Page 76 of Just a Plot Twist
I nod. “Thanks for being willing to come with me.”
Nerves fill in the spaces between us.
She shrugs. “I wanted to come.” A smile teases her lips. “We haven’t discussed me meeting your kids, though, so I’m not sure what the protocol will be.”
“Yeah, I don’t know either. But it’ll be okay.”
“What will you introduce me as? I mean…I’m not sure what to tell them,” she says, staring out the windshield.
“Like I did at the party. My date.”
My stomach dips, though. How are the kids going to feel about it? And Claire is so much more than a simple date. Still, we need to take baby steps, especially where the kids are involved.
“And that won’t be problematic?”
“If I say we’re just friends, Dax and Indie will call my bluff a mile away. No, I need to be honest with my kids.”
“I sort of like your honest answer.” Her gaze skates to mine, but she looks away before I can meet it.
“Do you think we’re just friends?”
She gives up a soft laugh. “No.”
“I really like being around you, Claire.” My skin flushes hot. I’m so out of practice with all of this.
She looks at me, surprise on her face. “I like being around you, too.” There’s a lilt in her tone that does something to my breathing.
I do like her. There’s an ease and a comfort between us but also a stomach dropping, carnival ride-level of excitement, too.
“I’m not ready to meet them, Benson.”
“To be honest, I’m not sure I’m ready for it, either. But it’s happening and so we’ll roll with it.” Still, even as I say the words, my stomach flips.
I don’t want the kids to be confused or disappointed or even get too attached.
But I can’t worry about all that right now.
Claire starts asking me questions about the kids. All kinds of things like what we talk about, their favorite foods, and what kinds of music they like.
As we near the turn to Danica’s house, I glance over at her. “We’ve been talking about my kids the whole drive.”
She stares out the windshield, her mouth lifting into a smile. “I wanted to because this is important. I want to get it right.”
The kids handle all this surprisingly well. Honestly, Claire is barely a blip on their radar on the drive from Danica’s place to mine. They’re mostly focused on whose turn it is to take care of Cinnamon.
“She got to stay with you in your room last time,” Indie says with a groan, when Dax calls dibs on being Cinnamon’s caretaker for the evening.
“She’s right, Dax. It’s Indie’s turn,” I say.
“I’ve missed Cinnamon so bad,” Indie says.
“You smother her,” Dax says.
“I do not! She smothers me.”
“Weall get a little overly excited when it comes to Cinnamon, okay? Good news is, she doesn’t seem to mind.”
Except for me. I’m not overly excited about Cinnamon. My feelings for her are more based upon whether or not she had another accident.
