Lindsay

I woke first and slipped off the couch, where we must have fallen asleep last night. I remembered him wrapped around me, so entangled I didn’t know where I ended and he began, but I didn’t recall falling asleep. We had definitely worn out each other physically on top of an emotionally exhausting day.

After finding my scattered clothes and dressing, I took a moment to cover him with an afghan lying over the back of the couch. I stared down at him for a moment, taking in his beauty. He looked so open in sleep, and his vulnerability sent a pang through my chest. I rubbed it absently as I stood up and left him.

I’d planned to go to my room to shower and change, but the sound of Elle’s feet coming down the stairs made me pause. I waited for her to come into sight, feeling self-conscious in the clothes I’d worn last night.

She flashed a bright smile, and she looked so adorable in her purple gown and crooked pigtails she must have styled herself. There was a new lightness in her step, and she was bouncing when she reached me. A lump in my throat surprised me, and I cleared it with a cough. I was optimistic she was going to be fine now. It wouldn’t be an overnight process, but she was going to heal and have a childhood again.

“You’re up earlier than I expected.”

She grinned. “You’re up early too. I was starving.”

My stomach rumbled, and I laughed. “I guess I am too.” A shower could wait, I decided. I didn’t want to ruin her good mood.

“Have you seen Daddy? He wasn’t in his room.” She bounced a few steps ahead of me, saying in an oblivious way, “Neither were you.”

I had to bite back a nervous giggle. “I think he fell asleep on the sofa.”

“Oh.” She whirled to face me. “Let’s make him breakfast and take it to him.”

“Sure.” I followed her into the kitchen, looking for Margot. I didn’t want to step on her toes by helping myself to the appliances, but she wasn’t working yet. It was a little past six, so I wasn’t surprised.

With Elle’s help, as she’d clearly spent some time in the kitchen before, I found the ingredients for pancakes. I had learned to cook a few years ago, but I wanted to keep it simple for Ben to ensure there were no disasters.

Elle busied herself cutting strawberries with a plastic knife. It made me nervous, but she quickly assured me Margot had bought the special knife just for her, and it wouldn’t cut her fingers. I still kept an eye on her as I flipped the pancakes, cooking until we had a respectable stack that would feed all three of us.

“Only one plate’s going to fit on the tray,” said Elle as she popped another berry in her mouth.

“If you can carry the tray, I’ll carry our plates.”

“Okay.” She ate another berry.

I wagged the spatula at her. “If you keep eating those, we won’t have any for the pancakes.”

She grinned and shrugged, but stopped eating them. As I finished the last one, she moved to the fridge and came back with a can of whipped cream. I blinked away the thoughts forming in my brain, reminding myself there would be no opportunity to indulge in more carnal uses of the dessert topping today.

Maybe tonight.

Or not. I didn’t know where we stood. Was I still a casual fling for Ben, or did he actually care about me? I had no idea, and not knowing was almost as bad as finding out he didn’t for certain. I would rather live in uncertainty, I decided. Even if it was only a fantasy.

When we had breakfast ready, Elle picked up the tray carefully, and I followed behind with two other plates of pancakes. When we entered the living room, he was still asleep, and I went first to ensure the afghan still covered him.

“Surprise, Daddy,” cried Elle as she set down the tray on the coffee table with a clatter that knocked one of the bottled OJs sideways. Nothing spilled, and the pancakes remained intact, aside from a single berry sliding downward to land on the white plate.

Ben’s eyes opened, and he seemed immediately clearheaded. I wondered how to remind him he was naked, but he must have remembered, because he sat up smoothly, keeping the blanket tucked strategically. “What’s all this?”

“We made you breakfast in bed. Sort of.” Elle giggled.

It must have been as delightful a sound to him as it was me, because he grinned at her before sending me a happy look. I mirrored it and let out a breath I hadn’t realized I held until then. I must have been nervous about his morning reaction, especially since he’d been so open with me last night.

“I’m not sure what I did to deserve this, but thank you, both.”

“It’s ‘cause we love you, Daddy.”

He smiled at her, but there was a question in his gaze when his eyes met mine. “Really?”

“Of course,” said Elle as she attacked her pancakes.

I chose the easy way out and didn’t answer. My pancakes needed my full attention, and I scrutinized them closely for the next ten minutes, though I forgot to take more than a couple of bites.

“Elle, now that you’ve finished, why don’t you run up and get dressed. We’ll do something fun today.”

I looked up in time to see her grin. “As a family?”

It made my heart stutter when he nodded. “Absolutely.”

With a whoop of excitement, she sped up the stairs.

I busied myself with the auspices of gathering her empty plate and stacking it under mine. I glanced at him while waving at his plate. “Are you finished?”

He nodded, not moving as I edged around the table to add the plates I held to his tray. As soon as I came into his reach, he pulled me down onto his lap and pressed his face against my hair. “Good morning,” he whispered.

“Morning. I should get dressed if we’re going out.”

His arms loosened slightly, but he didn’t let me go completely. Ben turned me in his arms a bit, so I was looking at him. “She seems happier today.”

I nodded. “She’s more secure.”

“I know what could make her feel even surer.”

“Hmm?” I lost myself in the warmth of his eyes for a moment.

“Let’s get married.”