Page 22 of Summer Heat
Maya shot me a look like can you believe this guy. I smiled and shook my head in solidarity. Shep was ridiculous at times, almost like a big kid, but I loved it.
He was fun, and I needed more of that in my life. So did Maya. It was quiet when it was just the two of us. I was responsible for the boring stuff like homework and doctor's appointments. I didn't have much time for teasing and fun.
Shep sat at the table as I brought over the tortillas and set the plate in front of him. "This looks great. Thank you for dinner."
"You don't have to thank me. This is your kitchen and your house."
"Mmm. It's yours now too. Isn't that right, Maya?" He held his hands out wide. "It's your castle. I'm just the butler."
"You're the butler, and I'm a princess," Maya insisted from her seat where she sat on her knees. I don't know how she sat like that. My knees ached just looking at her.
Shep grabbed a tortilla. "What do you want on yours?"
Maya wrinkled her nose. "I eat the chicken."
I grabbed the plate of cut-up chicken I'd already prepared for her and placed it in front of her.
Shep's forehead creased as he swept a hand over the display of fixings. "You eat chicken when you have all of this available?"
"I don't normally make this much when it's just me and her."
He raised a brow. "I like that you did something extra for me."
"You've really come through for us. This is a much better place to live than a hotel." I was reminded of that every day I returned to the house.
"Are you sure you don't want to try a real fajita with all the fixings?" Shep asked Maya.
She shook her head. "Just chicken."
"What about a little cheese?" He picked up a pinch of shredded cheese and hovered his hand over her chicken.
She covered it with both hands. "Nope."
Shep turned his attention to his tortilla and started piling it high with chicken and all the condiments. "We'll see about that. Before you leave, we'll have you eating a real fajita."
When he was done, he placed chicken in a tortilla and wrapped it like a burrito. Then he cut it in half. He placed half of it on Maya's plate.
"What's that?" she asked.
"A burrito. It's a wrap with chicken," he said simply, not pushing for her to do anything.
Then he went back to shoveling the fajita into his mouth before making another. He'd eaten three by the time I'd finished one.
Maya picked up the burrito he'd made her and took a tentative bite. I held my breath as she chewed and said, "It's okay."
Shep fisted his hand and said, "Yes," and I couldn't help but laugh. I was sure Shep acted like this to entertain Maya. Did he know that he was endearing himself to me too?
I couldn't help but wonder why Maya's own father didn't hold this much interest in her. Shep wanted her to eat more variety of food, and it wasn't because he had some kind of hidden agenda that she should be like an adult. It was sweet.
We finished eating and cleaned up.
"Should we ride together to the festival?" I asked, knowing it made the most sense but not sure if Shep wanted to be seen as going with us. We might cramp his style. But then again, we were going to a church fair. There probably wouldn't be any single women there.
"I'll grab pip-squeak's car seat and put it in the back seat."
"I can do it," I said, but trailed off when he shot me a look. "I'll get it."
"Okay." Then I turned to Maya. "Why don't you go to the bathroom before we go."
