys play a lot of naked games, don’t you?”
He shrugged. “We like to keep it interesting.” Rex gave his daughter a doting kiss on top of her head as he got her comfortable in her carrier. He was serious when he looked up again. “I’m not kidding around about your comfort level, though. If someone is bothering you, I want to hear about it.”
“What do you want to hear about?” Kyla asked, appearing at his side as if materializing out of thin air.
I took an inadvertent step back. I really did dislike the woman. I comforted myself with the fact that she had started the hate fest.
“I want to hear about any problems that Tallulah might be having,” Rex replied, not missing a beat. He smiled at Kyla, but there wasn’t a lot of warmth in his expression. “She shouldn’t be putting up with people—I don’t care who they are—touching her without invitation.”
Kyla’s face screwed up in concentration. She looked as if she was lost in the Bermuda Triangle with no working compass. “I’m not sure I understand.”
Rex inclined his head toward Jack Klinger’s table. “The guests, no matter who they are, have no right to put their hands on her. You know that.” He shifted the angle of his face. “You do know not to allow that, correct?”
Kyla balked. “Of course I know that!” Her voice was shriller than I was anticipating. “I would never condone anything of the sort. You didn’t tell him that, did you?” she demanded of me.
I couldn’t find the words to respond. They would’ve been accompanied by a mountain of lava-like bile.
Rex answered for me. “Tallulah didn’t say anything. Not about you or to the individual in question. I just want to makecertain that everybody realizes sexual harassment is off the menu.”
Kyla kept her expression bright, but there was a darkness I didn’t like in her eyes. “I would never allow anything like that in this space. Really and truly. I just didn’t see it.” Her gaze moved to me. “You should’ve said something.”
She was such a liar. She’d witnessed Dickie slapping my ass no less than four times. I’d watched her gauge my reaction. She wanted me to lose my cool and rage at him. She was disappointed each time I kept my mouth shut.
“I know what to do now,” I said to Rex. “Thank you for telling me to text if I have any problems. I appreciate that.” It was petty to get off on Kyla’s scowl. It was my only source of joy at present, however. “Have fun with your daddy,” I said to Chloe as I collected Dickie’s drink. “You’re far too cute for words.”
“She’s a chip off the old block,” Rex agreed. “She looks just like her mommy.”
That threw me. “I thought for sure you were going to say she looked like you.”
