Total pages in book: 81
Estimated words: 78542 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 393(@200wpm)___ 314(@250wpm)___ 262(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 78542 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 393(@200wpm)___ 314(@250wpm)___ 262(@300wpm)
“I’m thinking of some cookies and cream, and I know your momma likes chocolate, so we’ll grab her some of that, and maybe they have those little individual cups of vanilla for you. We’ll check and see,” I tell her, pushing the cart down the aisle.
“Maverick?”
I stop and turn to look over my shoulder. “Hey, Scarlett,” I greet my sister-in-law.
“Ada, right?” she asks, nodding toward my companion.
“Yeah, this is Ada.” I don’t explain why she’s with me. I can already see Scarlett’s wheels spinning.
“Fancy seeing the two of you here.” She grins.
“Her mom was busy, so Ada and I came to get some ice cream.”
Scarlett nods. “We really like her. All of us,” she tells me.
“Stella’s a nice woman.”
“And this little cutie, she was taking some steps last night.”
“Today, she took about forty. It had to be. I was about twenty feet from her, and she walked to me the entire way.” Even I can hear pride in my voice. I’m still jazzed that I was the one giving her that motivation.
“Really?” Scarlett’s eyes widen. “Look at you, Miss Ada. Great job.” She offers Ada her hand, and she takes it, gripping Scarlett’s finger, then looking up at me as if she needs my approval.
“You remember Scarlett, Bug? She’s my sister.”
“Bug?” Scarlett asks.
“Yeah, this little cutie likes to snuggle.”
Scarlett’s eyes brighten.
“The night I watched her, she was a little snuggle bug,” I add to alleviate her trying to play matchmaker. Not that it’s going to do any good. I have a feeling my sisters and my brothers are already scheming.
Can’t a guy just be friends with a woman and her kid?
“Aw,” Scarlett says.
“Well, we better get moving. I told Stella I would have her right back.”
“I’ll see you both soon.” Scarlett grins again and pushes on down the aisle.
“Ice cream, milk, and then home.” I rush through our trip, grabbing all three flavors and a gallon of Vitamin D milk. As we make our way to the register, I see a small stuffed ladybug. I stop and pick it up, checking it out. Ada reaches for it, and I know that she’s going home with it. I hand it to her, and she smiles, hugging it to her chest.
We expertly make our way through self-checkout, and Ada doesn’t cry when I have to scan her bug before giving it back to her. “Okay, Bug, here’s the deal.” I glance into the rearview mirror. She’s holding her new stuffed toy and watching me. “We tell Mommy that the bug insisted on coming home with us, deal?”
Ada giggles, and I take that as her agreement. I know Stella is going to tell me I’m spoiling her, but come on. It’s a bug, and she’s my bug. She needed it. That’s my story, and I’m sticking to it.
“Okay, remember what we talked about?” I ask Ada as I lift her out of her seat. I grab the bag and her diaper bag and make my way to the front door. Ada is lifting her bug to show me, and I give it a kiss. She does the same, mimicking me.
“What’s that?” Stella asks, opening the door for us.
“Funny story. This ladybug here insisted on coming home with us. Right, Bug?” I ask Ada. She offers the bug to her mom. When Stella tries to take it, she pulls it back into her arms, holds it tight, and rests her head on my shoulder.
“Mav, you’re spoiling her.”
“Told you,” I whisper to Ada under my breath, knowing Stella can hear me.
“You’re impossible.” She takes the grocery bag and the diaper bag from me. “Come on in. We eat in fifteen,” she tells me.
“We did it,” I tell Ada. I carry her to the living room, and we play until Stella calls for us to come and eat. We’re not doing anything special, and it’s the best night I’ve had since the evening I took them to the park.
Who knew these ladies would be better companions than my brothers?
CHAPTER
FOURTEEN
Stella
I go over my mental checklist one more time. The diaper bag is stuffed so full it barely zips, but I want to be prepared for whatever might happen. The mini cheesecakes that I made are in a container on the kitchen counter, and the two packages of shortbread cookies for the kids sit next to them.
“Okay, kiddo. I think we’re all set,” I tell Ada. She’s sitting in her high chair, playing with her stuffed ladybug. She loves that thing. She sleeps with it and drags it around the house with her. She’s walking all over the place, and it's tiresome to keep up with her, but I love watching her grow and learn.
“You’re only going to be gone a few hours.” Grams laughs when she eyes the overstuffed diaper bag.
“I know.” I huff out a laugh. “I just want to be prepared. This is our first playdate.”