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Page 11

“Mommy paints my nails when I’m sick. Can you paint my nails?”
Umm, did he have to? “Are you bribing me into painting your nails so I can watch Tom and Jerry?” Braden tried not to laugh but couldn’t help himself. She was good.
His laughter died when she asked, “What’s that?”
Nice. Wes left him with her for two hours and he almost taught her how to start bribing people to get her way. “Nothing. Where’s the nail polish?”
He looked in the bathroom cabinet like she said and found about eleven thousand shades of pink. He grabbed two of them and took them out so Jessie could pick. As it turned out, she wanted both. He set them on the coffee table and sat down on the floor in front of her. Jessie stretched her arm out toward him, all messy curls and red cheeks.
“You’re enjoying this too much,” he teased as he opened the bottles. As he did, Jerry snagged Tom in one of Tom’s own traps and they both started laughing. “You haven’t seen the best of it yet. Keep watching.”
Jessie giggled, her eyes on the TV.
Braden wasn’t going to pretend he knew the first thing about painting nails. What he did learn was wiping the brush was a must, because her first nail had polish halfway down her finger.
She didn’t seem to mind, though, just lay there watching Tom and Jerry. Every so often he’d forget what he was doing and get lost in cat and mouse antics, but then Jessie would wiggle her fingers again and he would start painting.
The door opened while he painted her last nail. Fuck. He’d hoped to finish before Wes got back. The man stood in the doorway, looking down at Braden on the floor with two colors of bright-pink nail polish open next to him.
“Tom and Jerry’s on.” Braden winked at Wes, which seemed to wake him up.
“I see that. And you’re painting nails.”
“I have two sisters.”
“I had two sisters as well, and I’ve never painted a nail in my life.”
Braden shook his head while Wes smiled. He closed the door and walked over, laying a hand on Jessie’s forehead. “How ya doing, kiddo?”
“Good.”
Braden closed the bottles and stood. “I didn’t give her anything. Her fever’s only ninety-nine point nine. I haven’t checked in a bit, though. You might want to.”
He noticed Wes had loosened his tie, leaving it draped around his neck. The urge to grab it and pull him closer made Braden’s palms tingle but he held back.
“You get the job?” he asked.
Wes’s eyebrows rose playfully, something Braden had never seen from the man. “Nailed it.”
Oh, the things he could say to that comment. Wes seemed to realize it, because he added, “You say it and I’m kicking your ass.”
“That’s not nice, Uncle Wes!” Jessie called from the couch.
Wes’s jaw tightened.
“Smart kid.” Braden chuckled.
“You’re always taking his side.” He ruffled Jessie’s hair. Braden watched his eyes when he looked at her, saw how much he loved her, but the fear there, too. Damn, he respected the man. He wanted him again, too, but now probably wasn’t the best time to be thinking about that.
“Well, I guess I’ll let you guys get back to your day. You get better Squirt, okay?” Braden waved at her and took a step back. When he did, Jessie sat up.
“Don’t go. Can’t you stay? I bet Uncle Wes hasn’t seen Tom and Jerry, either. We can all watch. And I’m hungry. Do we have anything to eat? Popsicles, too. Mommy says the only time you can eat as many popsicles as you want is when you’re sick.”
Wow. That was a mouthful. Braden looked at Wes. “How do you keep up with her?”
Wes had his eyes firmly on Jessie. “I’m sure Braden has things to do.”
“Please, Uncle Wes. Please, Braden!” Jessie asked before she started coughing again.
Wes knelt beside her, stroking her hair. “Please Uncle Wes?” she asked again.
Braden heard Wes exhale, but then he looked up at Braden, question in his eyes. “Sure, Squirt. I can stay. Only if you have popsicles, though.” Hanging out with them sounded more fun than anything else he could think of anyway.
***
Wes set the bags of groceries on the counter as Braden slipped into the kitchen behind him. “She fell asleep again. I left her on the couch. I didn’t know if I should carry her to her room or if leaving her there would be okay.”
“She’s good where she is.” He kept his voice low as not to wake her. “Since she’s sleeping, you can head out if you want. I don’t want to keep you.” Being Friday, Braden probably had plans tonight.