Dream Wedding(108)
What? he wanted to asked, but knew it wasn’t his business. Still, his mind raced. Was it Joel? Had they fought? Were they—Sasha came back, this time carrying a long, pink dress. Instead of offering it to him, she held it up in front of herself. “Kern,” she said, her expression serious. “Unk Ryan, me kern.”
He turned to Cassie. “This would be an excellent time for you to translate.”
“There’s a big assumption there,” she said. “I’m not sure what she’s asking. Sasha, what’s that you’re holding?”
Sasha came around to her side of the table and held out her dress. “Oh, it’s your dress for Halloween.” Cassie motioned to the garment. “Sasha is going to be a princess, aren’t you, honey?”
Sasha nodded vigorously. “Me kern.”
“Kern,” Cassie repeated thoughtfully.
“Isn’t a kern a kind of bird?”
“Maybe, but I doubt that’s what’s on her mind.” She leaned toward the toddler. “What’s a kern, sweetie? What do you want?”
Sasha huffed out a breath. “Kern,” she repeated and patted her head. “Pincess kern.”
Ryan searched his memory for something like a kern, then got it. “She means crown. She wants a crown so she can wear it with her princess dress.”
Sasha rushed to him and chattered on about kerns and pincesses and Lord knew what else. Ryan felt as if he’d just aced an IQ test. He stroked the girl’s hair, then touched her cheek. “We’ll get you a crown. The prettiest crown ever.” He glanced over at Cassie. “Do they sell them?”
“No problem. I’ll take her by the party-supply store on our way back from preschool. She can pick out her own. They’re made out of cardboard, so they’re easy for the kids to wear.”
“When is Halloween?” he asked. He hadn’t thought of that particular holiday in years. His condo was a secure building, so they didn’t get any foot traffic, and it wasn’t the kind of place that welcomed children.
“Monday. I haven’t bought any candy. I’ll do that when I do the grocery shopping.”
Ryan reached into his back pocket and pulled out his wallet. He passed over one of his credit cards. “Use this for anything you need. Expenses for the house, whatever. Does she need clothes?”
“Not right now. She doesn’t seem to be in a growth spurt, so we’re fine. However, kids her age can shoot up, almost overnight, so I’ll let you know if anything gets small or tight.”
She nodded at Sasha who had left her dress draped over Ryan’s lap and was quietly playing on the floor, between her uncle’s feet. “You’re doing well with her.”
“Thanks.” He fingered the soft cotton of the princess dress. “You were right last night. I do need to spend more time with her. I appreciate you caring enough to say something.”
“Just doing my job.”
“It was more than that. I’ll admit to being a little nervous about the whole thing, but I’m determined to give it my best shot.”
“She can’t ask for more than that.” Cassie paused. “It would be great if you took Sasha out trick-or-treating on Halloween.”
“Sure, if you’ll come with us.”
“No problem. I can ask my sister to hand out candy here while we’re gone. She and her husband are going to a party, but that’s not until later in the evening. Sasha won’t want to go to more than a dozen or so houses. When she gets tired, we can come back here, then she can give out candy.”
“Sounds like a plan.”
Cassie glanced at the clock above the stove. “Sasha, time to go to school. Let’s put your toys away really fast, then we can leave, okay?”
The toddler scrambled to her feet, then bent over and grabbed her bunny. Ryan handed her the dress. While Cassie took care of his niece, he took his dishes to the sink.
He listened to the sounds of them getting ready. He’d grown accustomed to the chatter of voices and the thumping footsteps. Maybe this wasn’t going to be so terrible, he thought. Maybe John hadn’t made as huge a mistake as Ryan had first thought.
It was Cassie’s influence, he realized. She was very special. Honest and giving, an old-fashioned sort of woman.
She stuck her head into the kitchen. “We’re outta here. See you later.” She hesitated. “You have the most peculiar look on your face. Is something wrong?”
“Not at all.” He couldn’t tell her what he’d been thinking. She wouldn’t understand and he didn’t want to do anything that would make her uncomfortable. “I was thinking that Joel is a very lucky man.”