“It is?” I whirl and stare at him. “Are you sure?” Other than my uncle, there’s never been a man involved in Joey’s life.
“Am I sure it’s my favorite or am I sure I want to read to him?” He gives me a quirky smile.
“Are you sure you don’t mind reading to him?” I repeat quietly.
“Not at all.” He holds out a hand. “Where’s the book?”
“Mommy, it’s right there!” Joey points.
I don’t know why West is so comfortable here, but Joey seems to like him, and if I’m honest, I do too. So, I pluck it from the small bookshelf and hand it to him, my heart pounding a little. This makes me nervous.
Because Joey doesn’t have a father or grandfather.
Because I’ve always had to fill the roles of both mommy and daddy in his life.
Because West eases his large body down onto the floor without hesitation and glances up at me with a smile.
“Don’t worry, I’ve got this.” West winks. “Go do whatever you need to do.”
“Yay!” Joey claps his hands and his excitement is infectious.
“Okay,” I say finally. “You two have at it. I’m going to go clean up the bathroom—but don’t blame me when he suckers you into reading him eleventy-million stories.”
West’s laughter follows me as I leave the room.
I wish I could figure out what’s happening but for now, I’m just going to enjoy it.
Chapter
Five
West
Serena wasn’t kidding. By the time I’m done, I’ve read Joey at least a dozen stories and I’m on the verge of falling asleep myself. Eventually, his eyes close and he drifts off, so I pull up the blanket and quietly back out of the room. It’s not really a bedroom, more of a den or playroom, but Serena’s made it warm and cozy, just like the rest of the house.
She’s on the couch when I walk into the living room, curled up with a blanket, a book on her lap.
“Whatcha readin’?” I ask, sinking down next to her.
She smiles, setting it upside down on her lap. “Romance novel. That’s as close as I come to dating these days.”
“How come?” I ask curiously.
She shrugs. “Guys usually aren’t interested in a woman with a kid, and while some are, it’s complicated. Finding a sitter I trust. What if things progress and he wants me to sleep over? At what point does getting a sitter start to become too expensive? Dating is complicated when you’re a single mom living paycheck to paycheck.”
It takes a beat for her words to sink in.
And I feel a twinge of guilt.
I’m one of those guys. The ones who don’t date women with kids.
Honestly, I never gave it a second thought because it’s simply a boundary I set after the break-up with Briar. It wasn’t personal.
Until now.
I definitely never thought about thecostof dating when you’re a single mom.
Briar didn’t have that problem. She had an entire support network to help with her daughter. Not to mention, as the assistant to a billionaire business tycoon, she could absolutely afford to pay a babysitter.