Page 101 of Her Christmas Wish
“Where’s Mommy?”
“She went to get a blow-up mattress for me.”
At that, Leigh looked up at him. “You can’t jump on it,” she said solemnly. “Not ever.”
Figuring her for having learned that one out the hard way, wanting to hear the story, he kept his expression as straight-faced as hers and said, “I won’t. Thanks for the warning.”
She nodded with an air of importance. And then stepped closer. “Are you Mommy’s boyfriend?”
Oh, God. Sage. He needed Sage. This wasn’t his call. “Why do you ask that?” he prevaricated. As “wait for Mommy” occurred to him too late.
“Jeremiah said that when mommies spend time with grown-ups who aren’t their brothers, it means boyfriend.”
Ahh. Enlightenment settled his panic a tad. Not a lot, but enough to free up a thought or two. “What else did he tell you?”
“Nothing. But are you?” He wasn’t. Not a boyfriend. But they were becoming a family, the three of them. To be four in another seven and a half months give or take. He couldn’t start that out on a lie.
Hunching down, he faced the little girl, glanced at the puppy that had fallen asleep in her arms, and then back up at her. “Would you be mad if I was?”
“Uh-uh.” She looked him straight in the eye, those big blues of hers wide beneath that swath of blond curly hair. “’Cept I’d have to make you a Christmas present, too, like Mommy, and I don’t got forever left to do it, you know.” That little brow furrowed and the child continued, “But I color good so it should be fine.”
“You sure?”
“Yes, I’m sure. You wanna know why?”
A question he could answer with no doubt. “Yes, I do.”
“’Cause then I don’t have to worry ’bout being alone?”
Danger. Danger. Life sure turned on a dime. “Why would you worry about being alone? You’ve got your mommy.”
“Sarah telled me that when you just have one then if something happens to them, you’re all alone and have to go to some services to live. That’s what happened to her other friend. That’s why a home’s called broked, she said. Member? I telled you. And I don’t want to be alone.” For the first time since he’d known her, Leigh’s chin started to tremble, then her lips, and tears pooled in those so-sweet eyes.
“Hey,” he said, setting the puppy on the floor, to pick her up. Fighting such a huge rush of emotion, he couldn’t get any other words past the lump in his throat. He swallowed. Hard. And said, “First, Sarah’s not quite right...”
“I told her that and she still won’t be my friend no more.”
Yeah, they’d get to that. Maybe some other day. When friends were the issue at hand.
“Well, you were right to tell her that. Because she’s not right. Even if I wasn’t Mommy’s boyfriend, you still have your uncle Scott. Which is super special because that’s even a whole other house. And I can promise you one thing...”
His face right up close to hers, he looked at her and said, “I’m yours, okay? From now for forever. No more worrying about being alone, okay?”
She nodded.
“You promise?” He asked her a question that usually was rolling off her lips.
“I promise, Mr. Buzzing Bee.” Throwing her arms around his neck, she kissed his cheek and then hugged him. Tighter than he’d have figured for four-year-old arms. He closed his eyes to savor the second.
And opened them again to see Sage standing there, staring at him.
Sage couldn’t move. Holding the mattress case in one hand, with her other on the front doorknob, she just stood there. Mouth open. Staring.
I’m yours, okay? From now for forever. No more worrying about being alone, okay?
She’d been gone no more than seven or eight minutes. Right?
How could the universe have tilted so drastically in less than ten minutes?
