“Oh,” Paisley frowned. “Never?”
“Well, not never,” I corrected. “I’ll just be here really late.”
“Maybe you could come over after?” Paisley asked hopefully. “When you’re done?”
I looked at Sean for a second. He just stared at me, waiting to hear my response. When I didn’t give one, he stepped forward and cleared his throat.
“I don’t know if that’s a good idea,” he said. “Tara is really busy, Paisley. She has to work.”
“But I mean after work,” Paisley insisted.
I smiled at her persistence. She reminded me of her dad more than ever. My head spun and my heart pounded. Everything between Sean and me was so confusing. I didn’t know what we were or weren’t. We hadn’t even talked about what that night meant, and I wasn’t sure I wanted to. I didn’t know anything except I couldn’t disappoint Paisley.
“Maybe this weekend?” I asked, glancing at Sean to make sure that was okay.
“Really?” Paisley asked, bouncing up and down with excitement.
“If it’s okay with your dad,” I said. I raised my eyebrows questioningly.
“Sure,” Sean said. He smiled at me slowly. “Sounds like a plan.”
“Great!” Paisley squealed. She ran over and threw her arms around my waist. I hugged her back tightly, not wanting to let go.
When she and Sean left the conference room, I watched them go, feeling more miserable by the second. I was no longer just struggling with my feelings for Sean, I was struggling with how much I’d grown to like Paisley. She was a bright, funny, talented little girl, and I loved getting to know her. Spending time with her was quickly becoming one of my favorite ways to pass the time. I didn’t want to give it up.
I sat down at the table and put my head in my hands. I breathed slowly, trying to clear my head. The day wasn’t over. I still had a lot more work to do, and now, I was more confused than ever.
CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
Sean
On Wednesday morning, I woke to find Paisley already dressed and waiting for me at the kitchen table. She smiled when I walked in but didn’t speak. I grinned back at her and moved toward the coffee pot. I brewed myself a pot of coffee and poured Paisley a quick bowl of cereal. I set it down in front of her, but she didn’t touch it.
“Do you want something else?” I asked with a frown. I didn’t know everything about my daughter yet, but I did know how much she loved cereal.
“No,” Paisley shook her head. “This is good.”
Still, she didn’t touch her breakfast. She looked down at the bowl then back up at me with wide eyes. She clearly wanted to say something, but she hadn’t quite worked up the nerve. Instead of pressing the issue, I went about my morning routine. Grabbing a coffee mug from the top cabinet, I poured myself a full cup and sat down across from her. I sipped my coffee but didn’t speak, patiently waiting for her to say something.
“Um, Sean?” Paisley asked softly. I looked up quickly.
“Yes?” I asked.
“I get to go to work with you again today, right?” Paisley asked quickly. Her words came out in a rush, as if she was afraid she might lose her nerve if she spoke too slowly.
“Of course,” I said, chuckling. “Why wouldn’t you?”
Paisley shrugged and picked up her spoon. She shoveled cereal in her mouth, barely bothering to chew between bites. I’d seen her eat this way before, but it still unsettled me. I was terrified she would choke and that I wouldn’t know what to do.
When she finished, Paisley took her bowl to the sink and set it inside. She wasn’t quite tall enough to reach the faucet, but she struggled to turn on the water anyway. After rinsing her bowl as well as she could, she placed it in the opposite side of the sink and turned off the water. I watched her closely, slightly in shock.
In the weeks since Paisley came to live with me, she hadn’t done a single chore. I was afraid to ask her to do anything. I didn’t know what her mother made her do when she was still alive. The last thing I wanted was to disrupt Paisley’s routine any more than it had already been. It was a simple task: rinsing a cereal bowl, but it warmed me to see. Every day now, Paisley slowly settled into her life with me. My house was no longer just the place she slept, it was becoming her home.
“Are you ready?” I asked when Paisley finished at the sink.
She nodded enthusiastically. “Yes.”
“Do you want to get your sketchbook?” I asked. “You might have more downtime today. I don’t want you to be bored.”
Paisley shrugged and said, “It’s almost full. I don’t want to fill the last pages until I know for sure what I want to draw.”
“Okay,” I said with a smile. “But, we can get you a new one if you want.”
“A new sketchbook?” Paisley asked with wide eyes.
I shrugged. “Sure. Why not? We’ll pick one up after work today.”
“Okay!” Paisley smiled brightly and ran to get her sketchbook. When she returned, she headed straight for the front door. I laughed and hurried after her.
***
Paisley and I arrived at the office earlier than I expected. There was almost no traffic that morning, so it took no time at all to reach Yates’ Motorcycles. We went inside quickly. I struggled to keep up with Paisley’s enthusiastic pace. She was just excited to see Tara. I smiled at the thought. I was excited to see her again myself.
When we reached the conference room, Tara wasn’t there yet. I frowned and glanced back into the hallway. I looked to the left and then the right, but I didn’t see Tara anywhere.
“Hey,” I said to Paisley. “Hang out in here for a second. I’m going to Tara’s office to see if she’s—”
The rest of my sentence was drowned out by the sound of heavy footsteps coming toward us. I looked up to see my father heading down the hall. He smiled brightly as he approached. I tried to smile back, if only to remain professional, but I couldn’t quite manage it. I simply stared at him, waiting for him to speak.
“Good morning,” he said, glancing down at Paisley. “Why don’t you two come into my office?”
“Okay,” I said hesitantly. Paisley and I followed Ray down the hallway. We stepped into his office, and he motioned for us to sit down. I sat in the chair opposite his and patted the seat next to me. Paisley sat down, her eyes slowly moving around the room. She’d never been in such a big, grandiose office before. She took it all in.
“So,” Ray said, still smiling. “How are things going?”
I couldn’t tell if he meant with the company or with Paisley. The way Ray kept looking at Paisley made me think he was inquiring about more than just business, but I refused to give him the satisfaction of a proper answer. Paisley didn’t know this man was her grandfather, and I planned to keep it that way for as long as possible.
“Things are good,” I answered evasively. “Tara’s been great about helping me settle in.”