Page 8 of Her Faithful Protector

“Hey, aren’t you going to get a plate or a bowl or something?” He asked as she tasted the cobbler.

“This isn’t bad. A little runny, but it tastes like cobbler.”

“Come on, it’s the third time I made cobbler, be kind,” he said as he pulled out a spoon and a bowl then headed to the freezer and grabbed a quart of vanilla ice cream.

“When did you make a cobbler before?” Alice asked as she greedily grabbed the ice cream out of his hands.

“Earlier today. This was my third attempt.”

Alice’s laugh sounded like Mimi’s, a beautiful sound. Too bad she didn’t laugh all that often.

“You baked three cobblers? Where are the other two?”

“They ended up in the trash,” Nic said as he scooped up two bowls of runny blackberry goo and smothered them in vanilla ice cream.

“That’s such a waste. Wait a minute, where did the ice cream come from?”

Before Alice sat down at the table, she went back to the refrigerator and opened the freezer.

“Dammit Nic, I told you not to buy groceries for me. That is not part of our deal.”

“My deal is that I’m a growing boy, and I need man food here when I come over to watch Mimi. You have girl food, it doesn’t work for me.”

She pulled out frozen pork chops, hamburger patties, and a rib roast. “Just how often do you intend to come over? There’s enough to feed your whole unit.”

“Team, we’re a team, not a unit,” he clarified after he swallowed his blackberry-flavored ice cream.

“Whatever.” She shoved the meat back into the freezer, then opened the fridge and growled.

“Come over to the table, your ice cream is melting.”

“Goddammit, Nic. You’re pissing me off,” she said as she stomped over to the table and flounced into the chair.

“Join the club. You’ve been pissing me off for the last year. This is not a damned handout. If the positions were reversed, you’d be doing the same damned thing. One day they probably will be reversed and I’m going to need a hand, so this is my way of buying into your good graces.”

She slid a large portion of dessert into her mouth, and Nic knew it was so she didn’t have to talk. She was definitely pissed. Well, she’d just have to suck it up. She needed the help. Things were tight for her right now, and that fuck-nut of an ex-husband still wasn’t paying child support, so Nic was going to help where he could.

“I don’t like this, Nic.”

“I know you don’t, Allie,” he said using the nickname from their childhood. “But this isn’t just about you, it’s about Mimi. You know that, I know you do.”

“She never goes without!” Alice was shocked.

“No, but her mother does, and that’s just as bad. You don’t think Mimi sees that? You don’t think your losing weight and lack of energy doesn’t affect that little girl? I know you’re banking on that promotion, and I know you, you’ll get it. But in the meantime, you need some help. Take it. Take it from Mom and Dad, too.”

He saw tears fill her eyes.

“I just thought I could handle this, you know?”

“I don’t know how. Most couples couldn’t handle this with two salaries, and two sets of hands. It’s time you let us help. You’re breaking Mom’s heart, she thinks of you as the daughter she never had.”

Alice pushed her bowl of ice cream away and crossed her arms on the table, then rested her head on it. “You promise I’m not a failure?” she whispered.

“I promise. Shit, Alice, the only failure in this sad scenario is your deadbeat ex-husband, and as soon as he’s located, he’ll be taken care of.”

Her head jerked up and she gave him a worried look. “What are you talking about?”

“Nothing you need to concern yourself with.”