Total pages in book: 99
Estimated words: 100441 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 502(@200wpm)___ 402(@250wpm)___ 335(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 100441 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 502(@200wpm)___ 402(@250wpm)___ 335(@300wpm)
I use my key to let myself into Ryder’s place, and I find both of them in Kaylee’s playroom. Her bright green eyes look up at me, and she puts a finger to her lips. “Shh. Daddy’s sleeping.”
As if on cue, Ryder lets out a little snore.
“Did you wake him up really early?” I whisper.
“No! It was almost light out!”
It’s my turn to put my fingers to my lips and shush her, but it’s too late.
Ryder startles awake, sees me, and groans. “Five more minutes.”
I laugh. “Want me to make you coffee?”
“An IV drip would work better, but that’s not part of your job description.”
“What are best friends for?”
Ryder shakes his head at me with a smile.
“Kaylee, come help me make coffee.”
“I can’t make coffee.” She giggles. “I’m only four.”
“You’re almost five. Five-year-olds can make coffee.”
She screws up her cute little face. “I don’t think they can.”
“I’ll let you pour the milk into the frothing jug.”
That gets her moving. I’ll have her making lattes before she knows it. Ryder can thank me later … or lecture me about child labor laws. One or the other.
Ryder’s face is the definition of grateful as he sits up and I hand over his mug.
“She ended up in my bed last night. Which, of course, doesn’t have your mattress protector trick going on. Murphy’s Law.”
“Aww, I’m sorry you had a rough night. Have you got much planned for today?”
“I was actually hoping to come see Kaylee’s playgroup.”
I must make a face or something because he pauses.
“Not a good idea?”
“I think it would be good for you to see Kaylee interacting with the other kids, but I don’t know the mothers and other nannies well yet. I’m wondering how they’ll react to Ryder Kennedy crashing the class.”
“My guess is they’ll be fine with it. Probably too fine with it.”
“That’s what I mean. It might be a pain in the ass for you. And then they’ll know for sure who Kaylee belongs to.”
“If you think it’ll make things weird—”
“It won’t be weird for me. I’m worried for you after the play center thing.”
Kaylee looks at her father with the biggest puppy dog eyes I’ve ever seen on a human … or a dog for that matter. Holy shit, it would be impossible to say no to that face. “Please come, Daddy. I want you to meet my friends. I have friends!”
“I’d like to meet them,” Ryder says and then looks up at me. “If that’s okay.”
“I guess we’re about to find out just how cool everyone at playgroup is. Or isn’t.”
Hopefully they won’t react like that other playgroup mom did.
We get ready for the day, and Ryder watches as I prepare a plate of celery and carrot sticks to take.
“Healthy snacks only,” I tell him.
“Are you sure this is the right playgroup?”
“Hey, at least I only have to bring this. I think they took pity on me since I’m the only male in the group and gave me the easiest job. Also, the less sugar I feed your kid, the easier she is for you to deal with after I go home.”
“Oh. True.”
“Ready to go?” I ask.
Ryder turns to Kaylee. “Ready to go, bub?” When she runs toward the front door, a line forms in Ryder’s forehead. “She was never that excited to go to school.”
“She’s doing great.”
Ryder loses some tension in his stiff shoulders. “I still wonder if I made the right decision. I never know if I have when it comes to her.”
“Welcome to parenting. I remember my brother freaking out when Chase came along. Thought he wasn’t doing anything right.” I give him a reassuring smile. “All you have to do is see how excited she is to know you did the right thing. And I’m not just saying that because I have an actual paying job now and I want to keep it.”
“Good to know.”
Ryder lets me drive since I know where we’re going.
The whole way there, Kaylee is her normal chatty self.
“Will Wicker be there?”
“No reason he wouldn’t be,” I say and try to cover my laugh as Ryder gives me the side-eye.
He mouths, “Wicker?”
“How do cows fart?” Kaylee asks.
“The same way dogs fart,” I say simply.
Ryder looks horrified in the passenger seat.
“How do dogs fart?” Kaylee asks.
I don’t miss a beat. “The same way cats fart.”
“How do—”
Ryder turns around in his seat. “The same way every animal on the planet farts.”
It’s cute he thinks that means she’ll stop.
“How do aliens fart?”
There it is.
Ryder groans.
I answer like any sane person would. “We don’t even know if aliens have butts. If they don’t have butts, they can’t fart.”
“Can we stop talking about farting?” Ryder asks.
“I’m trying to educate your child,” I argue.
“On alien farts?”
“It’s important she learns about the entire universe. Be thankful we haven’t gotten onto Uranus yet.”
Ryder levels me with a look. “It’s pronounced Ura-ness.”