“I still get a Christmas present too, right?”
Ben shook his head. “Brat.”
She threw him a cheeky grin full of dimples and raced ahead.
“Darcy—”
“Not here, Ben. We’ll talk tonight. I’m too mad right now, but we’ll talk it out.”
He frowned. He was waiting for the clothing rack to come for his head. He didn’t get her at all. “Okay, come by after your shift.”
She nodded, her arms crossed over her chest as she walked away.
The rest of the day dragged. He checked his phone every few minutes to see if there was a text from Darcy or from John. His stomach was a roiling mess by the time dinner rolled around. He’d stopped at the market for supplies.
He killed some time cutting vegetables for chicken stir-fry and popped three ibuprofen to combat the endless chatter from The Disney Channel that Brittany wouldn’t turn off. Finally his phone buzzed.
Be there in 10. Is B still there?
He tapped back the affirmative and mentioned that he made dinner. A few seconds later she typed back a simple okay.
He heated up his wok and set the chicken into the oil. He had no choice but to concentrate on the sizzle of the meat and the quick preparation time on the meal. “Set the table, Brit.”
She ran in and shuffled out the plates and silverware he’d set out for her. “I like Darcy. You should make sure that whatever she was mad at you about earlier, you fix.”
“You’re way too astute, kid.”
She shrugged. “I watched this show on Discovery about body language. It was pretty cool. And Darcy? She had all the signs of being really pissed at you.”
“Oh yeah?”
/> “Yeah, the super nice words with that clipped tone? That’s a good one. My teachers use that a lot.”
Christ, the kid was too smart for her own good.
“And then there was the folded arms and tapping toe, and the way she wouldn’t look you in the eye.”
“Thanks, Brit.”
“What? I’m telling you this stuff to help you. I don’t want to see you sad like Daddy is all the time.”
Ben pulled their meal off the burner for the sauce to thicken and hauled her in for a hug. “You’re a good kid, you know that?”
“I know. Even if Daddy wants to box my ears in.”
The door opened and Darcy slid in and hung up her coat. “Hey.”
“Hey.”
Well, at least she let herself in like she normally did. He was half expecting her to ring the damn doorbell. He went out into the living room. Her arms were across her midsection and something on the carpet was damn interesting.
Brit nudged him forward. “Uncle Ben made his awesome stir-fry.”
“Oh yeah?”
Brit nodded and took Darcy’s hand, dragging her into the kitchen. “Come sit down.”
She passed him and he tried to grab her hand, but Darcy twisted her fingers away. He sighed and followed them into the small kitchen. He scooped their dinner out into a huge bowl and stuck two serving spoons into it, placing it in the middle of the table.