“Day cash!” Hannah yelled happily, and Mia felt Nick stiffen. Right. His parents had crashed, not that Hannah knew that. She desperately wanted to wrap him up, hug him tight, but dinner was ready and there were other ways she could help.
The three of them ate the meal he’d promised—chicken nuggets, mac and cheese, and steamed broccoli. Afterward, she set out emptying the dishwasher, opening cabinets to find where things went. She could tell there had been a system, once. The dishes and bowls at the bottom of every stack were matched and neat but got more and more haphazard after that. Measuring cups were tossed in with baking dishes. Well, some of them. She found the missing half cup in the drawer with the silverware, which was mixed and turned in every direction with no regard for the metal divider. She wasn’t obsessively neat, but that was just wrong. Plus, she wanted to help him.
“You don’t have to do that,” Nick said.
Yes. I do, she thought. “I don’t mind. It’s nice being at a real house and out of the dorm.”
“Okay. Knock yourself out,” he said smiling. Cute. Grateful. “I’ll start Hannah’s bath.”
The man never stopped. She finished the kitchen and then, with Nick’s direction, chose pajamas for Hannah—light-blue pants and a top with scattered images of Hello Kitty. Pausing at the door, she listened to them, Nick’s deep voice counting slowly. She could hear the water pouring with each number and figured he was rinsing. His gentle voice when he talked to Hannah always did funny things to her stomach.
When Hannah called out a joyful, “All done,” Mia went in and joined Nick, kneeling beside him at the tub.
“You’re good at that.”
He slanted her a quick glance, embarrassed. “Look, here’s Mia,” Nick said, lifting Hannah from the water and wrapping her in a pink towel. “She brought you pajamas.”
She had to clear her throat. “I did.” She held them up while Nick gently rubbed Hannah’s little head with the towel.
Hannah’s tiny hands gripped his wide shoulders.
“I got Hello Kitty.”
He slipped Hannah into the pajama top. “Don’t tell me you actually know that cat.”
“Wewo Kitty,” Hannah said, looking down at herself and pointing.
“Of course I do. Everyone knows Hello Kitty.” Mia grinned up at him. “I take it you never went to the Hello Kitty store for sparkly candy.”
She shifted closer to hold Hannah’s panties while Nick helped her step in. The scent of Hannah’s baby shampoo filled the small space, mixing with a hint of Nick’s aftershave. And she was plenty close to smell him, cocooned in the warmth of a small bathroom after a bath.
Hannah lunged into her brother, who caught her close for a quick hug before she bolted from the bathroom, calling for her brother, “Sack.”
Nick turned, and soft, brown eyes met hers, their faces only inches apart. He made her nervous and eager all at once, and the way he was looking at her now, added hot and quivering. His lips curved in a small smile. “I must have missed the sparkly candy.”
“A shame.” Her voice sounded breathless. She barely knew what she was saying.
They stared, just breathing, for one heartbeat. Another. Then Nick’s mouth was on hers, his hand cupped the back of her neck. Warm lips skimmed over hers, his tongue dipping in to tease against her own. His fingers tightened in her hair, making her scalp tingle, but the kiss floated over her, dreamy and sweet. It was like fireworks bursting into the sky while she did a free-fall off a cliff at the same time.
Zach cleared his throat from the hallway. “The princess summons you both.”
She jerked back, embarrassed, her pulse fluttering. Nick didn’t seem bothered at all, keeping a firm grip on her hair. “Okay,” he answered, then gave her a look that said he’d liked that kiss and there would be more.
With her hand in his, she followed Nick to Hannah’s room. Zach was beside Hannah’s bed, pulling back pink covers. Dallas held her over his head, flying her in with an airplane sound.
Mia stood back and watched them perform something called the Bears’ Sleepy Dance. Three big guys swayed and stepped, completely out of sync with each other, all with stuffed animals on their heads. The song sounded like nonsense, but they all knew the words. So did their young audience. Hannah sang along and clapped.
Mia was grinning when the light clicked off, leaving the room in a soft, night-light glow.
“If you tell anyone, we’ll have to kill you,” Dallas said, passing her.
Fighting a smile, she gave him a swift and serious nod. “Your secret’s safe.”
Nick was the last out, and he pulled the door almost closed after taking one last peek.