“I don’t have to wear a costume, do I?” he asked with mock nervousness.
“No, that would be weird. Just the girls dress up.” She studied him intently. “You may be bored.”
“Will there be Cheez Doodles?”
She gasped. “Yes! Those are my favorite, but I like the crunchy, not the puffed, and Mama said I could have as much as I want ’cause it’s a special occasion.”
“As long as you share some, I won’t be bored, and I like the crunchy, too.”
Raven came over with their plates. “Personal delivery,” she sang, setting down everyone’s dinner. “Al said he gave you a few extra because you’re his favorite customer, Becca. He also gave you two new dipping sauces to try out.”
The chef was culinary-school trained and had become a close friend of the family’s after Raven began dating Tristan’s brother. Al had taken a shine to Becca and liked to send her special treats.
“Thank you!”
“Welcome.”
“Is Al coming to my party, too?” Becca asked, her face solemn.
Raven sighed. “Honey, I’m so sorry, I know he’d love to, but he has to work and I can’t close. But I’ll be there. I’m dressing up in the coolest costume ever, but it’s a secret. You won’t know till I show up.”
Becca clapped with delight. “I can’t wait.”
“Me either.” Raven smiled at them. “Need anything else, guys?”
“No, we’re good, thanks,” Sydney said.
“Enjoy!”
She strode off on long legs clad in her usual denim, her wild black hair tied up on top of her head. Tristan had fallen hard for both of his future sisters-in-law. It wasn’t official with Raven yet, but Dalton was already researching rings and brainstorming the best place to ask her. His brothers had done well finding the right women to fit them.
He looked at Sydney diving into her burger without a trace of ladylike restraint and felt that odd tugging in his gut. As if his instincts were trying to remind him not to use his head too much but listen to his heart. He might be a bit rusty from lack of practice, but he was determined to try. If he played this one safe, he’d end up regretting it.
They ate amid light chatter and humor. He watched Becca double-dip her chicken like a master, finally noticing the hand she favored. “Hey, you’re a lefty, too.” He wiggled his hand in the air. “Welcome to the exclusive club for geniuses.”
Becca lit up. “Cool! I don’t know many lefties. Mom’s jealous. She said it proves I’ll be a true creative.”
He glanced at Sydney, expecting to see her grin, but she suddenly looked as if she’d spotted a ghost. Face pale, she gripped the fork midair, as if stuck in a strange place she couldn’t break free from.
“Syd? You okay?”
She blinked. Then all traces of her freak-out seemed to disappear, so maybe he’d imagined it. “Fine. Sorry, was thinking about work.”
He relaxed. “Plenty of time for that after dinner,” he teased.
“Mama, can I go see Al in the kitchen? I want to tell him I loved my chicken fingers.”
“Sure, honey. He’d like that.”
“Can I play the jukebox, too?”
Tristan fished out a few quarters and handed them to her. “Play something good. I like Britney Spears.”
Another giggle. It was easy to feel like a superhero to a young girl. Silly humor was easy to do. “Thanks, Tristan.”
She scrambled out of the booth and left them alone.
Sydney reached for her pink cocktail, and he leaned over the table, dropping his voice.
“I still have your taste on my lips.”
She choked on her first sip, quickly putting her glass back down. Color rushed to her face, emphasizing the cute freckles splattered over her nose and cheeks. “Don’t say things like that!”
Amusement laced his tone. “Why? We’re alone.”
“Because it disturbs me.”
He dropped one lid in a naughty wink. “That’s why I do it. Getting you all hot and bothered is a highlight of mine.”
She shook her head, letting out a frustrated sigh. “You’re impossible.” They stared at each other for a while, letting the heat build between them. “Can I ask you something?”
“You can ask me anything.”
“Do you—do you enjoy being around Becca?” Her fingers twisted around her glass in a rare display of nervousness. “Or are you just trying to get along with her because of me?”
Instead of jumping to defend himself, he took the time to pull apart her words. “That’s an excellent question. At first, I avoided both of you because things were complicated. I may even have been resentful of Becca.”
She stiffened, but he forged on, owing her the complete truth.
“But not anymore. Now I find myself wanting to know more about her. She’s a great kid—warm, funny, smart. She respects you, and it’s obvious she loves her life. So, my answer is I do enjoy being with her. And you. This is still new to me, though, so I may do some stumbling, but I’m not trying to be nice to Becca to get to you.”
She nodded, her shoulders relaxing. “I needed to hear that,” she admitted. “It wouldn’t be fair to either of us if you were pretending.”
“I can’t pretend,” he said simply. “I never could.”
Her lips parted. He reached out to snag her hand across the table, desperately craving contact. Her graceful fingers slid through his, her sleek, colorful nails giving him just a hint of a bite.
“I don’t want to be that guy who tries to force my company on your child to score points. She needs to get to know me just as much, so she doesn’t feel overwhelmed. She’s been more comfortable with Cal and Dalton, since I’ve never really taken the time to get to know her. I’m willing to take my time now, Syd. In fact, it’s important to me.”
He enjoyed the light in her beautiful eyes; the firm grip of her hand in his. The moment was to be savored: the loud music and laughter in the background, the smell of bacon and beer, the simple pleasure of sharing a meal with a woman who meant something. His life had been a roller coaster. It was nice to once again realize the simple pleasures were everything.
He only wanted more.
But certain questions still burned in his mind. With her hand tucked in his, he skirted around the issue that had bothered him for the past two years, trying to find an inroad. “I know you don’t like talking about your previous marriage,” he said calmly. “But I wanted to ask you why he doesn’t want anything to do with Becca. Why won’t he be at her birthday party?”