Chapter 8

"Daddy!" Ari cheers when she hears a knock on the door.

"You don't know for sure if it's Daddy," I tell her as I move to open the door.

She scrunches up her little face in confusion. "Well, who else would it be?"

"It could be Aunt Chloe."

"It's Daddy," she says confidently.

I open the door, and sure enough, she was right. Mason is standing in the hall with his hands in his pocket and a smirk on his face.

"Hey, beautiful." He leans in and kisses my cheek, making my heart race. Ever so slightly, he pulls back and whispers, "Feel free to call me daddy anytime."

"Mason…" I lightly scold.

He chuckles, sending goose bumps down my arms as he pulls back. "How are my girls?"

Ari lunges for him as he steps inside the apartment. Mason catches her, pulling her in for a hug while he buries his face into her neck, making her giggle.

"Daddy, that tickles!"

"Sorry, baby, now I have a question for you and Mommy."

"What's the question?" Ari asks.

Mason looks over at me and smirks. "I was wondering if you and Mommy would like to go on a date with me today."

I suck in a breath.

Ari looks at me. "What's a date?"

"A date is when you take someone you like out and go do something," Mason tells her while still looking at me.

"You want to take me on a date? I've never been on one before," she tells him earnestly.

He squeezes her tight. "Well, then today will be your first if Mommy says it's okay."

"What were you thinking?" I ask.

"Well, I was thinking the zoo, but it looks like it could rain, so I thought we could try the aquarium instead."

Ari taps his shoulder, getting his attention. "What's an aquarium?"

"It's like the zoo, but for animals that live in water," he tells her.

Her eyes light up, and she looks at me, clapping her hands together. "Can we, Mommy, please?"

"Yeah, can we, Mommy, please?" Mason teases.

I nod, keeping a straight face. "As long as you two promise to behave."

Mason sets Ari down. "Go get your shoes."

"I'm so excited, I'm going on a date!" Ari yells as she runs down the hall.

I turn and walk into the kitchen to grab a water bottle and snacks to put in my bag. That way we won't have to buy anything while we're out. Places like the aquarium are expensive, and I just can't justify the cost. Not yet.

I feel Mason step up behind me, and my breath catches as he brushes my hair away from my neck.

"I'll be as good or as bad as you want," he murmurs before pressing a kiss to the shell of my ear.

I squeeze my eyes shut and force myself not to sway into him. "Behave."

Mason chuckles, sending chills down my spine.

"Ready!" Ari says loudly as she comes rushing down the hall.

"No running," I say breathlessly.

Fuck. Why does he have that effect on me?

"You ready, Mommy?" Mason asks.

"Please stop," I beg.

"Fine, for now." He winks.

* * *

"Be careful," I warn Ari as she leans over the edge of the little water pool with sand, starfish, and more.

"Don't worry, Mommy," she tells me.

Mason steps up behind me again and wraps an arm around my stomach.

"Yeah, Mommy, don't worry," he rasps.

I close my eyes as I lean into him. All day, he's been casually touching me. Brushing his hand on my lower back, holding my hand, pushing my hair away from my face.

It's overwhelming and exhilarating.

Mason is doing exactly what he said, he's giving me a little bit of space but not allowing us to move backward, only forward.

He's making his intentions known.

"You know Halloween is coming up."

"It is."

"Has she picked out a costume yet?"

I shake my head no.

"Would you mind if I pick something out? I have an idea in mind, but I want to surprise you."

"Sure, as long as she's okay with it."

"Thanks."

We fall silent and watch our daughter play.

"Do you think she's having fun?" he whispers, pulling me out of my head.

"Oh yeah, one hundred percent," I say quietly.

I feel his shoulders relax against my back. "Good."

"Were you really worried?"

"I mean, yeah. This is our first real outing." He squeezes my hip. "I've never planned something for a kid before, and I wanted to make sure she would have a good time."

I turn in his arms and rest my hands on his chest. "Mason, Ari is the most go-with-the-flow child I've ever met. She's perfectly happy just hanging out at home and coloring or going to the park and swinging. You don't have to impress her to earn her love. She already loves you for you."

His eyes move over my shoulder as he watches our daughter.

"You think so?" he rasps.

"I don't think, I know." I bite my lip as I gather the courage to say it. "You're a good dad, Mason. Ari's lucky to have you."

His eyes drop down to mine. "You mean that, don't you?"

I nod. "I do."

He takes a deep breath as his eyes go back to our girl. I go to step out of his arms, but he holds me tight, not letting me go.

"Just think, if I'm already killing this parenting thing, imagine how good I'll be in a year or two."

I roll my eyes. "Just wait until she's in high school and hates you."

Mason scoffs. "She won't hate me."

"I hate to break it to you, but hating your parents in high school is a right of passage. Especially if they are trying to keep you from your boyfriend or girlfriend."

Mason makes a noise in the back of his throat. "She won't have a boyfriend in high school."

"What makes you say that?"

"Because she's not allowed to date until she's thirty."

I toss my head back and laugh.

"You poor, poor delusional man. Whatever you have to tell yourself to sleep at night."

Mason's hand comes up and brushes the back of my cheek, and I stop laughing.

"Why are you looking at me like that?" I ask quietly.

"Because happiness looks good on you, and I'm the lucky motherfucker who makes you happy."

I don't even bother trying to deny it, because he's right. He does make me happy, and that scares the shit out of me.

* * *

"What is that?" Olivia asks, eyes wide.

"It's your Halloween costume."

"I'm not wearing that. Whatever it's supposed to be."

I raise a brow. "You've never seen Beauty and the Beast? You and Ari are both going to be Belle."

Olivia shakes her head rapidly. "Nope. No thanks. I'm good. You two can dress up, though."

Ari gasps. "Is that my dress?"

"This one is your mother's, but this…" I pull hers out from behind Olivia's. "Is yours."

Ari cups her cheeks, mouth open in shock. "It's so pretty. I get to be a princess?"

"You do," I say proudly.

"Do you want help getting into your dress?" Olivia asks her.

"Yes, please!" Ari claps her hands.

Olivia takes the child-size Belle dress from me and heads down the hall with our daughter to get dressed. Sighing, I lay her dress across the couch.

I really want her to put it on before we leave to go trick-or-treating. Is it a big deal if she doesn't want to dress up? No, but I really want this to be something the three of us can do together.

Make it a tradition.

I walk across the room and stare at myself in the mirror. The blue velvet suit is a little much, but I rock it if I do say so myself.

"What do you think, Daddy?"

I turn around and suck in a breath when I see my little girl. They were only gone for a few minutes, but somehow Olivia managed to pull Ari's hair up into a neat little bun on the top of her head with a few pieces of hair framing her face and get her into the dress.

"You look like a princess."

Olivia giggles as she bounces around.

"What do you tell Daddy?" Olivia prompts.

"Oh, thank you for the dress, Daddy. I love it."

"I'm glad. Now do you think you could get Mommy to put hers on?"

Ari turns and puts her little fists under her chin. "Will you put on the dress, Mommy, please?"

Olivia sighs as she looks at our daughter with nothing but love.

God, I love the way she looks at our child.

It's a kick in the gut in the best possible way.

Olivia and I might not have set out to make a baby, but I couldn't have picked a better mother for my little girl if I tried.

Olivia fake glares at me. "Fine."

She walks over and snatches the dress off the couch before walking down the hall to Ari's room.

"Yay!" Ari cheers.

I move closer to my daughter and sit in the chair next to her. "Are you ready to trick-or-treat?"

"I think so. Mommy told me I have to wear comfy shoes so my feet won't hurt, but I think my dress would look better with heels."

"I think your mommy is right and that comfy shoes are the safer option. Besides, you're way too young for heels."

"But they're so pretty." She sighs wistfully.

Looks like my daughter is a shoe girl. Good to know.

"Maybe next time," I lie. If I have my way, she won't be wearing a pair of heels for a long time. "Do you want a snack?"

Ari nods. "Yes, please. Maybe some fruit snacks so I don't get it on my dress."

"I can do that."

I get up and grab the fruit snacks from the pantry.

"How was your day?" I ask Ari as I open the package for her.

"Thank you," she says as she takes the snack. "It was okay."

"Just okay?"

She nods as she chews. "Yeah, my friend Daisy wasn't there, and I had to sit next to Booger Eater."

"Who's Booger Eater?"

Ari blinks. "The kid who eats boogers."

"You don't know his real name?" I ask, fighting back my laughter.

"Nope."

"Good to know."

"What are you smiling about?"

I look up and feel all the air leave my lungs.

"Jesus Christ," I rasp.

Olivia looks like an older, brunette-haired version of our daughter. She has her hair up in a bun, leaving her neck and shoulders completely on display.

I want to run my beard over her skin, making it known that she belongs to me.

Olivia raises a brow, and I push away the caveman thoughts…for now.

"You are gorgeous, Livvy."

Her cheeks redden, making my dick hard.

Discreetly, I reach down and adjust myself.

Clearly, it's been too long if such a simple act makes my dick take notice.

"Thank you," she says quietly.

"Would you two mind taking a photo with me?"

"Yes!" Ari claps.

Olivia shrugs. "Sure."

I pick Ari up and set her on my hip and pull my phone out of my pocket. Olivia comes to stand on the other side of Ari as I pull up the camera.

"Squeeze in tight," I tell her.

I bite back a chuckle when I watch her eyes roll on the screen.

"Alright, everyone smile."

"Cheese!" Ari says, smiling wide.

I tap the button, and multiple photos are taken at once. When it's done, I check my camera roll to make sure we got a good one.

That one. That's the one I'm going to frame,I think as I stare at the photo.

"We good?" Olivia asks.

"Yeah. Are you two ready to go?" I ask as I set Ari down.

"Let's do this," Livvy tells me.

* * *

"You could have warned me that we were coming to your neighborhood," Livvy says quietly.

"Who says we're in my neighborhood?" I ask as I watch Ari walk up to another porch to get candy.

"You literally parked in your driveway," Livvy deadpans.

"Okay, you got me." I shrug as I run my hand along her back. "Does it matter, though?"

Livvy bites her lip as Ari comes running back with a smile on her face.

"I got more!" Ari cheers.

"Great job, sweetheart. Now onto the next!" I point to the house next door.

"If you would have warned me, I could have packed an overnight bag," Livvy says quietly.

I whip my head toward her.

"Stop looking at me like that," she says lightly, still not looking my way.

"You mean that you would be willing to stay here tonight? With me?"

Livvy shrugs. "It's just one night, and it would make sense. Why should you have to make so many trips back and forth in one night?"

I open my mouth, but no words come out. Hell, I don't know what to say. I didn't mention coming to my neighborhood because I suspected she would put up a fight, but in not mentioning it, I might have lost the opportunity to have my girls sleeping under my roof.

God, I miss sleeping in the same place as them.

"Maybe next time," she says lightly.

"And maybe I can stay at your place tonight. You know, so that way I don't have to drive home late."

Livvy turns toward me and eyes me slowly. "I think that would be smart. Everyone knows to stay off the roads late at night on Halloween to avoid drunk drivers. My daughter is rather fond of you, so I would rather you stay alive."

I raise a brow. "Just your daughter?"

She raises a dainty shoulder. "Her mother might be impartial."

"Good to know."

"Now come on. Someone is running out of steam."

I look up and see that, sure enough, Ari is starting to lag, and her eyes are looking awfully heavy.

"Did you have a good time tonight, sweetheart?" I ask as I scoop her up once she gets close.

She lays her head on my shoulder and mumbles against my neck, "This is the best night of my life."

I look at Livvy as I hold our girl, and I can't help but agree.

This is one of the best nights of my life, and I wouldn't change a thing…except maybe telling them to pack a sleepover bag.