11. Kevin

KEVIN

As much as I’d wanted to throttle George for him and Margie showing up at my house unexpectedly, one of the results had been pretty fantastic. I didnt know where Id gotten the nerve to ask CJ to hang out and watch a movie with me after I put my girl to bed that night, but hed been such a good sport, answering all of their nosy questions, that Id just wanted to spend some time with him relaxing. Since then, wed met on the couch every evening to watch something—first movies and now wed started streaming The Good Doctor from the beginning and were watching every episode. He’d even started staying home on his days off, making dinner, hanging with me and Lexi for a bit, and then ending the evening with our usual ritual. It was nicer than I’d ever admit to anyone, and I dreaded the day when CJ started dating or left us for another family.

His live-in status had also worked out to my advantage. It wasn’t something I’d thought I needed, but we were changing over one of our systems at work, and I’d had to run into the office unexpectedly more than I had ever had to before in the history of working at the company. CJ was so mellow and go with the flow that when I got a call, he just waved me along and told me that he had Lexi covered. When I received the call tonight we were only halfway through dinner, CJ had taken my plate and packed up the rest of my food in a Tupperware container while I changed back into office clothes. Little things like that weren’t something I’d ever ask or expect of him, but they seemed to come to him as easily as breathing.

Even though I’d missed Lexis bedtime, I was happy to be home early enough to hang out with CJ for a little while. Hopefully, hed still be up. Turning off my car, I hurried into the house and found him sitting on the couch in a pair of blue and white striped pajama pants and a white t-shirt, with the TV sitting silently on the home screen while he pecked furiously at his phone. “You didnt start another episode without me, did you?”

He glanced up at me with a smile stretching his beautiful lips. “Of course not. Plus”—he waved his cellphone—“we have serious business to attend to.”

“What are you talking about?”

“Hurry up and change your clothes, and Ill tell you when you come back down.”

“Okay. I’ll be right back.” I ran up the stairs and went to Lexi’s room to check on her first. She was sleeping peacefully, so I crept out of her room and went to mine. I’d been a little shocked to find CJ in sleep pants that first night when George had suggested comfy clothes, but I liked seeing him make himself at home so much that I’d gone right back upstairs and put on my own sleep pants and shirt. Truthfully, I’d probably have been better off discouraging the thin bedroom attire when we were lounging alone together, but if I couldn’t touch, I wasn’t selfless enough to give up looking. His assets were cupped so perfectly by the soft, worn fabric that I’d had to suck drool back into my mouth before he noticed on more than one occasion.

So whats going on? I asked, walking back into the family room where wed taken to hanging out together. The good thing about that room, besides not being surrounded by Lexis toys, was the sectional. In the playroom, one of us always sat on the floor or in the swinging chair while the other one sat on the love seat and my daughter wandered back and forth between us. In here, we both had places to stretch out and recline comfortably. Since the first night, wed both settled into our favorite spots, which were the recliners, sitting side-by-side. There was plenty of room for us not to do that, but he’d never moved seats, and I enjoyed being close enough to inhale his fresh scent. “Well, Im trying to figure out how to let your mom and Margie down gently.”

“About what?” I asked, completely confused. CJ finally dropped his phone into his lap. “Your mom wants to do a Little Mermaid themed party, and Margie and her youngest are pushing for My Little Pony.”

“Um, why are we talking about my daughters birthday already? Its not for 2 1/2 months.”

CJ snorted. “Thats my fault. I wanted to start planning and ordering things, so I texted the two of them thinking they might like to help. But really, dont they know our girl at all? Obviously, it has to be a Cars’ themed birthday party.”

I bit my lip, stifling a smile at the mild outrage threading through his tone. “Obviously.”

“Right? I mean, their ideas are cute and all, and all of the decoration ideas and stuff theyve been sending me would be adorable, but… Cars. I mean, they’ve met your daughter, right? She’d vroom, vroom all day long if I let her.”

“I know. Youre right. Since Lexi hasnt really ever asked for anything specific, I usually just bow down to the majority on this one. It’s really not worth arguing with my mother and Margie.”

CJ shook his head. “No, I cant do that. I dont want her to ever think theres anything wrong with her obsession for all things cars. She’ll have to deal with enough of that kind of crap when she starts school without her being stuck dealing with societal norms now.”

I blinked. This man. He knew my daughter. He understood her. He cared about her. Things like this were what made it so damn hard to keep my thoughts of him innocent and pure.