Page 109 of The Daddy Box Set

“That’s what she said last night after we…you know,” I told him.

“She’s smart, then,” he said. “You? Not so much.”

I knew he was kidding, but my good mood was shattered completely at that moment. Now I worried that Jess would leave us because of what we’d done. Granted, the both of us were to blame, but I had been the one to initiate it.

“It won’t happen again,” I said, shoving my hands into my pockets.

Brandon clapped a hand on my back. “We all make mistakes. At the very least, she got you on a date. Now, Amelia has this friend—”

“No,” I said. “I’m not going on any more dates.” I saw how my first one ended and I didn’t want to be tempted with a repeat.

“Don’t quit after one bad date,” Brandon said. “You know how many chicks I went out with before I met Amelia?”

“We were young then,” I said.

“Don’t age us, man. We’re still in our prime.”

Considering I went to bed early every night and worked my ass off, I didn’t feel like I was in my prime.

“Uncle Brandon!” Gina said, running in our direction.

“There’s my favorite niece,” Brandon said, pulling her into a hug.

“Here I am!”

He spun her around, and she giggled, the same way she did with Jess. I frowned. If Jess left us, it would have devastating consequences.

That night, when putting Gina to bed, she wiggled around under her sheets like a worm.

“How did the playground not rid you of all this energy?” I asked.

“Jess is coming tomorrow,” she said with a big grin.

I laughed. “Jess is coming tomorrow. You just saw her yesterday.”

; “But tomorrow we’re starting a quilt!”

“A quilt?”

Gina nodded and then let out a big yawn. Even if her little body was going a mile and minute, her head had the right idea. She needed to sleep. She’d yawned all through dinner and somehow managed to get this little burst of energy going before bedtime.

“Jess and her mom used to make quilts together.”

“That sounds like fun.”

“We’re going to get some fabric tomorrow.”

“I can’t wait to see it when it’s done.”

“That won’t be for a while, but maybe sometimes you can sleep with it.”

“That’s so nice of you,” I said and kissed her forehead.

She reached up and turned my head so she could kiss my cheek. “Thank you for picking Jess as my nanny.”

“You’re welcome,” I said.