“Deal.”

***

“So what did you learn today?” I ask the girls as I set the table and walk back to the stove to check on the spaghetti sauce.

“I learned that Nelson eats his own boogers,” Josie replies with a grimace. “Boys are gross.”

“Who is Nelson?” I ask with a laugh and empty a package of angel hair pasta into a pot of boiling water.

“He’s in her class,” Maddie answers as she butters the garlic bread.

The front door opens and closes and seconds later, Caleb walks into the kitchen with a scowl on his face.

“Why was the front door unlocked?”

“Caleb,” I sigh and shake my head, returning to the boiling pasta. “We’re fine.”

“Lock the damn door, Brynna.”

“Caleb! You’re not s’posed to swear.” Josie frowns up at Caleb.

“Why do you have a bag? Are you spending the night?” Maddie asks, looking at the green duffle bag in Caleb’s hand.

“I’m going to stay with you guys for a while,” he responds and I clench my eyes shut.

Crap, I haven’t talked to the girls yet!

“Why?” Josie asks.

“Because Caleb has some work being done on his place,” I hurry to answer before Caleb can, and earn a look of surprise from him. “So he’s going to stay here for a while.”

“Okay,” Maddie shrugs and grins widely at the tall man in my kitchen. “Can you sleep in my room?”

“No, I think I’ll sack out on the couch.”

“Will you read me bedtime stories?” She asks.

“I can do that,” he confirms and grins down at her.

“Cool!”

“Mom usually reads to us,” Josie cuts in with a scowl on her pretty little face.

Josie has always been the more guarded of the girls. She’s not quick to trust, even with the Montgomerys, who have been a part of her life for over a year now.

She’s also the moodier of the two.

“If you’d rather she do it, that’s fine too.” Caleb shrugs and sets his full bag down in the hallway.

“I want Caleb!” Maddie yells.

“I want Mommy!” Josie yells back.

“Enough!” I yell. “This is not a big deal, girls. Stop arguing and go wash your hands. Dinner is ready.”

Both girls pout, their bottom lips sticking out and faces long, as they file out of the kitchen and into the small half bath in the hallway to wash their hands.

“If you keep your face like that for too long, it’ll stick that way!” I call out to them and smile when I hear them giggle.

Caleb smiles as he approaches me, pulls the lid on the sauce off so he can smell the aromas of tomato and thyme, and then replaces it.

“Looks like I’m right on time.”

“If you like spaghetti, yes you are.” I pour the pasta into a colander and pull the garlic toast out of the oven. “I already set you a place at the table.”

“Thank you.”

I nod and turn away, but he grips my arm and pulls me back around to face him.

“Are you okay?”

“Fine.”

“Having work done on my house, am I?” The dimples in his cheeks wink at me as he smiles.

“I didn’t know what else to say. I don’t want to scare them.”

“My hands are clean!” Maddie announces as she dances back into the room.

“We’ll talk later,” Caleb whispers down to me and helps me get the rest of the dinner on the table. “This smells great.”

“It’s my favorite,” Maddie tells him proudly. “I got to pick tonight because I got all the words right on my spelling test.”

“Good job,” Caleb commends her and holds their chairs out for them.

“Why are you doing that?” Josie asks with a scrunched up nose.

“Because that’s what a gentleman does. He holds the chair out for a lady when she sits.”

“I’m not a lady,” Maddie giggles. “I’m a little girl.”

“You’re little ladies then.” Caleb winks at them and stands patiently by my chair, waiting for me to set the large bowl of spaghetti on the table and take my seat.

“Thank you, sir,” I say primly and sit in the chair.

When was the last time a man sat at our dinner table with us? Besides holidays with the family, never.

Never.

Caleb helps the girls dish up and then waits for me to fill my own plate before digging in himself. As he and the girls eat heartily, I sit back and watch the three of them, laughing and talking, and my heart catches.

Is this what normal is?

“…right mom?” Josie looks at me expectantly.

“I’m sorry, what?”

“We get ice cream for dessert tonight.”

“Oh, sure.” I nod and take a sip of my red wine.

For the rest of the meal, I watch Caleb interact easily with my kids. He is quick to laugh at their antics, and even Josie thaws to him, fighting Maddie to talk about her day.

God, he’s so damn handsome. Like all of the Montgomery men, he’s tall and broad. His hair is a dark blonde, but his eyes are ice blue and when he pins me in his stare, I swear he can see right into the heart of me.

He’s in a gray t-shirt, tucked into faded blue jeans and black socks.

And I can’t help but wonder what he looks like naked. For more than a year now, I’ve wanted to feel him over me, holding me.

Inside me.

And there have been moments when I know he felt the same way, but he’s never crossed the line of friendship.

Damn him.

“Who’s job is it to clean up?” Caleb asks when we’ve all finished our dinners. I’ve barely touched mine, but who can eat when Caleb “Hot Navy SEAL” Montgomery is sitting next to them?

Not me.

“We all help,” Josie tells him. “You can sweep the floor.”

“That’s your job,” I remind her. “It’s her least favorite thing,” I tell Caleb with a smile.

“Darn,” she whispers and takes her plate to the sink.

“We all get KP duty,” Caleb informs the girls.

“What’s cape duty?” Maddie asks.

“K.P.” Caleb scrapes the left overs into a plastic bowl. “It means kitchen patrol.”

“We have to do it before we get ice cream.” Josie scowls.

“Sounds fair to me,” I laugh and begin to load the dishwasher as Caleb and the girls clear the table and wipe down the counter tops.