Babysitter Bear by Zoe Chant

Author:Zoe Chant [Chant, Zoe]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2021-04-04T16:00:00+00:00

Paula

Dan's pot roast was amazing, meltingly tender and flavorful, nestled in heaps of potatoes and carrots. They all stuffed themselves, although Mina's ability to pack it away was particularly amazing. Kids that age could really eat sometimes, but Paula had never seen a child Mina's size stuff in that much food at one sitting. With Lissy at that age, she recalled, the problem had been getting her to eat anything other than her three favorite foods: fish sticks, olives, and Kraft boxed mac-and-cheese.

"She must be going through a growth spurt," Paula said, laughing, as Dan refilled her plate for a third time.

"You don't know the half of it," Dan muttered.

"Seriously, this is amazing." Paula grinned. "You cook, you clean, you're great with kids—I bet you do dishes too."

"It's one of my jobs, yeah."

"I didn't think the perfect man existed, but I've changed my mind. Pretty sure I've found him."

Dan gave her a look like he wasn't sure if she was teasing or not.

In all honesty Paula wasn't sure either. He seemed absolutely perfect, like her ideal man come to life. But then, she'd thought Terry seemed perfect at one point too.

Did you, though? a small voice in the back of her head asked. She had been in love with Terry, swept away by the rush of new infatuation and the excitement of college life after her small-town childhood. And look how that had turned out.

Maybe she just couldn't trust her own instincts with men.

"Here," she said, getting up from the table. "You cooked, so I'll clear away."

Dan hesitated, but nodded as she started picking up plates. "I'll go put this one down for a nap," he said, gathering Mina out of her high chair. She was nodding over the table.

"If you put her down now, she'll be up half the night," Paula warned. "Voice of experience here."

"That's all right." He smiled at her. "Small price to pay for a little alone time."

"Ewww," Sandy and Lissy said in perfect sync, and then looked at each other across the table.

"Come on, kids," Paula said. "Give me a hand with the dishes."

The kids washed dishes with her, and then ran off to the living room to play video games. When Dan came back downstairs, it was just Paula in the kitchen.

"Where'd the rest of the herd go?" he asked.

"They're playing something called Super Star Speeder, or at least I think that's what he said. I didn't think it would be a problem." She held out a Tupperware container of leftovers. "Where should this go? There's not much room in the fridge."

"I'll find a space." He went down to one knee and started rearranging things.

It was quiet and pleasant, Paula wiping down the counters with a sponge and dish towel, Dan putting things away. They worked together perfectly in sync, Paula handing him items, Dan stowing them in the Rugers' overloaded cabinets and stuffed fridge. From the living room came the kids' yells of glee as they scored points in the game, punctuated occasionally by Dan telling them to keep it down so they didn't wake the babies.

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