Except for the part where I can’t stop thinking about getting her in my bed.
It’s a pity my dick’s ruining this for everyone involved.
“Daddy!” Lilly shouts from the kitchen. I was so lost in my thoughts that I didn’t even hear them come in. “I got a postcard from Nana!”
I head to the kitchen and find Lilly dancing around with her postcard and Nic at the coffee pot. “You’re worse than Shay with that stuff,” I say.
She grins and pours herself a cup. “Want some?”
I shake my head. I’m about to say no thank you, but Nic takes a sip and moans, and the words get caught in my throat. Her hands are wrapped around the cup and her eyes are closed, and fuck. I did this to myself that first night. When I walked away from her, I thought we’d see each other again. I promised myself we’d get to finish what we started, and now my body wants me to make good on that promise.
“Daddy, why are you looking at Nic like that?”
Nic’s eyes fly open and meet mine. My thoughts must be written all over my face because her cheeks bloom red.
I tear my eyes off her and turn to Lilly. “Like what, sweetie?”
“Like you’re thinking really hard about something,” she says. She skips over to me and hands me the postcard, apparently not interested enough in my ogling to wait for an answer. “It’s from New York City!”
I look at the postcard that shows the Statue of Liberty and flip it over to read the back.
Lilly, my big adventure begins here. I hope you are having a great week! I miss you already!
Love, Nana
“Where are you going to put it?” I ask, handing it back to Lilly.
“Nic said we could buy a photo album and put all of Nana’s postcards in it so they’re safe and don’t get lost. Isn’t that a great idea?”
I turn to Nic, whose cheeks are a shade lighter than the last time I allowed my eyes to roam in her direction. “It is. Really great. Thank you.”
“How long until Thanksgiving?” Lilly asks, pulling my attention back to her. “That’s when Nana and I get to video-chat!”
“Twelve days,” I say. “Are you excited to go to the cabin?”
Lilly nods enthusiastically, then turns to Nic. “You’re going to love the cabin! It has tons of bedrooms and a pool table and the best sledding hills, and everyone is there!”
“Lil, Nic gets Thanksgiving off. She might want to spend it with her family.”
Nic flinches—is that at the mention of her family, or the time off? Maybe she thought she’d be replaced by Thanksgiving. Maybe she’s already lined up a new job . . .
Shit. I practically fired her on her first day, so she’s probably already looking. She’s so overqualified that she won’t have any trouble at all finding something.
“No,” Lilly says, tugging on Nic’s arm. “You don’t have plans, do you, Nic?”
Nic’s face softens as she looks down at Lilly. “I don’t have plans yet, sweetie, but your Thanksgiving plans are for family.”
“They’re not just for family.” Lilly shakes her head. “Uncle Jake brings Ava all the time, and sometimes Uncle Levi’s friends come too. Nana says there’s room for everyone.” She turns her sweet, pleading eyes on me. “Doesn’t she, Daddy?”
“There is room for everyone,” I say dutifully. It’s practically our family creed. “But like I said, Nic has Thanksgiving off.”
“Please come to the cabin,” Lilly says. “It can still be your day off. Everyone else will do the cooking, and I promise I’ll let you sleep in. I want to show you the kids’ room. I’m the only grandkid right now, so I get it to myself, but it’s full of bunk beds, and when I’m bigger, Daddy says I can have a sleepover there with my friends.”
“We’ll see,” Nic says gently.
Lilly’s shoulders sag. “That means no.”
“It means I need to think about it and see how my friends are spending the holiday.” She smiles and chucks Lilly under the chin. “It means I need to talk to your dad and look at my calendar before I make any decisions.”
“Okay.” Lilly folds her arms. She’s at that age when she doesn’t like ending any conversation without getting the answer she wants, but she’s also old enough that she knows throwing a fit won’t help.
“Have you drawn a picture for your nana yet today?” Nic asks.
“Eeep!” Lilly rushes to the pantry where we keep her box of craft stuff. “I almost forgot.”
“You can work on it while I make lunch,” Nic calls after her.
“Okay,” Lilly says. She’s already on her way to the living room with a notebook and a box of crayons, and just like that, Nic and I are alone together.
Nic meets my eyes for a beat, and just when I think she’s going to say something more, she turns around and starts gathering items from the fridge. “Do you want to join us for grilled cheese sandwiches and tomato soup?”