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Ryder
When I open the door to Madison’s room I’m met by a pair of sleepy blue eyes. I push Madison in back of me because she barely has any clothes on; just the t-shirt she fell asleep in. Shit, this is exactly what Madison was afraid of. I don’t want to make a difficult situation worse, and now I feel like total crap that I’m putting her in an awkward position.
Aiden rubs his eyes, giving me a confused look. “Ryder?”
“Hey little man.”
“What are you doing here?”
Now that is a question I cannot answer truthfully. I hate to lie to him, but I can’t exactly tell him the truth. “I..uh...why don’t we go to the kitchen and get some breakfast okay?” I usher him down the hall to give Madison a chance to get dressed and maybe she can help me out with what I should say to him. Aiden sits at the table and I frantically look around the kitchen for a box of cereal or something to busy him until his mother gets out here. I open and close every damn cabinet and find no remnants of anything I can give him. No cereal, no toaster pastries, not even a damn cracker. Fuck. Every time I see Madison getting ready to leave the house she’s always stuffing some kind of snack in her purse for the boys; and now that I’m desperate, I can’t find a single solitary thing.
Thankfully, Madison rounds the corner with Caleb in tow and puts him in his booster seat next to Aiden and I can take a breath because I have no idea what to tell the boy. I look over at Madison with pleading eyes, begging her to take over. When her befuddled gaze meets mine, I know she’s not going to be any help; she’s just as flustered as I am.
“Ryder, can you make pancakes for breakfast?” Aiden asks on a yawn.
Madison and I stare at each other for a long moment. My shoulders relax and I’m relieved he isn’t asking more pressing questions about why I’m here. I would love to cook breakfast for them, but Madison still seems uncomfortable. “I don’t know Aiden. I think your mom wants to make you something to eat this morning. I just stopped by to deliver a package.” Yeah, that’s it. That’s a great idea. I mentally congratulate myself on being able to come up with an excuse on the fly, that is until Aiden calls me out.
“Where’s the package?”
“In my room.” Madison nervously interjects.
“Why aren’t you wearing your uniform?”
Boy, there is no pulling the wool over this kid’s eyes. Now I’m searching my brain for another fib I can tell this kid so he stops giving me the third degree. I open my mouth to speak, but I’m a blubbering mess. I don’t want to say the wrong thing and have Madison furious with me. “I...uh…”
Luckily, I’m saved by Madison’s interruption again. “He doesn’t work today. He forgot it in his truck so he brought it over.”
That explanation seems to satisfy him enough to where he’s no longer interrogating me. Aiden should look into being a police detective or prosecutor when he gets older; nothing slips by him. Madison gets the coffee maker going and I take this opportunity to make my exit. “Well, I guess I should go now.”
“Awww.” Aiden moans from his chair. “Do you have to go?” He turns to his mother. “Mom, can Ryder stay and make me pancakes pleeease?”
Not wanting Madison to look like the bad guy, I answer for her. “Aiden, I don’t think…”
“Okay, Ryder can stay for breakfast. That is if he wants to.”
I smile at Madison. Her hair still a tousled mess from me burying my hands in it last night. “I’d love to stay and make breakfast for you guys.”
Twenty minutes later, we’ve all finished eating and as I’m cleaning up the table I see Madison looking through her phone and writing something down on a pad. She’s extremely focused on what she’s doing and has me curious. “Something wrong?” She doesn’t answer me. She doesn’t look away from her phone as she continues writing. “Madison?”
She finally lifts her head. “Huh?”
“Is everything okay?”
“Yeah, everything’s fine.”
I tilt my head to the side and give her an exasperated stare. “Are you going to tell me what’s bothering you or not?”
“I’m looking for a babysitter for the boys. They have a whole week off from school and daycare and I have to work.”
Without hesitation I step in. “I’ll watch them.”
“Ryder you can’t…”
“You would rather have a complete stranger look after the boys than me?”
“No, of course not. I’m sure the boys would love it, but you have to work.”
“I have plenty of sick days I can take. I’ve never taken any days off in five years. Well, not until recently when I had to visit my mother, but otherwise I have plenty of time saved up.”
“Ryder, you can’t miss work for me.”
“I’m not missing work for you. I’m missing work for the boys.”
“Ryder you need those days for when you really get sick and have to call in.”
“Like I said, I have plenty of sick days. I can use a break myself. It’ll be fun. I’ll take them to the park, maybe a movie, or to the zoo.”
Aiden folds his hands, shoving them in Madison’s face. “Mom, can Ryder take us to the zoo?”
She pushes his hands down. “Aiden, I don’t...”
“Please mom?”
“Yeah, please mom.” I say, flashing her my best cocky smile and batting my eyelashes.
She points at me. “You are not helping.”
“Aw c’mon Peaches, you know I’ll take good care of them.”
“Ryder…”
I stand, not giving her a chance to finish her sentence and lift Caleb out of his chair. “Good, then it’s settled. I’ll babysit the boys, free of charge, so don’t worry your pretty little head about anything except going to work.”
“But…”
I press her lips together with my fingers to quiet her. “No buts. Don’t say anything. Just get dressed so we can go out.”
She swats me hand away from her face. “Where are we going?”
“That’s for me to know and you to find out. Now go.”