Irresistible (Cloverleigh Farms #1)(62)
He groaned. “That sounds so good. But I don’t want you to think you have to rescue me all the time. I can handle things on my own.”
“I know you can. But why do it alone when you don’t have to? I’m standing here alone in an empty apartment, Mack. I’d much rather be at your house. Besides, that way I can tell you about the meeting.”
Exhaling, he said, “Okay. If you’re coming because you want to, I guess it’s fine.”
“I want to. I’ll be there soon.”
Mack
She came over that night with stuffed shells and told me all about the meeting while she reheated them. When dinner was done, she and Millie loaded the dishwasher, singing and giggling like friends while I got Winnie in the shower and tended to a miserable Felicity. When I came back down after getting Winnie in bed, Millie was in the shower and Frannie was putting on her coat in the kitchen.
“I’ll get out of your way,” she said, zipping up. “I know it’s been a long day.”
I took her in my arms for the first time that day and kissed her forehead. “Thank you for everything. I don’t deserve you or your shells.”
Laughing, she squeezed my torso. “Thanks for listening to me babble on about the coffee shop.”
“I loved hearing you so excited. I think it’s a great plan. Less risk than if you were going it alone, and you get the benefit of her experience and loyal customers.”
She sighed. “I can’t decide if I should ask my dad for the money to buy in or take Maxima Radley up on her offer for a loan.”
“Both have positives and negatives. Your dad would probably give you a better interest rate—if he made you pay it back at all—but taking money from family members can be fraught with problems. Now, your dad doesn’t seem like the kind of guy to hold it over your head, but it’s still a risk. Talk to him.”
“Okay.”
“I know if it were me,” I went on, “I’d want to be the one to help my daughter if I could. And I’d hope that she came to me to ask.”
She kissed my cheek. “Thank you. I’ll see you tomorrow.”
“Dad?”
Frannie and I jumped apart so fast, her tailbone hit the island and she winced, rubbing it. Millie stood in the dining room blinking at us.
“I thought you were in the shower,” I said, my heart pounding. “The water is running.”
“I just turned it on and remembered that I forgot to tell you I need the twenty dollars for the fashion show tomorrow.”
“Wait a minute, we have to pay to be in this thing?”
“It’s for charity, Dad. Everybody has to pay.” Then she looked at Frannie. “Will you come to the show? It’s a week from Saturday.”
“Of course I will. I wouldn’t miss your dad in a pink glittery shirt for anything.”
I groaned, turning Millie around by the shoulders and giving her a gentle shove toward the stairs. “Get back up there and get in the shower, or I’ll have no hot water left.”
When she was gone, Frannie and I exchanged a wide-eyed look. “Do you think she saw?” I asked.
“Maybe not,” she said, but I could tell she didn’t mean it. “But we should definitely be more careful.”
I watched her leave, feeling that ache in my chest again, and I wished there was a way I could’ve asked her to stay. I was tired of being careful, tired of missing her at night, tired of feeling bad for wanting her, tired of feeling like I was one person with her, and a different person with the kids. Neither version of me was complete.
I wanted to be both at once.
Was it impossible?
*
On Wednesday, Mrs. Ingersoll said she’d take care of feeding the kids if I needed more time at work, so I was still in my office at seven when I heard a knock.
“Come in.”
The door swung open, and Frannie peeked around it. “Hi.”
“Hey.” I closed my laptop, glad to see her face. “How’s it going?”
“Good. I just had an awesome conversation with my dad.”
“Oh yeah? Come on in. Tell me about it.” I gestured at one of the two chairs in front of my desk. “I haven’t seen you all day.”
She shut the door and leaned back against it, her expression wary. “You’re not too busy? I don’t want to bother you. I know you’re short on time this week.”
“I could use a break.”
“Well, I won’t take up too much time, I just wanted to tell you that I went over the numbers Natalie gave me with my dad, and he said he’d give me what I’ll need to buy in.”
“He’s giving it to you?”
She nodded, her smile radiant. “Uh huh. He said it’s about equal to what my sisters’ educations cost, and since I never went away to school, I can have it to invest in my business.”
“Frannie, that’s amazing.” Her eyes were bright and her skin was flushed with happiness. She looked beautiful and sexy and I was dying to touch her.
“I know! I’m so excited, I don’t even know what to do with myself.” She pushed off the door and bounced around a little.
“I’ve got an idea. Come sit on my lap.”