Assured (Soul Serenade #2)(20)

I walk to the couch and bend my knees so she and I are eye to eye. “Mia, you only get married if you love the person so very much that you can’t breathe without them. I haven’t found her yet, but when I do, I’ll let you know.” Who am I to crush her dreams that good old Unca Cowe doesn’t have any plans for weddings and babies in his future? My sister would have my balls if I ruined her fantasies about happily ever after.

“Mia, do you think you could help me and Stacy make some dinner? I was thinking spaghetti,” Logan asks her.

“My favowite!” And just like that, she’s jumping off Kacen’s lap and reaching for Stacy’s hand, which surprises all of us. “Do you have a baby in your belly too?” she asks.

“No, sweetie. I’m not married,” Stacy explains gently.

Mia looks up at me, her smile a mile wide. “Unca Cowe, you can marry her.” She stands tall and proud as if she just solved world peace—not that she knows what that is.

I want to tell her that I don’t want to marry the lovely Stacy, but I do ache to burry my cock deep inside her. Instead, I go with, “I’m starving.”

“Skettie!” she cheers and pulls Stacy to the kitchen, Logan trailing behind them.

I’m thankful that her four-year-old brain can switch topics so easily.

“You ready for that, man?” I ask Kacen.

“Hell yes.” No hesitation what so ever.

“Where are Gavin and Tristan?”

“In the studio. Tristan was working on his solo beat. Gav was just hanging out on his phone.”

“Let’s go see what Tristan and his sticks have come up with. Fucking drumming genius.”

“Wait.” He reaches out and grabs my arm. “With the distraction of Mia, I didn’t get to ask Stacy what her answer is. I can’t wait any longer to see if she’s taking the job. I really want it to be her with Logan.” He turns toward the kitchen and I follow behind him.

I’m torn. I want her to take the job—it’s a great opportunity to travel, and she’ll get to do it with her best friend—but I still want to f*ck her. Her taking the job is going to make that even more difficult.

“Stacy, you said you made a decision?” Kacen asks.

Lifting her head from the salad she and Mia are making, she smiles softly. “Yeah, I did. I’d like to accept the position. I’m nervous I’ll mess something up, but I’m excited. Thank you for the opportunity, Kacen . . . Cole.” Her eyes lock on mine.

Fuck me, she said yes.

“Unca Cowe, you wanna help?” Mia asks.

I’m just about to tell her that I can’t when Kacen chimes in. “What about me? I’m an excellent cook.” He leans on the counter in front of where Mia is standing on a chair.

“Kace, you funny.” Mia giggles. It’s not until I see Kacen’s face that I understand her laughter. He has a mouth full of cooked spaghetti noodles hanging out of his mouth.

“I thought you were cooking for me?” I ask Mia.

“I not you wife.” She puts her little hand on her hip, and I can see my sister’s attitude shining through.

“But you’re my favorite girl,” I tell her.

Mia gives off a heavy sigh. “Fine, you can haf some.”

I grin and reach for the bowl of noodles only to have my hand smacked away. Logan smirks at me.

It’s not until I see Mia dig her little hands in and flip the noodles around that I understand. Logan is pouring more noodles into a boiling pot; this is Mia’s bowl to “cook” with.

“Wook, Stacy.” Mia holds up two hands full of noodles. “I make skettie.”

“Look at you. You’re doing a great job, Mia.”

“Mia, did I tell you that I bought some new puzzles? I was hoping you would stop by so we could put them together,” Logan tells her.

“Yay!” Mia throws her hand up and slings noodles on Kacen and me.

“Oh, no, now you’re going to get it,” I tell her, raising my hands. “You know what this means, right, Mia?” She’s already giggling so hard she can’t speak and I haven’t even touched her yet.

“The t-tickle mo-monster,” she sputters out.

I quickly stand and gather her under my arm, pretending to fly her around the kitchen. “Attention, passengers, please prepare for a crash tickle landing,” I say in a cheesy announcer voice.

“Unca Cowe!” Mia laughs. I love this little girl.

I take off toward the living room and we do a crash landing on the couch. I immediately let the tickling commence. Mia shrieks and writhes.

“Stop, pwease! Pretty pwease,” she begs.

I stop since she said the magic words. She sits up, catches her breath, and then throws her arms around my neck. “I wuv you, Unca Cowe.”

I’m a man. I like manly things like sports and drinking a few cold ones with the guys. I don’t do relationships and I enjoy female company—lots of it. However, in the presence of my four-year-old niece, I lose my damn man card.

I return her hug. “Love you, too, Mia.”

I hear a throat clearing. Great, busted. I look up to find Stacy standing there, taking in all in. I should be embarrassed, but I’m not. I’m not a monster who is incapable of love; I just choose to have variety in my life instead.