I’d love to buy her everything just to keep seeing that joy in her eyes, but then I’d have to lug it all back to New York.
“Can I help you?” A woman approaches us, eyes only on me.
“Doll clothes?” I say to her with my hands on Sadie’s shoulders.
“Which doll?” she asks me, again ignoring the wee one.
“Show the saleslady, Sadie.”
“I own this shop. Took it over from my mum.” Her eyes rake over me.
Sadie removes the doll from her backpack. “Her name is Lucy.”
“I see.” The woman who looks way too young to own a toy store glances at the doll and then at me. “We don’t carry the Lucy doll, but I’m sure the outfits in aisle ten will fit her.”
“Thank you,” I say, and when Sadie skips that way, the woman leans in and touches my arm. Something very viscerally wrong settles over me.
“I can take a few Euros off on a new doll for yourinion, if you can’t afford—”
“Whoa.” I stop her. “She’s not my daughter. This is my niece’s wee one, and she’s a single mother, who’s doing the best she can.”
“Oh, your niece’sdaughter.” She looks at me and then back at Sadie, waving. “Must be why I see such a strong resemblance.”
“Right. Her grandfather is my brother.” I suddenly feel very old, even though I’m only thirty-eight.
“Either way, my offer stands. She’s a cutie pie, that one. If there’s anything I can do to assist you.” She lays a hand on my arm again.
Any other time, I’d be asking this bird what time she gets off work and where she lives to pay her a visit. Make her scream between the sheets. But I see Darcy’s face in my head, and the idea of anyone else touching me makes my stomach turn. Quickly, an image of Darcy sitting on my lap naked makes my cock twitch.
Shite…
This is not how I should be feeling, especially in a toy store, and for fuck’s sake, I shouldn’t be having thoughts of shagging my niece.
“Thank you,” I tell the store owner again and meet Sadie in aisle ten. She’s sitting on the floor and is already dressing Lucy in a new outfit that she pulled off the peg.
Guess I’m buying that. I’m happy to buy her whatever she needs. Even silly things just to see her smile. It doesn’t matter the cost.
Interesting how the owner lady saw a resemblance between Sadie and me. I’ve heard Ma and others say Connor and I look alike. I search for Connor’s features in Sadie, and I’m floored to catch a stunning similarity that I hadn’t seen before.
It goes beyond the same reddish-blonde color hair and blue eyes, which are both the same as mine. It’s the shape of Sadie’s eyes, and that hint, that whisper I see when I study her.
There’s only one problem. Connor and I don’t look like Da. We look like Ma. But there’s Quinlan blood in us all, so I ignore it and crouch down to scoop up the discarded pink pajamas. “Lucy going somewhere fancy?”
“Yes, a tea party.” She holds up the doll in a dress with a sparkly skirt. “I’ve always wanted to wear my tutu with someone who matches.”
“Tutu? You take dance lessons?”
“I did. Mummy said she has to save up money for me to go back.”
It kills me how Darcy has had to struggle because some prick left her alone to raise Sadie.
Looking at all the clothes on the wall, I stand up and grab another new outfit. “That dress is lovely, but she needs, I don’t know, hangout clothes. For watching dancing dogs on the tele.” I poke her, and she laughs, taking the shirt and short set from me. “How about an exercise outfit and something to sleep in, and work clothes, too?” I grab several more packages of little outfits and crouch down to show her. She leans into me, smiling at me, and nods her head. I haven’t earned the trust she’s giving me, but damn, I want to. “You know, Sadie, we’re going to be taking a trip, you, your mother, and me. We’re going to New York.”
She doesn’t seem phased by the idea of leaving her maimeó and my brother. “Where’s New York?”
I pick her up and point to the wide plate-glass storefront window. Across the street from the shop, there’s a narrow alley that leads to the docks. “Do you see the water and boats?”
“Sure, we go to the beach there. The water is always cold.”