They smiled at my compliment, so it appeared I’d said the right thing and we made our way to the front.
“Here.” Alexa handed me her credit card. “Will you check us out? I want to run over to the bakery next door. I’ll just be a minute.”
“Sure.” I took the card, but planned to pay with my own once Alexa was outside. She’d done too much for us already. But when the girl at the counter told me the bill came to three-hundred dollars, I reluctantly handed over Alexa’s card. Three hundred dollars for toenail polish and a couple of haircuts? Their hair didn’t even look any different to me. One thing was clear—Alexa led a lifestyle I’d never be able to afford. And I sure as shit didn’t need Lily getting used to this kind of treatment.
Alexa came back a few minutes later carrying a little pink pastry box, looking smug. She signed the credit card slip and took her card from the counter, then headed outside to her car with Lily in tow. “See ya back at the house,” she called.
I stood by uselessly until they drove away, then stomped off to my truck. I stopped on the drive home to pick up dinner for the three of us, needing to do something to get things back under control.
Once I got home I could hear Lily singing and playing in her bedroom and found Alexa sitting on the couch waiting for me. I set the bags of food on the table and turned to her. “You didn’t have to do all that today.” My voice came out sterner than I intended.
She stood and placed her hands on her hips. “I know that, Cade. I wanted to. I never had a little sister. Did you ever think that maybe I like spending time with her?”
Shit. I sounded like a real prick. I rubbed the back of my neck. “Sorry, it’s just this is new for me.” There was no denying that the way Alexa was with Lily complicated things between us. It twisted my insides, and brought out my protective instincts.
Her expression softened. “It’s new for me too.” She leaned her hip against the counter, drawing herself unconsciously closer to me.
I brought my hand up to cup her cheek, unable to resist touching her soft skin. I brushed my callused thumb along her jaw. “Hey.” Her eyes met mine. “I’m sorry. I get sensitive about her.”
“Yeah, I noticed. That’s the last time I try to do something nice.” Her tone was serious, but she looked up at me with that crooked mischievous smile of hers. I wanted to kiss the smirk off her gorgeous face.
“Aw, don’t be that way, cupcake. Come on. Stay for dinner.”
She checked her watch. “That could probably be arranged.”
“You got somewhere to be? Don’t tell me it’s another hot date with that country club schmuck.”
She chuckled. “No, actually Peter hasn’t called. It’s just my mom’s been hounding me about coming over for dinner. Let me step outside to call her and see if I can postpone till tomorrow night.”
“Sure. Come inside when you’re done.”
Lily came tearing down the hall to show off her matching pink fingernails and toenails and the pink ceramic fairy she’d painted. It was like an explosion of pink had invaded my house—hell, my life.
“I’m gonna go put it in my room,” she announced, already heading down the hall.
Alexa returned and headed straight for me, a smile on her face. I pulled her into a hug. “Well? Can you stay?”
She nuzzled into my neck and inhaled. “Yeah, but I had to make a deal with my mother.”
I kissed her lips then pulled back to look at her. “What’s that?”
“I told her I was at my friend Cade’s and she insisted that you join us for dinner. Are you free tomorrow?”
“Dinner? With your parents?” I held her at arms’ length, looking her over. She couldn’t be serious. I thought we were just having fun, but this…meeting the parents was something more, wasn’t it?
Her bottom lip jutted out. “Is that okay?”
“Ah, sure. I can probably get Sophia to come over.”
Her smile momentarily faltered at the mention of Sophia’s name. “Okay.”
Alexa helped Lily wash her hands while I set the table. I’d stopped at the neighborhood diner, and not knowing what Alexa would like, I’d picked up a burger and a grilled chicken salad for her, along with my usual burger and Lily’s grilled-cheese sandwich.
Once we were all seated around the table, Alexa chose the grilled chicken salad for dinner and Lily announced she wanted salad, too. Alexa graciously shared the salad, dividing it onto two plates while I stuffed the extra food in the fridge for dinner another night.
We made small talk while we ate, Alexa and Lily both reminiscing about their girls’ day. Once we finished with dinner, Alexa hopped up from her chair. “Oh, I almost forgot. I got dessert.” She retrieved the pink bakery box from the counter.
I shook my head slowly. “You spoil us. What’d you get?”
“Cupcakes, what else?” She grinned.
I chuckled and Lily clapped her hands, completely unaware of Alexa’s nickname. I leaned back, draping an arm across the back of Alexa’s chair and watched as Alexa removed a pink-frosted cupcake from the box and placed it in front of Lily, peeling off the paper cup. Lily’s eyes went wide and she wasted no time biting into the enormous treat. By her enthusiasm, you’d think I never fed the poor kid. Alexa chuckled and wiped pink frosting from the tip of Lily’s nose.
We watched Lily demolish her cupcake in relative silence. “You didn’t have to do all this you know.”