The Rules of Dating(18)

“Are you hungry?” I asked Billie. “It’ll take two seconds to heat something up. We had all of Saylor’s favorites: baked ziti, chicken fingers, and peanut butter and banana sandwiches.”

“Oooh…peanut butter and banana sandwiches sound delicious. But I just ate at the shop a little while ago. I ordered in while they were working. I thought I might starve to death if I didn’t.”

“How about some cake then?”

Saylor jumped up and down. “Daddy made it himself.”

Billie raised her eyebrows. “You baked a cake?”

“Don’t get too excited. It’s from a box, lopsided, and I didn’t wait long enough for it to cool before frosting it, so the top is sort of icing mixed with cake bits. But if you close your eyes, it tastes pretty damn good.”

She smiled. “Maybe just a little piece.”

“You got it.”

While I cut a slice of cake, Billie gave Saylor the gifts she’d brought.

“Daddy, can I open them, pleeeeeaaasssseeeee.” She said it like I was physically capable of denying her anything in this world.

“Sure, sweetheart. Go ahead.”

The first present she unwrapped was an art set. It looked like a pretty nice one, too—not a typical kids’ set. Billie pointed to it. “This was the first set of paint markers I ever had. I was about your age when I got them. Once I started to draw with those, no one could stop me. I fell in love with art.”

Saylor held them to her chest. “I can’t wait to draw with them!”

Billie held out a second gift. “And this is something I made just for you.” She looked over at Holden. “I can’t sing like your Uncle Holden, but I hope you like what I drew.”

Saylor ripped open the wrapping paper. Inside was a framed photo of a fairy. When I took a closer look, I realized the fairy’s face was Saylor’s.

“Holy crap. You drew that from memory?”

Billie nodded. “It wasn’t hard. This little girl doesn’t have a face you easily forget.”

“Daddy! I’m a fairy! I’m a fairy!”

“I see that. Those are some pretty amazing gifts, Saylor. What do you say?”

Saylor wrapped her arms around Billie’s waist. “Thank you, Billie. I’m going to draw you a picture with my new markers!”

“You’re so welcome. I can’t wait to see what you create.”

Saylor ran over to Holden and Owen to show them her new Saylor Fairy.

“You didn’t have to go to all that trouble,” I whispered to Billie.

“I wanted to. Plus, that reaction just made my entire day—my week, even. I might start drawing her something on the regular just to have someone look at me like that.”

I smiled. “Tell me about it. Why do you think she has four-hundred elephant stuffed animals? She loves them, and I’m addicted to the way her eyes light up when I bring one home.”

A little while later, Owen left. Then Holden said he needed to get going, so he told the birthday girl to take a seat so he could serenade her. It didn’t matter if they were four or thirty, women could not resist when Holden sang. He’d written a sweet little lullaby, and my daughter wore a toothy smile from ear to ear the entire time he sang it. I’d been enjoying it, too, until I glanced over and saw the way Billie was looking at Mr. Rockstar.

Fuck. A lot of women loved Holden and his scraggly I-don’t-give-two-shits look. But they all wanted to jump his bones once he broke out an instrument or started crooning. I wasn’t even sure why he was the drummer in his band. The dude could’ve fronted any group he wanted as a singer. Even I had to admit his voice was damn sexy.

When it was over, Billie blinked a few times. “Wow. That was amazing.”

Holden flashed his signature aww, shucks smile, and I couldn’t get the fucker out of my apartment fast enough. I might’ve actually shoved him through the door. Though I thought I’d done it discreetly.

“Do you want me to go, too?” Billie asked when I turned back toward her. “You sort of rushed your friends out.”

“I did?”

She lifted a knowing brow.

So I came clean. “Women can’t help but fall for Holden, whether he’s singing or playing the drums. It was only a matter of time until you tossed your panties at him if I let him stay.”

Billie chuckled. “Do I seem like the panty-tossing type to you?”

I sighed. “Owen’s grandmother hit on Holden after she saw him play the drums once.”

“His voice is beautiful, and I’m sure he’s a very talented musician. But I’m not interested in Holden.”

“No?”

She shook her head.

“How about any of his friends? Because I’ve heard dudes who can bake a cake are way better in bed than the ones who can sing.”

Billie’s eyes sparkled. “That cake was pretty delicious.”

Luckily, my daughter ran back out to the kitchen before I pushed things too far—like suggesting I smear the rest of the cake all over her body and lick it off.

“Daddy, can we go to the bridge now?”

“In a few minutes, sweetheart. Why don’t you go get a sweatshirt?”

“Okay!”

Saylor ran back toward her bedroom, and I realized what I’d done.