She shrugs and walks with me back to the house. It’s a good twenty minutes, but she gets steadier on her feet for most of it. The walk back is covered with trees blocking the sun, making the air feel several degrees cooler.
I take the last sip of my coffee with one hand, the other still planted on her back. I’m almost afraid to let go.
I’m not sure why, probably because she’ll end up on the ground unconscious, and I don’t want to have to deal with explaining that to anyone.
“Let me grab my keys real quick.” I carry my house key separate from my car keys. I head inside the house, and Bristol is right behind me, following me inside.
“Daddy!” Zeke shouts and jumps off the sofa to tackle my legs.
He’s getting stronger every day. “Liam,” I say, correcting him. The kid knows I’m not his father. Why the hell he’s torturing me today, I have no fricking idea. “Daddy is somewhere around here.”
“Hi,” Bristol smiles and bends down to Zeke’s level. “I’m Bristol.”
“Hi,” Zeke says, and his cheeks grow red. He buries his face in my legs.
“Since when are you shy?” I ask, rubbing his back and lifting him into the air, flipping him upside down.
I plant him back on the sofa after another air flip and grab my keys hanging by the door. “Catch you later,” I say, hurrying to leave before there’s a barrage of questions for me and, more importantly, Bristol.
Harper hurries out of the bedroom, her face flushed. “Sorry, I was just folding clothes!”
Yeah, sure you were.
I’ve seen that look before—the messed-up hair and wrinkled shirt. She and Luca were taking their clothes off. I’m not sure there was any folding involved.
“I’m Harper.” She gives a quick wave to introduce herself.
“Bristol. Hi,” Bristol says, standing by the door.
Harper’s eyes widen with a warm smile. “Please, come on in. Don’t mind Zeke. He’s just watching cartoons. You guys are welcome to the television?—”
“We’re just leaving,” I say, grabbing the door handle.
“I don’t mind staying for a little bit.” Bristol’s nervous smile makes my heart flutter.
No.
She should not be capable of stirring anything other than anger within me.
“You should mind,” I say. “We hate each other.”
Harper gives a peculiar look to me but keeps quiet. Thankfully, she knows when she’s not wanted.
“It’s Saturday. Unless you have plans,” Bristol brushes past me with ease and plops down on the sofa next to Zeke, making herself right at home.
What the hell, Bristol.
“I mean, I could have plans.”
“Hey, there.” Bristol focuses on Zeke, ignoring me.
Yeah, that’s more like it. She’s not here for me. She clearly likes kids.
Zeke smiles up at her, ruddy cheeks, and bats his eyelashes.
“Do you have plans?” Bristol asks nonchalantly over her shoulder. She doesn’t even glance back at me. The girl slips out of her shoes and plops her feet up on the sofa.
Am I seriously going to have competition with him?