“Yay!” He does a little dance and then grabs the stuffed animals we brought with us.
“Ready?” I ask.
It takes a little while to get him settled and read him a story, but he seems unusually ready to sleep and Lindy doesn’t seem to mind the earlier bedtime.
“I like to read in bed,” she tells us solemnly.
“Just let me know if he’s a problem,” I tell her.
She nods, far more mature for her age than I would have expected.
“Lindy’s had a rough few months,” West explains as we go back upstairs. “Both her parents are in prison, and while I’m not sure she completely understands what that means, she obviously knows Mommy and Daddy aren’t here anymore.”
“She seems really well-adjusted,” I say.
“Bodi and Jayne got her into therapy immediately, so that probably has helped. Plus, she and Jayne were already really close. That part of it has been seamless. And the guys have been really good with her. Vik is teaching her Russian and she helps him practice writing in English. Felix talks to her in French, and she answers in English. I have no idea how they communicate, but they laugh a lot, so who am I to question it?”
I chuckle. “What about Simon?”
“Simon is like the fun uncle. He plays with her outside when the weather permits and is teaching her how to keep stats on our games.”
That makes me laugh. “Does she even know what stats are?”
“She does now.”
“And you?” I ask gently. “What’s your role in her life?”
He hesitates. “I’m kind of the cranky uncle.”
I cock my head curiously. “How does being the cranky uncle work?”
“I’m a responsible adult who’s ready and able to step in if necessary, but I don’t really get involved otherwise.”
I stare into his handsome face trying to read between the lines.
“You don’t like kids,” I say cautiously.
He sighs. “No, I do. I just…”
“You got attached to a kid and she was yanked out of your life.”
“Something like that.”
“It’s okay to want to be cautious. I’m right there with you. Look how quickly Joey got attached to Lindy? It scares me because if things don’t work out with us, he’s going to not just lose you, but all the people in this house who he’s already starting to accept as part of his life. There are always risks in life. We do our best to minimize them, but the potential for hurt is everywhere.”
“Are you afraid I’ll hurt you?” he asks quietly.
“A little,” I admit. “But the truth is, you’ve been nothing but kind and caring. We’re both a little gun-shy, but that actually makes itbetter, not worse, because there’s no pressure. We’re on the same page with wanting to keep things casual, and your friendship has already become important to me.” I move closer to him, gazing up into his handsome face.
He reaches down, using one hand at my waist to draw me closer. “The last thing I want to do is hurt you, angel.”
“So this is a leap of faith.”
“I guess it is.”
“Are you willing?”
“We’re here, aren’t we?”