Page 92 of Fierce-Baker

“It worked out perfectly. Just four days a week from nine thirty until four. At this age, Micah needs the social interaction anyway. I would have been exhausted if I had to chase after him all day.”

“Have you tried potty training yet?”

She shivered. “No. He’s not even sixteen months.”

Though there was a part of her that wanted to, and even bought the little potty to set on the floor for him, but Micah took one look at it and thought it was a toy and threw some dinosaurs in it.

No, thank you!

Best not to let him think it was a game and hide it away for now.

Out of sight, out of mind... hopefully.

Diaper changing wasn’t the end of the world. Even Baker changed one for her the other night, helping her get Micah ready for bed.

Talk about super sweet.

And him playing with her son while she cooked dinner for the last visit with Brittany and Emme.

Double dose of velvety chocolate goodness.

Her heart, that she’d sworn was off limits to a man she was trying to test the water with and keep simple, had gone splat on the floor.

And when Brittany saw what she had, she thought that maybe she wasn’t alone in those thoughts.

It just wasn’t the time to voice them.

Not yet, at least.

“I think my youngest was past three when she finally would sit on the potty. That was horrible. The other two were around two. I try to wipe it from my mind.”

“I’ll start in a few months. I don’t want to rush, but I also don’t want him thinking he can control it either. I get enough of that in everything else,” she said, grinning.

“Ahh, one ofthoseboys.”

“Yep. He’s not horrible with it, but he has his moments. Which he’s allowed, but he also doesn’t like there are rules.”

“That’s where it comes in handy having another male around. Whether it’s a brother or cousin, grandparent. I know I’m old-fashioned.”

She sighed. “You’re not.” And since she kept so much of her life private in the past, and it only caused more people to talk, she decided to add, “I am seeing someone. And I can tell right away the change in Micah when he’s around Baker. Sometimes he wants to play more with him than me. I’m now the source of food, cuddles, and bath time.”

“Let’s not forget discipline. That was me once the kids decided Dad was the fun one,” Bella said. Her coworker was rubbing her hands together. “Fill me in on this man. You rarely talk about any guy and if you started dating him this summer,it’s not been long. Unless it was before the summer and you’re just saying it now.”

“This summer. I worked at Fierce-The Brewery over the summer, just checking in guests for the tours. Baker runs the distillery and I met him there.”

“Tell me more about him,” Bella said. “Doesn’t sound like someone you’d be drawn to.”

She wanted to take offense to that. To argue that no one she worked with really knew much about her dating life.

Just a few men and none they ever met.

What the hell?

“Why is that?” she asked.

“You’re insulted, I know,” Bella said. “I’m sorry. It’s just that when you talked about men in the past, they were always guys that worked in an office. Or another teacher. At least that is what I assumed. Was I wrong?”

She sighed. “No. And none of them worked out.”