“Great. Let’s hit the road, kid, so we can get the fun started.” I held my hand out and hoped Benjie trusted me enough to take it. He looked up to his dad one last time, who smiled and nodded, before he walked across the floor and took my hand.
His was so tiny in mine.
A pang of want hit me in the chest.
For a while now I’d been thinking about having a family to call my own. While I had Nana Bev and Reagan, even her family, I wanted children. I wanted a man or woman who I had a connection with and could call my own.
“Thanks, Brooke. You two have fun and we won’t be late.”
Turning, I waved over my shoulder. “No problem.” If I hadn’t been petty, I would have told him to have fun, but I wouldn’t have meant it and Nana always said lying was a sin.
By the time I got Benjie in his booster seat, Dustin and his date were already outside ready to take off. Ignoring them, I climbed into the driver seat and looked over my shoulder to Benjie. He was frowning while looking out the window at his dad.
Starting the car, I asked him, “What’s your favorite ice cream, Benjie?”
“My real, real favorite?”
Smiling, I nodded. “Yep.”
“Chocolate.”
“Hmm, I do like that, but mine’s caramel from the store where you can add mix-ins.”
His eyes widened. “Like candy?”
“Exactly. What to try it?”
“Yeah! My friend told me all about it, but I haven’t tried it yet.”
“Today’s your lucky day then. We’ll get one of those and go to a park close to my house. I’ve heard it’s pretty good, but you can be the judge of it.”
He gave me a big toothy grin. “Okay.”
By the time we reached the park, ice cream covered Benjie, but he’d managed to finish it. Of course I’d eaten mine back at the shop, since I didn’t know kids took forever and a day to eat them. The mess didn’t bother me, since I didn’t have the best of cars and I’d also changed into tracksuit pants and an old tee. All things could be cleaned. My mood had lifted a lot, happy to see Benjie smiling as he talked about his LEGO and the things he liked to build with them.
“Okay, a few rules before we play.”
He looked up at me and nodded, holding my hand tighter.
“First, we make sure we can see each other at all times.”
“Got it.”
“Second, we don’t talk to strangers.”
“My dad tells me that one.”
“Good.” I smiled. “Lastly, we have fun.”
He giggled. “Let’s go.” He wiggled my arm up and down before I dropped it and took off running, glancing back to see he followed and was laughing louder.
We went on the swings, slides, across the fort a million times, and even played in the sandpit. I hadn’t had so much fun in a long time. Benjie was such a cute little kid.
“Hey.”
Turning from Benjie on the swing again, I smiled at a man who seemed in his forties. “Hi.”
“You look like you’ve had fun. Not many mothers get out there and play with their kids.”
“Oh, he’s not mine. I’m minding him for someone.”
He nodded, and I didn’t miss the way his gaze dragged slowly over my body. Even in my old clothes, a flash of heat lit his eyes. I found it slightly sleazy at a park when there were kids around. I mean, maybe people picked up in parks, but I knew I wasn’t going to be one of them.
“I have a daughter. She—”
“Stranger danger. Stranger danger,” Benjie shouted as he came running up and pointing to the man beside me.
Laughing, I took Benjie’s hand and told him, “Benjie, it’s okay.”
His brows pinched together. “But you don’t know him, right?”
I couldn’t lie. “No, I don’t.”
His eyes widened. “Then he might take you to his car and kill you. You have to be careful, Miss Brooke.”
Miss Brooke. I loved it when he first said it at the ice cream parlor, and I loved it now.
Biting my bottom lip to stop my smile, I nodded down at him. “This is true.” I looked to the man. “Sorry, the plan was to not talk to strangers. I have to stick to it.”
The guy snorted out a laugh. “How about I get your number—”
“No!” Benjie yelled and started pulling me away from him. Grinning, I threw up a hand to the guy, as if to say, “What can I do,” and followed after Benjie.
Besides, I was happier spending time with Benjie than talking to douches who hit on women at parks.
After some more time playing, Benjie and I walked back to the car. I shook Benjie’s hand in mine. “Hey?”
“Yeah?”
“You hungry?”
“I could eat.”
This kid. All day he’d made me smile. “How about we get some takeout on the way back to your place, since it’s getting late?” We’d eaten lunch at the food truck not far from the park but had gone back since I promised Benjie some more time on the slides.
“Can we get chicken nuggets?”
“Chicken nuggets are a must.”
“Yay!” he cried, jumping into the car.
This kid had so much energy, I wished I could steal some. By the time we got back to his house and had eaten, though, he was finding it hard to keep his eyes open on the show we were watching in the living room.
“Do you need a bath or shower before bed?”
“Nah, I’m not stinky.” He quickly looked away, which made me think he was supposed to wash before bed.
“How about I start the shower for you, get it to the right temperature, and you have a quick wash before hopping into your pajamas.”
His lips thinned as he thought it over. “No thanks.”
Ruffling his hair, I laughed. This kid was awesome. “Okay, what do you want to trade for a shower?”
“Huh?”
“You can ask for something, but as long as you have a shower for whatever it is you want.”
“Really?”
“Yep.” I nodded.
“Okay, let me think.” He tapped his chin a few times. “I’ll wash if you come back another day to play?”
Damn.
Well, I couldn’t really say no to those bright eyes, and I was sure Dustin would need help another time for one of his other dates. I ignored the dip to the belly over that thought and reminded myself Dustin and I wouldn’t be good together anyway. “Fine, but I’m just not sure when it’ll be.” I held out my hand. “Deal?”
He took it and shook. “Deal.”
After he showered and dressed in Spider-Man pajamas, Benjie yawned and looked over at me on the couch. “Can you read me a story?”
“Of course. Want to do it while you rest in bed?”
He nodded, and together we made our way down the hall to his bedroom, which was decked out with everything a boy could think of. There were more superheroes, LEGO, and Transformers than I’d ever seen in one room.
Benjie hopped into bed and pulled the covers up. He held a soft bunny toy under one arm and looked up at me. I helped tuck him in before moving over to the shelf that held books. “What are you in the mood for?”
“Anything.”