we?”
The delivery guy offered Charmaine a big smile. “Happy birthday.”
“Thanks.” She signed and took the package. After she had shut the door, she checked out what Amaya was wearing. “No bare feet in the quad. And grab a sweater. It looked like it was windy out.”
“Yay!”
Soon Charmaine found herself sitting on a bench staring at her building. Automatically, her gaze went to searching for which windows corresponded to Elliot’s place. When she thought she saw movement there, she averted her eyes and watched Amaya play hopscotch instead.
The door to the building opened, and Amaya ran over to Charmaine as if on cue. “Open your present, Aunt Charmaine.”
“You’re not going to stop bugging me until I do, are you?”
Innocent blinking. “No.”
Charmaine laughed. “Fine.”
She bent her head to work on opening the small box, but she was more aware of the man moving toward the two of them. One didn’t need a sixth sense to know he would come. She might have banished him from her place, but the quad was equal access to all the residents.
Charmaine peeked up at him and found the green eyes watching with as much interest as Amaya. Damn, she wasn’t used to this much attention, and she wasn’t sure she liked it. Neither one of them seemed to want to let her stay in her little corner of the world.
When she opened the package and moved aside the packing paper, she found a small note and a smaller box. She lifted it out and read as Amaya made tiny squealing sounds. “To Aunt Charmaine. Happy birthday. I love you. Love, Amaya.”
For a moment, Charmaine’s throat closed, and she coughed. Blinking over and over kept the tears at bay, thank goodness. When the emotion died down, she looked at Amaya. “You didn’t order this. I know you’re smart, but seriously.”
Amaya jumped up and down, waving her arms in the air as if she had just won a marathon. Then out of the blue, she launched herself at Amaya, knocking the package askew. Charmaine caught her, and forgetting her habit of keeping everyone at arm’s length, she hugged the little girl tight.
“You didn’t let me open the little box,” Charmaine whispered and sniffed.
Amaya popped onto the bench beside her with an expectant expression on her face. Charmaine finished unwrapping her present and came upon a silver necklace with a turtle hanging from it.
“Is it a bear?” Amaya asked.
“Don’t you know?” Charmaine raised the necklace from the box and put it on.
Amaya screamed, face glowing. “A turtle!”
“Thanks, sweetie.” She offered the little girl an awkward kiss, and Amaya beamed brighter. Charmaine looked up at Elliot. “You did this. When?”
He stood with his hands behind his back, looking somewhat awkward himself. At least she wasn’t alone in that area. “I saw the two of you at the grocery store. Amaya was looking over the cereal, and you weren’t in the aisle with her.”
Did she detect a note of censure? Probably. Damn!
“She told me your birthday was coming.”
“Yeah, she wanted me to know hers, so we went through a production of writing it on the calendar. That’s when she found out mine was so soon.”
He nodded. “I suggested I buy a present for her to surprise you. As you saw, she didn’t like the idea very much.”
Charmaine laughed. “I thought she was going to hyperventilate she was so excited.”
“I’m glad you like it.” He brought out another box. “This one is for you to open when you’re alone.”
She frowned. “Sounds inappropriate. I don’t think I should accept it.”
He pressed it into her lap. “If you don’t want it, you can throw it away.”
Now he had her curious. Of course she would open it and see what it was. Later, like he said, when she was alone. Charmaine sat quiet as Amaya played hopscotch with Elliot. She couldn’t believe a grown man was so free and easy to get down on the ground and draw with chalk then jump around on one foot with a little girl who
The delivery guy offered Charmaine a big smile. “Happy birthday.”
“Thanks.” She signed and took the package. After she had shut the door, she checked out what Amaya was wearing. “No bare feet in the quad. And grab a sweater. It looked like it was windy out.”
“Yay!”
Soon Charmaine found herself sitting on a bench staring at her building. Automatically, her gaze went to searching for which windows corresponded to Elliot’s place. When she thought she saw movement there, she averted her eyes and watched Amaya play hopscotch instead.
The door to the building opened, and Amaya ran over to Charmaine as if on cue. “Open your present, Aunt Charmaine.”
“You’re not going to stop bugging me until I do, are you?”
Innocent blinking. “No.”
Charmaine laughed. “Fine.”
She bent her head to work on opening the small box, but she was more aware of the man moving toward the two of them. One didn’t need a sixth sense to know he would come. She might have banished him from her place, but the quad was equal access to all the residents.
Charmaine peeked up at him and found the green eyes watching with as much interest as Amaya. Damn, she wasn’t used to this much attention, and she wasn’t sure she liked it. Neither one of them seemed to want to let her stay in her little corner of the world.
When she opened the package and moved aside the packing paper, she found a small note and a smaller box. She lifted it out and read as Amaya made tiny squealing sounds. “To Aunt Charmaine. Happy birthday. I love you. Love, Amaya.”
For a moment, Charmaine’s throat closed, and she coughed. Blinking over and over kept the tears at bay, thank goodness. When the emotion died down, she looked at Amaya. “You didn’t order this. I know you’re smart, but seriously.”
Amaya jumped up and down, waving her arms in the air as if she had just won a marathon. Then out of the blue, she launched herself at Amaya, knocking the package askew. Charmaine caught her, and forgetting her habit of keeping everyone at arm’s length, she hugged the little girl tight.
“You didn’t let me open the little box,” Charmaine whispered and sniffed.
Amaya popped onto the bench beside her with an expectant expression on her face. Charmaine finished unwrapping her present and came upon a silver necklace with a turtle hanging from it.
“Is it a bear?” Amaya asked.
“Don’t you know?” Charmaine raised the necklace from the box and put it on.
Amaya screamed, face glowing. “A turtle!”
“Thanks, sweetie.” She offered the little girl an awkward kiss, and Amaya beamed brighter. Charmaine looked up at Elliot. “You did this. When?”
He stood with his hands behind his back, looking somewhat awkward himself. At least she wasn’t alone in that area. “I saw the two of you at the grocery store. Amaya was looking over the cereal, and you weren’t in the aisle with her.”
Did she detect a note of censure? Probably. Damn!
“She told me your birthday was coming.”
“Yeah, she wanted me to know hers, so we went through a production of writing it on the calendar. That’s when she found out mine was so soon.”
He nodded. “I suggested I buy a present for her to surprise you. As you saw, she didn’t like the idea very much.”
Charmaine laughed. “I thought she was going to hyperventilate she was so excited.”
“I’m glad you like it.” He brought out another box. “This one is for you to open when you’re alone.”
She frowned. “Sounds inappropriate. I don’t think I should accept it.”
He pressed it into her lap. “If you don’t want it, you can throw it away.”
Now he had her curious. Of course she would open it and see what it was. Later, like he said, when she was alone. Charmaine sat quiet as Amaya played hopscotch with Elliot. She couldn’t believe a grown man was so free and easy to get down on the ground and draw with chalk then jump around on one foot with a little girl who
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