Unforeseen, page 4
“Sure,” I agreed, rolling my eyes. “Now, hurry up, please.”
Just as Kaity scurried back to her bedroom, the doorbell rang. Checking myself once more in the mirror, I took a deep breath and headed out to answer the door.
As much as I’d tried, I wasn’t prepared to see Blake again. Even dressed in multiple layers, his long sleeve shirt hugged his firm biceps, and his black sweatpants left little to the imagination. Perhaps I hadn’t thought this through as well as I’d hoped. Allowing my date to wear sweatpants was pretty much setting myself up for a raging case of blue bean for the entire afternoon. What? You’ve heard of blue balls? Women get it too. It’s a thing. I’m experiencing it right now–trust me!
“Phew, is it hot in here?” I blurted out, fanning my face with my hand.
“Well, you are dressed for the tundra while standing in the middle of your living room where your thermostat is set at seventy-five degrees,” he joked, pointing toward the little white box on my wall. “Did you think we were sledding in the Arctic?”
“You can never be too prepared, I suppose,” I said, shrugging my cotton-stuffed shoulders.
“Yes, I suppose you’re correct. Although, I wouldn’t be opposed to you losing a few of those layers,” he said with a wink.
“Daddy,” said a little voice, reminding us that we weren’t alone.
I looked down and for the first time spotted a tiny, towheaded little lady wrapped around Blake’s right leg. In his left hand, he gripped onto a covered baby carrier.
“Hi there,” I said, reaching down to pat Maddy on the head. “You must be Maddy. I’ve heard so much about you.”
She stared up at me, her big blue eyes beaming. “Can you say ‘hi,’ Maddy?” Blake asked his daughter.
“Hi,” she whispered, waving at me.
“And, I assume this handsome fellow is your brother Ben?” I asked Maddy, as I pulled the cover off the car seat.
“Yes, Daddy said he did a stinky in the car,” she giggled, plugging her nose.
Her giggles were infectious, as Blake and I both threw our heads back in laughter.
“Well, since my darling daughter broke the ice, I do believe Ben and I need to use your bathroom before we can head out,” Blake chuckled.
“Not a problem. It’s right down the hall and to your left,” I said, pointing toward the bathroom.
Before Blake made it two steps down the hallway, Kaity ran out of her bedroom, her tutu now hanging around her neck.
“Oh, hi,” she beamed. “You must be Blake. My name is Kaitlyn. I’m almost five. I live at 134—”
“That’s enough, Kaity. I don’t think Blake needs an outline of your resume,” I laughed.
“Mommy, what’s a rez-uh-may?” she asked, trying to sound out each syllable.
“Never mind, Kaity,” I said, shaking my head. Luckily, Blake caught on that I needed a little bit of help with this one.
“Hi there, Princess. I am Blake. Your mom and Aunt Brooke have told me so much about you.”
“You should take your coat off,” Kaity responded.
“I think Blake’s fine, Baby. We’re going to leave right after he changes the baby’s diaper.”
“Oh, well, I just thought maybe he wouldn’t be so hot.”
Blake and I stared at her in confusion, before she continued. “You told Aunt Brookie that Blake was hot. I just thought he wouldn’t be so hot if he wasn’t wearing a coat,” she said, with a shrug.
“Oh my god,” I whispered, before burying my now reddened face in my hands. “I can’t believe she just said that.”
He turned back to me and whispered in my ear. “It’s OK, Cass. I think you’re pretty hot, too.”
Blake loaded up the back of the SUV with the sleds I’d dug out of the basement. I’d even come across a tiny toboggan that Brooke had bought for Kaity when she was just about Ben’s age. We’d just strapped the kids into their car seats and were backing down the driveway when Kaity piped up from the back seat.
“Mommy, I think I need to go potty.”
“Kaitlyn! Did I not ask you to go potty before you put on your snowsuit?”
“Yes, you did, but I didn’t have to go then!”
“It was five minutes ago!” I yelled.
“Please, Mommy! I really need to tinkle.”
I sighed, knowing that this was probably Blake’s worst first date ever. At least I wouldn’t have to worry about him wanting to see me again. Without even having to ask, Blake drove back up the driveway.
I looked at him with a small smile. “I’m sorry,” I mouthed.
“Don’t even worry about it. I kind of know how this whole parenting thing works.”
I’d stayed at the bottom of the hill for most of the afternoon, pulling Ben back and forth on the baby toboggan. He giggled as wet snow flew up around him.
“Again!” Kaity shouted, as Blake and the two girls reached the bottom of the hill for what seemed like the hundredth time. I couldn’t help but smile at the three of them. Kaity riding sandwiched between Blake and Maddy down the hill.
She’d never really had a father figure in her life. Her grandparents took her regularly and doted on her like crazy, but it just wasn’t quite the same. As much as I wanted that for her, I didn’t want to open her up to inevitable heartache either.
“Kaity, why don’t you let Blake rest for a while. He might be getting tired.”
I knew that this type of activity was probably just a warmup for Blake’s typical workouts, but I just wanted the excuse to be able to spend some time with him.
“I have a better idea,” Blake said, grabbing the sled before hiking back up the hill. “Why don’t you bring Ben up here, and I’ll take the two of you for a ride. The girls can come down next to us.”
“Yay! Please, Mommy,” Kaity screamed, running back up the hill beside Blake.
“I think I like staying put at the bottom,” I said, staring up the high hill.
“Miss Carpenter, are you afraid of heights?” Blake questioned.
“No, I just prefer staying close to the ground. That’s all,” I answered, quickly.
“Come on, you’ll be fine,” he said, making his way back down the hill.
“It’s really fine. I enjoy watching you guys,” I insisted.
“You’re missing out on all the fun. Give me the baby,” he said, reaching for Ben. “Now give me your hand.”
He took my hand in his. As our skin touched, a shock of electricity zapped us.
“Oww,” I giggled, yanking my hand back.
“My body can’t help it. You’re electrifying,” he said with a smile.
“Oh my god. I think you’ve been friends with Dick for too long,” I said, rolling my eyes.
“What are you talking about? Hot learned all his moves from me,” he beamed.
“I think you both need a new instructor then,” I laughed. “And, why the actual f-u-c-k do you call him Hot? You know that’s done nothing but give Dick Davis an even bigger ego than necessary.”
“Did you actually just spell f-u-c-k?” he chuckled, shaking his head.
“Um, yeah, we have innocent children listening to our every word. Kaity is already enough like me. She doesn’t need to add cursing like a sailor to her list of attributes. Seriously, though, why Hot?” I asked again.
“I’ve been calling him that for years. It’s actually the opposite of hot anyways. I’m really telling him that he’s an ugly bastard. And, You’ll have to forgive me for my awful pickup line. I guess it’s been a while since I tried flirting with a woman who I like,” he added. Suddenly our playful banter had taken on a more serious tone.
“Hopefully these will protect me from you.” I said, shoving my hands back into my gloves. I took a deep breath, knowing that I’d need more than a thin pair of wool gloves to protect my heart from Blake Mitchell.
“You don’t need to protect yourself from me,” he said, locking his eyes on mine. “Now let’s climb this hill–together.”
I knew he was talking about the actual hill in front of us, but I couldn’t help but think that he was speaking metaphorically as well.
“OK,” I agreed, giving him my hand once more. After having to stop once or twice to calm my nerves, we finally made it to the top of the hill.
“Are you ready, Mommy?” Kaity asked as she patted the sled next to the one she and Maddy were already sitting on.
“Yeah, Baby,” I said, hesitantly.
“You sit first,” Blake said, putting his foot on the sled so it wouldn’t slip out from under me. “I promise you’ll be fine.”
After I sat, Blake handed me Ben before getting into position behind me. He wrapped his strong arms tightly around me, making sure the baby was secure. I felt safe in his arms–safer than I’d felt in a long time.
“You ready?” Blake asked, digging his feet into the snow.
“As I’ll ever be,” I screamed, as he first pushed the girls off beside us before sending our sled flying down the hill behind them. The wind whipped around my face as the girls’ giggles echoed through the chilly air.
“I really had forgotten how much fun that was,” I laughed as we reached the bottom of the hill. “Let’s do it again!”
“OK, but you do realize we need to get you back up there first?” Blake reminded me, pointing toward the top of the hill.
“On second thought, maybe I’ll just watch from below,” I said.
“I had a feeling you were going to say that,” he said, planting a sudden kiss on my cheek. “I’m sorry, I probably shouldn’t have done that.”
“It’s–it’s OK,” I said, staring up at him. Was I hoping he’d kiss me on the lips this time? Before I could give it a second thought, Maddy began pulling on her father’s leg.
“Daddy, I sweepy,” Maddy said, her eyes beginning to close.
“Well, I guess maybe it’s time to call it a day,” I said, patting Maddy on the head.
“Could I convince you two to come and have dinner with us back at the hotel room?”
“Hotel room?” I questioned.
“Yeah, I know it’s not the most romantic place for dinner, but I really should get the kids down for a nap and that’s where we’re staying.”
“Oh, right. You could come back to our place,” I suggested, before realizing what I was even suggesting. “We could grab a pizza? I’m freezing in these clothes, and that way the girls could play after Maddy wakes up from her nap. I think Kaity would really have fun.”
“Do you always think like a mom?” he asked.
“Ninety-nine percent of the time, yes, I do,” I chuckled. “I’m sorry to say though I don’t have any dry clothes at my place for you.”
“It’s OK, I threw an extra pair of sweats in Ben’s diaper bag along with a change of clothes for the kids,” he said. “You know, just in case.”
Another pair of sweats? Sweet, Jesus. Sorry, Bean, no relief for you!
I’d thrown everyone’s wet snow outfits into the dryer, and started a pot of coffee before going back into the living room. Blake had taken his kids into the guest bedroom so they could get some rest before dinner. I was hoping Kaity would take a nap, too, but I knew that was probably asking for a small miracle. Unlike her mother, she didn’t believe in naps.
I’d considered escaping to my bedroom to find some momentary relief for my “situation,” but I knew that double-clicking my mouse wasn’t an option–at least for the time being. The last thing I needed was for Blake, or even worse one of the kids, to walk in on me as my legs were spread-eagled in the air. My crotch on display like a rack of lamb on a Vegas buffet. No, as much as I wanted to give my bullet a spin, I’d have to wait until my houseguests had left, and my daughter was fast asleep in her own bed.
I walked toward the guest bedroom looking for Blake, assuming it was taking longer to get the kids down in a strange environment. Popping my head into the bedroom, I was surprised to see both little ones were already sleeping, but Blake was nowhere to be seen. Assuming he’d gone into the bathroom, I started back down the hallway until the sound of laughter from Kaity’s room stopped me.
Walking back down the hallway, I poked my head through the doorway. I wasn’t much of a crier, but the sight before me brought tears to my eyes. Blake was sitting cross-legged on the floor with Kaity beside him as the two were playing with her Barbie dolls. Smiling, I watched them for a few minutes in silence–my ovaries feeling as if they were exploding inside my body.
“You be Ken and I’ll be Skipper,” Kaity said, handing Blake one of her dolls.
“Why don’t you want to be Barbie,” he asked her. “I thought every little girl wanted to be Barbie.”
“Mommy is always Barbie. She’s beautiful just like her,” Kaity said.
“Yes, your mommy is beautiful just like Barbie.”
“Too bad I don’t actually have an eighteen-inch waist,” I muttered under my breath, not wanting to disturb them. I was just about to leave them to their playing when Kaity finally noticed me standing in the doorway.
“Hi, Mommy!” she said, as Blake glanced in my direction.
“Sorry, she cornered me as I was coming out of the other room. I thought it was difficult telling Maddy ‘no,’ but this one is very persuasive,” he laughed.
“Yeah, tell me about it,” I chuckled.
“Mommy, come play with us,” Kaity said, patting the spot on the floor next to her. “I saved Barbie just for you.”
“How about you watch one of your princess movies instead? Let Mommy and Blake have some grownup time.”
“Please, Mommy. You and Blake should get married,” she said.
As I nearly choked on my tongue, I felt my eyes simultaneously bug out of my head.
“What’d you just say?” I asked, thinking I clearly must have misunderstood her.
“You should be Barbie and you can marry Ken. She’s already dressed in a wedding dress. See,” she said, shoving the doll toward me.
Too stunned to argue, I sat down beside her, hoping Blake hadn’t noticed my momentary freak out. If he had, he was gentleman enough to ignore it.
After several minutes of brushing Barbie’s hair, and finding the perfect pair of heels for her wedding day, she was officially marrying Ken.
“Barbie and Ken should kiss,” Kaity insisted. “They’re married now.”
“Baby, I think we’ve done enough playing. I’m sure we’re boring Blake. We can play more later,” I told her.
“But, you two should kiss, just like Ken and Barbie. You two like each other, right?” She said, innocently.
When had my daughter become such a little matchmaker?
“Kaity, where would you get that idea?” I asked, as Blake sat back with a smirk on his face.
“That’s what people on your show do when they like each other. They kiss–a lot.”
“Serves me right for thinking she wasn’t paying attention when I watched my soap opera every day,” I said, trying to explain the situation to Blake.
“That’s TV, Baby. Remember how we talked about what TV is real and what is fake?”
“Yeah,” she said, nodding.
“So, you don’t kiss someone when you like them?” she asked.
“No, you can. It’s hard to explain, I guess. I love you and I want to kiss you all the time,” I said, smothering her in kisses.
“Mommy, you’re silly!”
“You’re silly, Silly Girl. Now let’s put Cinderella on so Blake and I can talk and order dinner.”
After setting up the movie, Blake and I went out into the kitchen to enjoy a moment of peace and quiet before the kids would join us for dinner.
I poured a couple cups of coffee as Blake took a seat on the couch. Setting his cup on the coffee table, I decided to sit in the chair instead of next to him on the sofa.
“So, care to tell me why you suggested going sledding when you’re afraid of heights?” Blake questioned.
Without fully explaining myself, I decided to go with a half-truth. “I just thought it was something that the kids might enjoy. I knew it would be difficult for us to both find sitters, especially since we didn’t want to let Brooke and Rich know about our plans,” I said. “Besides, I’m really not afraid of heights. I was just afraid I was going to slip down the hill, that’s all.”
“Oh, OK. If you insist. I suppose since you aren’t afraid of heights then you’d be up for skydiving on our second date? Or maybe rock climbing? Oh, I know–tightrope walking?” he said with a wink.
I swallowed back the lump that had formed in my throat at just the mere mention of those suggestions. I wasn’t entirely sure if it was the mention of the death-defying acts, or the talk of a second date that had me so worked up. “Um, sure,” I said, hesitantly. They all sound like a lot of fun.”
“Cassidy, relax. I’m only kidding,” Blake said.
I chuckled. “I know.”
“You’re a terrible liar,” he said, shaking his head. “But, it’s OK because there will be a second date.”
Blake
AFTER THE BUSY day we’d had with Cass and Kaity, it wasn’t difficult getting the kids to bed. Instead of watching some sports highlights before bed like I typically did, I decided to call it a night myself. But instead of falling asleep, I lay in bed staring up at the ceiling wondering what was happening between Cass and me.
It’d been a perfect afternoon–terrifyingly perfect. I’m man enough to admit, if only to myself, that I was scared shitless. I wasn’t supposed to meet someone–at least not this soon.
I shut my eyes hoping sleep would come, but instead I tossed and turned all while envisioning Cass’s perfect pink lips and how they would feel pressed against mine. I should’ve kissed her as we stood outside on her porch saying our goodbyes. Her eyes told me that she wanted it as much as I did, but I hesitated. My head tells me I’m ready, but my heart just isn’t quite there.
Twirling my wedding band around my finger, I wondered what Alyssa would do if she was in my situation. Would I want her to be happy with someone else? I knew the answer was yes, but at the same time my heart pinged with jealousy.
“Lys, I think I met someone, and I need to know that you’re OK with it. Just give me a sign,” I whispered. “I need to know if I’m doing the right thing here. I guess we probably should have talked about this, but we thought we had our entire lives ahead of us. You were so young.”
