Page 160 of Small Town Firsts
Her words stole the breath from my chest. “You honestly believe I’d view your involvement that way?”
“I don’t know. You’re the one who told me I could run off and be a free bird as soon as I gave birth. Didn’t really seem like you wanted my input. And for that matter, I wouldn’t do it anyway, so why are we still talking about it?”
“Because you can’t seem to talk about anything else. Which is pretty damn funny considering you supposedly find the idea so off-putting. Me thinks the lady doth protest too much.”
“Oh, fuck right off.”
“I’d love to. When can I expect you?”
She growled at me and the tight band around my chest loosened for the first time since I’d walked into the diner during her shift on Thursday. That sound was pure Ally. She might be annoyed and questioning my mental balance, but she didn’t hate me. And I wasn’t entirely convinced she hated the idea of us making a baby either.
I could work with both of those things.
“Look, we’ll just hang out. Laurie’s been asking for you.”
“She has?” Ally cleared her throat. “Again, using your child is a dick move, Hamilton.”
“I’m not using her. Just saying I’m not the only one who misses you.” All right, so I hadn’t intended to phrase things quite like that.
I didn’t miss her. Did I? That would be nuts. It had only been a few days since we’d seen each other. You couldn’t miss someone in that time.
Even if the tightness was back in my chest at the possibility she wouldn’t come.
“Now you’re sweet talking. Pulling out the big guns, huh?”
“Nah. I haven’t pulled out the biggest gun yet. But if you’d like me to…”
“Hear that sound? It’s me not being amused by your sexual innuendoes.”
“Who mentioned sex?” I used my most innocent voice as she audibly swallowed a laugh. “You filthy-minded pervert.”
“Yeah, it’s all?—”
“Daddy!” Laurie screamed from upstairs.
I didn’t think. I barely held on to the phone as I rushed down the hall and up the stairs, my only thought my little girl.
“Seth? Seth, what was that? Did I hear a scream? Oh my God, was that Laurie? Is she okay?”
Turning the phone against my shoulder, I hit the top of the stairs and booked toward Laurie’s room. She wasn’t in there, but the door to her en suite bathroom was open. And water was running.
“Oh fuck,” I muttered, my heart slamming in my ears.
“Seth? Goddammit, Seth.” Even Ally shouting into the phone couldn’t distract me from crossing the room to the bathroom.
I stepped over the threshold, my eyes bugging out at the sheer number of bubbles flowing everywhere. The tub was full and the bubbling water was still rising, and in the middle of it sat my little girl, her hair wet, and her eyes wild.
“I can’t turn it off, Daddy,” she shrieked as I moved forward and did the honors, barely managing not to curse a blue streak. I pulled the stopper up, rather amazed that Laurie had thought to put it in, and waited while several inches of water flowed down the drain. Her assorted Care Bears and other toys floated in what was left.
Laurie squealed in dismay. “My bubbles!”
“Yeah, well, my bathroom floor. Why are you in here? You were supposed to pick out clothes and get ready for a bath, not start it yourself.”
“Seth! You better answer me, you jackass! Is she okay?”
Somehow, I smiled in the middle of chaos. That was the gift Ally had given me since the first day we’d met.
Once the water was at a much more reasonable level, I put the stopper back in and brought my phone to my ear. “Your god-daughter chose to nearly flood the bathroom instead of waiting for me to start her bath.”
