Page 17 of Wishing for Love

Lots of female products that had her grabbing them all trying to stuff them back in a box. His eyes landed on one little bag that had the name of a toy company on it and he looked away quickly.

“I’ve got four sisters,” he said. “Nothing I haven’t seen, heard, or experienced.”

She laughed. “I forgot you had so many siblings. I can’t wait to hear about them.”

He grabbed her box and put the bottom back together for her and helped her put her hair products in there while she did all the other things.

“I want to hear too,” Elsie said. “I forgot some of their names. Will you tell me again, Uncle Nix?”

“Sure,” he said, running his hand over Elsie’s hair. Once the box was packed up, he stood up. “Let me carry this up so you don’t drop it. It’s bigger than your arm's reach.”

“Thanks,” she said. “I’ll let you because I don’t feel like dropping it all again and I’m sure I would carrying it up the stairs.”

He lifted it, it wasn’t that heavy, and brought it up the stairs. There was no door to get to the living room, but she’d get privacy in her bedroom at least.

There were things all over the furniture and she seemed embarrassed. “I’m sorry,” she said. “I’ll get it all cleared up. I’m not a slob. I’m really not.”

“It’s fine,” he said. “I know what it’s like to move someplace, but I will admit this house has more space than I need. If it wasn’t such a good deal, I might have let it go a few years ago. Glad I didn’t now.”

“It’s bigger than anything I’ve been in,” she said. “Though my sister’s house is pretty big so maybe that is a lie. It’s just laid out differently.”

“Which sister is that?”

“Taylor. She lives in Colonie, New York. Her husband owns a construction company so he builds some nice houses.”

Hmmm. “I’ve got a cousin that is dating someone from Colonie. What a small world.”

“Do they still live there?” she asked.

“No, they moved to Manhattan where my cousin lives,” he said. No way he was saying his cousin was billionaire West Carlisle. Some things you never share and that was one of them.

The last thing he needed was to be compared to him. Especially when it seemed he was sucking at the one business he owned.

“I’ve been there once,” she said. “When Taylor got married four years ago. I haven’t been since. Hard to find time and the cost of it didn’t always work out. But I see pictures of my nieces and nephews all the time. I’ve got lots of them.”

“I don’t have any,” he said. “We are all single, to my parents’ frustration.”

“Surprising you are,” she said.

“Why is that?” he asked. He should get downstairs to Elsie, but he knew she was fine watching TV and he couldn’t seem to get his feet to move.

“Don’t take this the wrong way, but you’re pretty nice on the eyes for whatever your tastes are.”

He choked on that statement. “I only lean one way,” he said.

She laughed. “Sorry. That was wrong of me to say, but I never assume anything. I just know that your best friend was Elsie’s mother.”

He’d have to explain that at some point, but he’d need more than a few minutes and worried about Elsie coming up.

“It’s not because I like men,” he said. “We’ll talk about it more later.”

“Got it,” she said. “When little ears aren’t around. I do want to cook for you tonight. I don’t want you to think I can’t when I said I could. No reason to have you fire me before it starts.”

“That won’t be happening over food. It wasn’t a deal breaker by any means. My mother left enough food in the freezer she made me buy to cover me for a few months, I’m sure.”

“That is the sweetest thing ever,” she said. “My mother wouldn’t do that.”

“I’ve got a pretty special family.”