“Not an issue. I love that little girl. Anytime.”
“Great.”
“So—”
I held up my hand. “No questions yet, Ronan. I don’t have the answers. I want to take her on a date. Spoil her a little. I think both the girls, and the kids, need a little of that. Today can be about the kids. Monday will be about Paige. You can pick a night, and I’ll make sure Evan’s covered. Deal?”
He pursed his lips. “You sound pretty serious, considering it’s been, like, a week,” he pointed out.
I shrugged. “How fast did you fall for Beth? I mean, let’s be honest. You were besotted right away.”
He chuckled. “You’re right. I was. They’re pretty hard to resist.”
“Yep.”
He grinned, his smile the replica of our mother’s. Wide and bright. Dad always called us his sunbeams when we were kids. To this day, he called our mother his “Sunshine.”
Ronan stood. “Okay, see you at the diner at twelve. Will I tell Paige you’re coming?”
I shook my head. “I’ll surprise her.”
He laughed as he headed down the steps. “Okay, bro. Later.”
I watched him stroll toward his house, thinking how much happier he was. Beth was good for him. He was good for her. They made a great couple, and I looked forward to getting to know her better.
Invariably, my thoughts turned to Paige. She’d been on my mind a lot since our lunch. Our talk. Our first kiss. I replayed the moments of having her in my arms over in my mind. She fit there as if that was where she belonged. Her mouth underneath mine had been responsive and sweet. So bloody sweet. She made me laugh with her witty comebacks and smart remarks. I wanted to know everything about her. Her admission that the thought of us dating made her nervous was something I would have to overcome. I would prove to her I was serious—that she wasn’t simply a passing thing for me. None of us Callaghans was built that way. When we loved, we loved completely.
And I had a feeling I was already half in love with Paige Winters. And her little angel of a daughter.
If that made her nervous, then it was a challenge I would have to surmount.
I grinned as I stood and went inside to get my keys and head to the jobsite.
I did love me a challenge.
The look on Paige’s face when I walked into the diner later was priceless. Her eyes widened, and a smile broke out on her face as I strode toward the table. Beth was talking to them, her pad out to get their orders as I slid into the booth, dropping a kiss to Lucy’s cheek and squeezing Paige’s shoulder. I caught the tail end of what Ronan was saying, and I nodded. “Yep. Order whatever you want—milkshakes included. I already know what I’m having.”
I sat back, letting my arm rest on the back of the booth, my fingers touching Paige. “After, we’ll go to the park,” I announced. “There’s a little fair at the one not far from your place.”
Lucy and Evan became excited, both talking at once. Then Evan frowned and shook his head. “I don’t know if I can.”
I shook my head as Ronan patted him on the shoulder. “It’s good, bud. We’ve got it covered.”
He perked up, his grin wide and relieved. “Really?”
“Yep. So let’s eat lunch and head to the fair.”
Lucy bent over the place mat she had, coloring it carefully, using her prosthetic arm to hold the paper in place as she filled it in with bright colors. I felt the touch of Paige’s fingers on my hand, and I glanced up, meeting her lovely blue eyes.
“Thank you,” she mouthed.
I winked and flipped my hand, squeezing her fingers. I liked seeing her happy. Seeing the kids happy. I wished Beth could join us, but I decided I would stay and keep Evan busy later so Ronan and Beth had some time to themselves.
Our food arrived, along with the icy cold milk shakes—vanilla all around, except for Lucy, who liked strawberry.
“It’s pink,” she informed me. Pink, it appeared, always won out when a decision was to be made on anything. It explained her room, socks, T-shirt, and hair things she wore today. I was sure if the coveralls Paige had her in came in pink instead of denim, that would be her choice as well. She was adorable, sipping her shake, taking little bites of the chicken strips she ordered, constantly asking for more ketchup for her fries. I was pretty certain she ate more ketchup than actual food, but I managed to persuade her to eat a little.
She and Evan had a great relationship—that of real siblings. He teased her, yet was watchful, making sure she was okay. She adored him—it was evident in the way she hung on his every word and looked to him constantly for his advice.
A sudden image of the two of them playing on the beach while Ronan and I watched over them hit me. Our houses were close together, so they would see each other all the time, even if they were no longer living together. I had to mentally shake my head. Where that thought had come from, I had no idea, but it was there, and I felt it with a certainty I couldn’t dislodge.
“What’s wrong?”
I blinked and looked at Paige, who was gazing at me with concerned eyes.
“You stopped eating.”
I grinned and winked. “Nothing, baby. Nothing is wrong.” I smiled reassuringly. “In fact, everything is great. Really great.”
Lucy looked at me, her little brows drawn down. “Momma not a baby.”
I chuckled. “It’s a fun name. Like I call you Munchkin sometimes.”
She shook her head as if I were crazy, making me laugh.
Ronan clapped his hands. “Okay, who is ready for the fair?”
The kids both clapped, and I grabbed the bill. “Let’s go, then! Rides await!”
Evan hesitated as he looked around. “There’s a lot of wires and stuff.”
“We’re gonna go slow. Really slow. Once you get past the first part, the ground is pretty even. Liam and I are going to be right beside you. No one will run into you, and if you get tired, we can help. You want to try?” Ronan encouraged him.
Evan squared his shoulders. “Yes.”
I grinned. He was a brave kid. Stronger than he looked. Determined. I knew Ronan was looking forward to Dad meeting him. We were both certain he could help Evan.
I bent and scooped Lucy to my shoulders. “Hold tight, Munchkin.”
Three hours later, it was a weary group heading back to the cars. Lucy was half asleep, her head resting on my shoulder, too tired to even try to sit on one. Evan was walking slower than he had all day, but his face was wreathed in smiles. Paige carried a massive unicorn with pink feet I had won for Lucy, and Ronan had a smaller elephant shoved under his free arm. Every ride possible had been ridden. Cotton candy, fried donuts, and iced lemonade had been sampled. A wildly colored freehand painting that Lucy had wanted to try making was in a bag. The splatters contained a great deal of pink, although purple, white, and yellow were added to the mix.
I met Paige’s eyes. “Will she stay awake until bedtime?”
She rubbed Lucy’s back affectionately. “I’ll let her sleep for a bit. She can stay up later tonight.”
“I’m going to pick up Beth. You wanna come with me, Evan, or you wanna head home?” Ronan asked as I carefully strapped Lucy into the car seat, grateful that it had been one of the standard options on the truck. I had never even looked at it until today.