daughter then I don’t want to be anywhere near you to begin with. Aghh!
Casey didn’t know what to say, so she just said it. “I have a daughter.” She didn’t even look at him as she said it. Instead she sat there like she’d just thrown a grenade and was taking cover, minus the whole part about sticking your fingers in your ears and curling up into a little ball. Though both of those things were sounding like decent options.
“I know,” Ben said.
Casey immediately turned towards him in shock. Like maybe he didn’t hear her, or maybe the grenade just hadn’t gone off yet. So, she threw it again.
“I think you might have misheard me. I have a daughter.” This time she drew out the word “daughter” like she was talking to a child.
Ben laughed. “I knoooowwww,” he said, mocking her.
“I don’t get it. How can you know? And why didn’t you tell me you knew? And why did you go out with me if you knew? How can you possibly know?”
Ben was laughing as he listened to Casey. He unbuckled his seat belt and shifted his weight so he was leaning over his right leg, closer to her. “Come here,” he said.
Casey scooted over a bit and sat there, still waiting for the answers to her questions.
“First I’m going to kiss you, because you look unbelievably cute all worked up.”
His lips were already pressing into hers before she could protest to being “all worked up.” His right hand lightly touched the bottom of her chin as he held the kiss for several seconds.
“I’m not worked up,” she lied the moment his lips left hers. “But I really do have a daughter.”
Ben held her gaze as he spoke. “When I got here this morning, I noticed the tricycle at the side of the house.” Ben tilted his head in the direction where the bike was still lying in the grass.
“That could have been the neighbors, though, or…”
“Or maybe you just like to cruise around town on your cute little pink tricycle?”
Casey squinted her eyes at him. “Ha. Ha. So, you figured from the bike I had a daughter.”
“Well, it is pink with nice bright pink streamers, so I kind of ruled out son.”
“Maybe I was just babysitting for someone and they left it here by accident?”
“Honestly that just doesn’t seem probable. But, that wasn’t what gave it away.”
Casey tried to think about what he might have seen in the house, but nothing came to mind. Most of the pictures of her and Emma were in the hallway to her room, and there were a few things in the kitchen. She had also cleaned up the living room and her room and knew there weren’t any toys or anything lying around. But none of that mattered anyways because he never even went inside. “Then what was it?”
“The egg.”
“The egg?” Casey said, trying to figure out what he was talking about. Crap, the Easter egg. The one Emma painted a few weeks ago at school was still sitting on the table…by the front door.
“So, a painted egg and a tricycle and you figured I had a daughter?”
“That and you’re different.”
“I’m different? How am I different?
“If I tell you that now, then what will we have to talk about at dinner on Monday?”
“And what makes you think I’ll go out with you again?” Casey said, fighting back a smile.
Ben didn’t take his eyes off of her as he asked, “Will you go to dinner with me Monday night? I promise no strawberries.”
Casey thought about it for a second, even though she already knew her answer. She opened the passenger side door. “Will you walk me to the door?”
Casey walked around the front of the truck and Ben walked her to the front porch. She slid her key into the lock and turned around. “I’m supposed to work until six on Monday. How about I give you a call after and we can grab something to eat?”
Ben smiled. “Sounds perfect.”
Casey turned the lock clockwise and pulled down on the handle.
As she opened the door and stepped inside, Ben said, “Casey.”
She looked back at
Casey didn’t know what to say, so she just said it. “I have a daughter.” She didn’t even look at him as she said it. Instead she sat there like she’d just thrown a grenade and was taking cover, minus the whole part about sticking your fingers in your ears and curling up into a little ball. Though both of those things were sounding like decent options.
“I know,” Ben said.
Casey immediately turned towards him in shock. Like maybe he didn’t hear her, or maybe the grenade just hadn’t gone off yet. So, she threw it again.
“I think you might have misheard me. I have a daughter.” This time she drew out the word “daughter” like she was talking to a child.
Ben laughed. “I knoooowwww,” he said, mocking her.
“I don’t get it. How can you know? And why didn’t you tell me you knew? And why did you go out with me if you knew? How can you possibly know?”
Ben was laughing as he listened to Casey. He unbuckled his seat belt and shifted his weight so he was leaning over his right leg, closer to her. “Come here,” he said.
Casey scooted over a bit and sat there, still waiting for the answers to her questions.
“First I’m going to kiss you, because you look unbelievably cute all worked up.”
His lips were already pressing into hers before she could protest to being “all worked up.” His right hand lightly touched the bottom of her chin as he held the kiss for several seconds.
“I’m not worked up,” she lied the moment his lips left hers. “But I really do have a daughter.”
Ben held her gaze as he spoke. “When I got here this morning, I noticed the tricycle at the side of the house.” Ben tilted his head in the direction where the bike was still lying in the grass.
“That could have been the neighbors, though, or…”
“Or maybe you just like to cruise around town on your cute little pink tricycle?”
Casey squinted her eyes at him. “Ha. Ha. So, you figured from the bike I had a daughter.”
“Well, it is pink with nice bright pink streamers, so I kind of ruled out son.”
“Maybe I was just babysitting for someone and they left it here by accident?”
“Honestly that just doesn’t seem probable. But, that wasn’t what gave it away.”
Casey tried to think about what he might have seen in the house, but nothing came to mind. Most of the pictures of her and Emma were in the hallway to her room, and there were a few things in the kitchen. She had also cleaned up the living room and her room and knew there weren’t any toys or anything lying around. But none of that mattered anyways because he never even went inside. “Then what was it?”
“The egg.”
“The egg?” Casey said, trying to figure out what he was talking about. Crap, the Easter egg. The one Emma painted a few weeks ago at school was still sitting on the table…by the front door.
“So, a painted egg and a tricycle and you figured I had a daughter?”
“That and you’re different.”
“I’m different? How am I different?
“If I tell you that now, then what will we have to talk about at dinner on Monday?”
“And what makes you think I’ll go out with you again?” Casey said, fighting back a smile.
Ben didn’t take his eyes off of her as he asked, “Will you go to dinner with me Monday night? I promise no strawberries.”
Casey thought about it for a second, even though she already knew her answer. She opened the passenger side door. “Will you walk me to the door?”
Casey walked around the front of the truck and Ben walked her to the front porch. She slid her key into the lock and turned around. “I’m supposed to work until six on Monday. How about I give you a call after and we can grab something to eat?”
Ben smiled. “Sounds perfect.”
Casey turned the lock clockwise and pulled down on the handle.
As she opened the door and stepped inside, Ben said, “Casey.”
She looked back at
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