Page 53 of Holding You
“Oh, is that a rule we made last night and I forgot?”
“It’s a rule I made just now because I didn’t know that I needed to make it a rule last night.”
I grin as her gaze slips to my pecs, pausing just long enough for me to catch it.
“Is this a new rule because I’m actually shirtless or because you can’t seem to stop sneaking a look at my naked chest?”
She sighs, and even though I know it shouldn't, it makes me smile.
“I’ll go put a shirt on, but save me some coffee.”
“Thank you.”
I jog down the stairs to retrieve a shirt and then return to the kitchen to find Max at the kitchen island, eating a bowl of cereal shirtless.
Alright. Alright. So she had a good point.
“Morning, Dec,” he grins.
“Morning, Maxwell.” I ruffle his hair. “Where did your mom go?”
“Um, she said she needed a cold shower.”
“Did she now?” I pour myself a cup of coffee and then make myself a bowl of cereal. We eat in silence until Susie comes up the stairs.
“Oh wow,” Max says, his eyes wide.
My daughter’s hair is a wild mess. I do not doubt that there are tangles in it. It’s a normal sight for me, but I understand the shock on his face.
When she was younger, she wore a ponytail every single day for a year. Maybe more. Any other hairstyle was a fight that Itried to avoid every morning, so the quickest style I knew how to do was a simple ponytail.
Brushing a young girl’s hair is an experience all on its own.
Thankfully, she manages it mostly on her own now.
“What?” Susie asks, grabbing the box of cereal and sitting next to him. She reaches her hand into the box and pulls out a handful.
“A bowl, Susie, please,” I say, and she rolls her eyes before getting up to get one.
“Your hair,” Max says and then looks at me. “Is it always like that?”
“In the morning, yes.”
“Don’t be mean,” Susie says just as Ruby walks back into the kitchen. Her hair is pulled into a messy bun on her head, and she is wearing makeup.
That was a quick shower.
“Can you do my hair like yours?” Susie asks. Ruby pauses.
“Oh, um, I’ve never done someone else’s hair before.”
“What about Max’s?”
Ruby pours her coffee. “His hair is short and easy to style.”
“Oh, okay.”
Susie’s shoulders drop, and she hangs her head.
