Trinity sat on her sofa watching yet another episode of The Zoo on Animal Planet. She loved animals and missed living on the ranch. Maybe she’d head over early on Saturday so she could get in a ride before the big family dinner.
Her thoughts turned back to Jon. She hadn’t heard from him in an hour. She hoped everything was okay with Emmy, but feared their date wasn’t going to happen. She should probably change and find something to eat. Maybe she had a bottle of wine in the fridge.
Someone knocked on her door. She seriously hoped no one needed her in the store. This was supposed to be her day off. While most of the time her employees respected that, sometimes they really needed to ask her something or cover for someone.
She stood and walked across the small apartment in her bare feet to the door and unlocked the two dead bolts.
In her wildest dreams, she didn’t expect to see Jon and Emmy standing on the small landing.
“Wow.” The awe in his voice made her smile and her heart beat faster.
She waved off the employee who led Jon up to her place. He went back to work and she focused on Jon.
He stared at her, his gaze sweeping up and down her body. “You’re gorgeous.”
Surprise gave way to appreciation. “Thank you.” She hadn’t thought through the whole going-on-a-date thing until Adria asked what she planned to wear. Most days, she wore black pants and an Almost Homemade shirt. At her nonresponse, Adria had dragged her upstairs and rifled through her closet until she found the turquoise A-line dress with the tiny white pearls that circled the collar. Simple, yet elegant. And the color looked great on her with her blond hair and blue eyes.
Jon’s eyes filled with regret. “You look amazing, and I’m sorry to say, I have to cancel.”
That took her aback. “You came all the way here to tell me you can’t make it?”
“Yeah. Sorry. I have Emmy. She’s going to stay with me for the weekend.”
Emmy gave her a shy wave, then turned her face into Jon’s. “I’m hungry.” Her belly grumbled. And it should. They were standing at the top of the stairs at the back of the kitchen. The smell of garlic, chicken, melted cheese, and sweet desserts filled the room.
The shop didn’t close for a couple more hours.
Jon rubbed Emmy’s back. “I’ll make you something when we get home.”
Emmy shook her head. “No. Hungry now.”
Trinity went with the change in plans. “Do you still want that date?”
“Desperately, but . . .” He tilted his head at Emmy.
“Then it’s a party of three. Come in.” She held the door open wide and stepped back.
Jon stared at her dumbfounded and didn’t move. “Are you sure about this?”
She tilted her head and studied him. “Are you turning down a home-cooked meal and me?” The uncharacteristic boldness when it came to men surprised her, but she went with it because she really liked Jon.
Eager, he didn’t hesitate to walk right past her into her tiny apartment.
Emmy swiped the frizzy hair out of her eyes for the third time since they arrived. It appeared she had two ponytails on either side of her head at one time, but the rubber bands were tangled around part of her hair and the rest had fallen out of the band and been mussed up into a tangled mess. She scratched at her head and made a bad face.
“What is going on with your hair, Emmy?”
“Mama didn’t do it. She pulls too hard and I said no.”
Jon looked beside himself. “It’s part of why I have her. Steph is . . . Steph.” That didn’t really explain anything, but Jon thought it somehow did by the exasperated tone he used.
“Well, I need to make dinner for us. There’s a bathroom right down there. You can get her cleaned up. I have some great hair products you can use.” She pointed to her long hair. “With this much hair, you need a moisturizing conditioner and a detangler. Right, Emmy?”
Emmy scratched at her oily head and gave her a confused look. “Huh?”
Trinity grinned at her.
Jon simply stared at Trinity.
“Seriously. Dinner will take at least twenty minutes.”
“I actually have some clothes in the car I could change her into.”
“Great.” She held her hands out to Emmy, who came to her. Trinity held her close and turned to the TV. “Do you like animals? I’m watching this show about the zoo.”
Emmy nodded and sat right down on the couch where Trinity put her. Trinity turned and found Jon still staring at her.
“Thank you for making this easy.” The earnest words and gratitude in his eyes touched her.
“I don’t see what’s so hard about it. She needs a bath and her hair brushed. You can do that while I make dinner.”
“I’m hungry,” Emmy called out, though she was completely transfixed by the lemurs with their black-and-white-striped tails.
“Don’t you feed her?” She was mostly teasing.
A dark look came into Jon’s eyes. “I don’t want to dump this on you. Are you sure about this?” Uncertainty warred with hope in his eyes. He wanted this date, but he didn’t want to talk about why he had to pick up Emmy unexpectedly or why she was starving and disheveled.
She reached out and wrapped her fingers around his tense forearm. “I’m happy you came.” He could have just texted that it wasn’t a good night; they’d reschedule. Instead, he’d taken the time to speak to her in person.
He hooked his hand at her neck and drew her in slowly for a hug. He was warm and solid against her. He simply held her for a moment, like he needed to be close to ease whatever ordeal he’d been through with . . . Steph.
His ex. Emmy’s mother.
Whatever happened, it was hard on him. He needed some comfort, so she gave it to him because she knew what it was like to try to deal with things on your own, and a hug from someone who cared would go a long way to making things better.
The embrace made her feel safe and a little closer to him. Like he shared something with her that he didn’t often show others.
He stepped back first but kept his hand at the back of her neck, her hair laced between his fingers. “Thank you for doing this.”
“I’m happy to have dinner with you and Emmy tonight.”
“I am happy to be here with you.” He dropped his hand and she missed the feel of it, of him touching her. “I’ll be right back.”
She waited for him to go before she went to her pantry to make sure she had what she needed for dinner. She could go downstairs and get some food, but she wanted to prepare something herself. “Emmy, do you like spaghetti?”
“Yep.” She brushed the stray hairs out of her face again.
Trinity had a feeling she’d have to work out those knots.
Who let their child run around with their hair a mess like that and smelling like they hadn’t had a bath in a week?
Steph.
No wonder Jon had to step in and take his daughter tonight.
She set aside her feelings about poor Emmy and focused on putting some good food in her belly. She took out the tomato sauce, paste, and noodles. She had some garlic cloves in the basket on the counter and fresh basil sitting in a jar of water. She grabbed a pot from the rack on the wall, filled it with water at the sink, then set it on the stove to boil.