What in the fuck just happened?
I held my chest and tried to get it to settle down, while also trying to figure out what in the hell Corina just did to me.
The bathroom door opened and an older woman walked in. She let out a gasp and looked around.
“I’m…I’m sorry,” I said. “I walked into the wrong restroom.”
She gave me a polite smile and stepped out of my way, allowing me to retreat. I was pretty sure that was Mrs. Hathaway, my English teacher in twelfth grade.
By the time I made it back to the table, I was twisted completely around inside. Corina Miller was going to be the death of me.
As I sat down, Corina smiled. “You get lost?”
“Something like that.”
Her smile dropped for a moment before it returned.
“Well, let’s get back to the party planning!” my mother said with a light clap of her hands. Everyone soon got lost in the plans. I replied every now and then. My head was still spinning, and I couldn’t concentrate. Especially with Corina sitting next to me. Every now and then our legs would touch, or I’d get a glimpse of her perfect tits in that black dress.
“Mitchell? Mitchell!”
Lifting my eyes, I looked at my mother. “Yeah?”
“Does that sound good to you?”
I had no damn clue what she was asking me. “Does what sound good?”
Her head shifted to the side. “Have you even been listening?”
“If the boy is smart, he learned the art of tuning out long ago,” my father said with a chuckle.
“Sorry, Mom. My mind was somewhere else.”
Her eyes seemed to sympathize. She probably thought the distraction was a case I was working on. In a way…it was.
Operation Win Corina’s Heart.
“We’re going to have the party at our house,” Mom said. “Chloe wants it to be Halloween themed.”
With a smile, I replied, “Wouldn’t it be easier to just have a Halloween party?”
“That’s what I said!” Steed added.
“No! Daddy, please!”
Chloe stared up at Steed with those blue eyes, and I knew he was toast.
“I think a Halloween birthday party sounds perfect!” I said, saving my brother the embarrassment of caving to his daughter, yet again.
Chloe jumped up. “Yay! I’m so happy!”
The rest of dinner was filled with two different conversations. The girls talked about Corina’s ideas for remodeling her house, and I talked to Steed and my father about the embezzlement case that was being investigated, involving Dad’s former best friend. I had to bring in another Texas Ranger due to the fact that it was my father’s business that the money had been stolen from. This case had been going on for quite a while and we were finding out that the embezzling went deeper than anyone could have imagined.
“Uncle Mitchell, can I spend the night at your house?” Chloe asked out of the blue.
“Of course you can, squirt.”
Her sweet little face lit up. “Yay! We can have a Frozen party.”
I smiled. “That sounds good.”
“Well, Corina and I are going to head out,” Waylynn said.
“Where are you girls headed?” my mother asked.
“Cord’s Place. We both need a night out on the town.”
My eyes drifted over Corina. She looked hot as hell and for a brief second I wished I hadn’t said Chloe could spend the night. I wanted to go and make sure no asshole put his hands on Corina.
“Well, be careful girls,” Mom said. “Don’t drink and drive!”
Waylynn said, “Trust me, Mom. I would never do that. Besides, I don’t want my own brother arresting me!”
“That might be kind of fun!” I said with a laugh.
“Yeah, you would think that. Good thing you’re off tonight.”
“It was so wonderful seeing you again, John and Melanie,” Corina said with a beautiful smile. “Chloe, I’ll see you later?”
Chloe smiled. “Okay! Bye, Aunt Corina.” She had no idea Corina was living at my place. I couldn’t help but notice how Corina’s eyes lit up when she talked to Chloe. I wondered if she’d want to have kids right away or wait.
I choked when I realized where my thoughts had taken me.
“You okay, Mitchell?” my father asked.
With what must have been a look of horror, I nodded. “Yep. Sorry.”
Steed stared as if he knew where my thoughts had been.
“What are you staring at?” I asked sharply.
A slow smile built as he said, “Nothin’ at all.”
I shot him a dirty look. “Good!”
“Night, y’all,” Waylynn said.
Jumping up, I reached for Corina’s arm. “You’ll call me if y’all need a ride home, right?”
She stared blankly. I couldn’t read her at all. What in the hell? My job was all about being able to read people, and this woman had me all kinds of messed up.
“I’m sure we’ll be fine.”
Letting out a frustrated sigh, I sat back down before she spoke. “If we need you, I’ll call, Mitchell. Always.”
Giving her my best smile, I replied, “Thank you. Y’all have fun and be safe.”
Waylynn walked past me. “Now where would the fun be in that?”
I watched as my sister, and the woman who was slowly driving me insane, walked out of Marco’s.
“They’ll be fine, Mitchell,” Dad said. “Cord will keep an eye on them.”
Nodding, I focused on my father. “I know. Trevor’s working tonight. I know he’ll call me if he thinks I need to come get them.” I turned to Chloe. “Hey, how about I follow y’all home and you pack an overnight bag?”
She fist-pumped. “Come on, Daddy! Let’s go so I can have my princess party with Uncle Mitchell.”
My smile dropped. “Princess party? I thought we were watching Frozen?”
Chloe turned to me and shook her head. “Oh, Uncle Mitchell. You’re so funny.”
Snapping my head to my parents, I asked, “What did I say that was funny?”
They both attempted to hide their smiles and failed miserably.
“You sure you don’t mind her spending the night, Mitchell?” Paxton asked as she handed me Chloe’s bag.
“No, not at all. I never get tired of spending time with her. It’ll be fun.”
Chloe came walking into the kitchen. “Let’s go get Patches!”
“Patches?” I asked as I looked back at Steed and Paxton.
“Pumpkin, Patches can’t spend the night with you. Uncle Mitchell lives in the city, remember?”
“But he has a yard. It’s big enough for Patches.”
I laughed. “Patches needs more space than my yard, squirt.”
“Ah, dang. That’s okay, we’ll still have fun without Patches.”
“Gee, I hope so! I’d hate to think the goat was more fun than me!”
Chloe giggled and took my hand. My heart dropped and something strange hit me right in the middle of my chest. I ignored it.
I glanced at our hands then back up to Steed. He was wearing the same damn smile that he’d had at Marco’s earlier.
“What?” I asked.
He shrugged. “I think you’re starting to want it.”
I pinched my brows.
“Want what?” Paxton asked.
“Yeah, what do you want, Uncle Mitchell? A goat? A horse? Oh, I know, a giraffe? Cuz I really wanted one of those too.”
I chuckled. “No, kiddo. I don’t want any of those things.”
“What about a kid?” Steed asked as I shot him a dirty look.
Chloe gasped. “You want a baby goat?”
Meeting the big blue eyes looking up at me, I shook my head. “Don’t listen to your father, Chloe. He’s delusional.”
We started toward the door. “What does that mean?”
“It means your dad thinks he knows the truth, and he is far from it.”
“I thought Daddy was always right?”
“I am,” Steed said.
“He isn’t,” Paxton and I both said at the same time. Laughing, I kissed her goodbye on the cheek. “I always knew you were secretly on my side.”
She bent down to face Chloe. “You have fun and listen to Uncle Mitchell, okay?”
Chloe nodded. “I will, Mommy. Kiss Gage for me, okay?”
“Of course I will. I love you, Chloe Cat.”
“I love you too! Love you, Daddy.”
Steed squatted down and pulled Chloe in for a hug. “I know Uncle Mitchell looks like me, but remember, Daddy is smarter, more handsome, and a better singer.”
Covering her mouth, Chloe chuckled. “Oh, Daddy. You are not a good singer!”
Everyone laughed as I guided Chloe out of the house and to my truck.
“Let me know what time you want her home!” I called out. I lifted Chloe into the backseat and buckled her in. Steed had already put Chloe’s booster seat into the truck for me along with a checklist of other Chloe-related things. I rolled my eyes and set it in the seat next to Chloe. It wasn’t like it was my first time having my niece over.
“You ready to get our Frozen on?” I asked.
She nodded her head. “Let’s do this!”
When I walked around my truck, I glanced over at my brother. He smiled and called out, “I’m right and you know it!”
“Delusional. That’s all you are.”
As I slipped into the truck, I turned back to see my precious niece, and I knew in that moment who the delusional one was.
Me.