Page 123 of Family Bonds: Alana & Brennan
Alana didn’t hold back the cringe. “She’s never had her alone or overnight, right?”
“No. I won’t let her either if I’m here and they are there. There isn’t a way to get to her fast enough if there is a problem. I know there will be one. Rene can barely spend two hours with her. You see what Becca is like. She’s exhausting.”
It wasn’t a horrible trait for a child to have. Especially if it knocked them out at night.
But you needed patience and a game plan to get through the day too.
Alana excelled at it. His girlfriend could spend hours entertaining his daughter. Or playing with her and never get her feathers ruffled.
Hell, he could even run to the store last week alone and get a few things for the house without having his daughter with him because Alana volunteered to take her to the movies.
“She’s three. The older she gets, the easier it will be for her to entertain herself. She actually does a great job of it now. Some kids never learn to play alone.”
Which was why in his ideal world he would have had another child by now.
Close in age so that they could play together.
Something he’d never had and always secretly wanted.
“By necessity I’ve had to teach her to not be underfoot nonstop because I’ve got things to do and sometimes work at home.”
If every minute was spent dancing or coloring, clothes wouldn’t get washed, food not cooked, bathrooms never cleaned.
Hmmm, maybe this playing thing wasn’t so bad.
“Adulting isn’t for the faint of heart,” she said, laughing.
His phone rang in his pocket. He pulled it out to see Rene calling.
“It’s her. Do you mind?”
“Go ahead,” she said. “I’ll just keep working.”
Alana went back to what he’d interrupted while he shut her door and answered the call.
“What’s going on, Rene?”
“Can’t you even say hi to me?” Rene asked.
“Hello, Rene. What’s going on?”
“You’ve never been this short before,” Rene said.
He snorted. “I’m working. You know this is a busy time of year for me. You’re not calling to ask me for an update on Becca, I’m sure.” There was silence when he said that. “Right?”
“I’d like to know more about her and what’s going on.”
He frowned. “Right now?”
“I have to go to work at ten. Overnight flight,” Rene said.
He looked at his watch. It was two. “You’re not sleeping?”
“I will soon. I was waiting for you to call me back. I was in the basement doing laundry when you called the first time.”
He’d have to give her a pass there.
Then he wondered why he always took the nice guy route.
