His Kind of Wonderful (Sugar Bay #2) (29 page)

Derek gaze hardened. Anabelle had never seen him look so fierce.

“Charlie…” She warned with a subtle shake of her head.

“Never mind all that. I have a feeling this guy has some of those qualities we discussed from your checklist. Wink. Wink.”

Anabelle groaned and palmed her burning face. Charlie had the subtlety of a sledgehammer.

“Stop that. Derek knows the importance of an active sex life and he’s happy for you, aren’t you Derek?”

Without waiting for a confirmation from him, she breezed on, “And you, missy, you can thank me later. Eight o’clock at Sushiman.”

She grimaced, and tried to apologize for Charlie’s stint into insanity but Derek’s jaw was tight and he no longer looked laid back, so she let it go.

It took serious effort, but after a five mile run and a beer, he was finally able to unclench his jaw. When he thought of the storage room scene, he wanted to bend something. That Anabelle would rather date a stranger instead of him was unbelievable.

“What’s with the grumpy face?” Dani met him on the walkway in front of their sister’s farmhouse.

“Did you know Anabelle was on Cupid’s Match?” He wanted to kick the dirt but he knew his sister would use the childish action against him.

“No. Why should I? Anabelle is your obsession, not mine.”

He shook his head at her imitation of a goggle eyed, drooling maniac. There was no denying it so he didn’t try.

“What happened?” she asked after she’d had her fun.

“I found out she’s going on a date tonight with a match.”

“That’s kind of scary.”

“Exactly. Why would she go out with a stranger, instead of me?”

“Did you ask?” Dani’s eyes were big behind the brainiac glasses she wore when she had problems with her contacts.

“Yes.”

“I take it from the grumpy face, you were shot down?”

He glared at his kid sister rather than answer her.

“Impressive. Go Anabelle.”

“Shut up.” Two sisters he had. It was a good thing his best friend, Joe, was always around although that braying ass liked to give him a hard time too.

“Women throw themselves at you and you can’t be bothered, but Anabelle treats you like you have leprosy and you can’t get enough.”

“It’s not that bad.”

“Oh really? She barely makes eye contact when I’m in meetings with the two of you.”

He shrugged, that was the reason he’d started sending Dani on errands when he knew Anabelle was scheduled to come in.

“You should check on her though. Make sure she’s safe.”

“I promised Dylan I would take the kids shopping tonight for Halloween costumes, since you have a tutoring session tonight.”

“Right.” She nodded and adjusted her backpack. “After that then.”

“Maybe.”

“You’re never going to rest until you do.”

He shrugged. “Drive safely,” he said, ruffling her shiny brown hair.

“I will. Bye brother. Have fun with the monsters.”

He laughed and walked up the steps to Monster Headquarters, aka his sister’s home.

Frilly tutus and colorful tights filled Derek’s vision.

“Uncle Derek, can you reach that tiara for me, please?”

His youngest niece, Esme, indicated the light blue sparkly crown on the top row of dazzling crowns.

“Here you go, little monster.”

“Thank you!” She squealed and danced her happy dance, hugging the crown like she was never letting it go. Her eyes sparkled and he was glad he’d volunteered for shopping duty. His nieces always made him smile.

“You sure you don’t want to be batman, sweetie?”

She gave him a look of pure exasperation he figured she’d copied from her older sister who was on the cusp of crossing into the dangerous land of hormones and boys. On Janie, the look dripped condescension of the highest order and was a little bit scary, but on preschooler, Esme, it was adorable.

“Ok, little monster.” He said and tugged on her brown pigtails.

“Uncle Derek, what do you think about this?”

Speak of the devil. He took in the sexy pirate outfit complete with a ruffled off the shoulder top, short skirt and fishnet stockings his oldest niece held in front of her.

“That’s a big fat…NO.” His sister would tear him apart if he bought that.

“No?” An eyebrow arched high over incredulous eyes. A storm brewed, he could sense it.

“No,” he replied, crossing his arms over his chest. There was no way he would capitulate in the face of his niece’s brand of warfare. She did preteen pout like nobody’s business but his sisters would torture him for the rest of his life if he brought that costume home. He’d be sixty and still be harassed by his sisters for the
one time
he was sent out for Halloween costumes and bought a glorified hooker outfit instead.

He shuddered. No fucking way.

“Okay then, how about this one?” Jane’s unrepentant grin let him know she’d been joking and had thoroughly enjoyed his panic. She held out a hippie costume with a temporary flower and peace tattoo along with a beaded headband and fringed vest.

“Perfect.” He sighed, relieved his niece wasn’t serious about dressing like a tramp and he could hold off on discussing the dangers of exposing herself to hormonal boys. Although the fact she’d inherited his warped sense of humor was worrisome. She’d give him gray hairs in the next few years. “Now, what about Alex?”

“She’s coming.”

A crash sounded at the end of the aisle and plastic pumpkins scattered everywhere. He winced when he heard his niece breath out, “Oopsie.”

Derek sighed. “You were supposed to watch her.”

“What? I was. She was right behind me. I can’t help she’s a walking disaster.”

He shook his head, already heading down the aisle. He picked up an armful of pumpkins while a harassed looking attendant restacked the pumpkins and his niece attempted to assist. Attempted was the key word, in that more pumpkins fell than were successfully stacked and the attendant looked pained.

“Sorry, Uncle Derek, I didn’t see it,” Alex said when she saw him. She shoved her glasses up her nose and clutched her loot under one arm. With the other she reached for more pumpkins.

“That’s okay sweetie.” To the attendant he mouthed an apology to which she smiled and gave him an appreciative look before glancing down at his ring finger. Her smile grew when she noted it was bare. He wished he felt an answering interest but a certain brunette dominated his thoughts, a certain luscious and completely stubborn brunette, he reminded himself.

“I found
the
perfect costume, Uncle Derek. Check it out.”

His middle niece held up a ghoulish doctor’s outfit and waggled her eyebrows. “Well? Huh? Huh?” She bounced up and down. “What do you think? It’s perfect right? I even found face paint so I can be
extra
creepy.”

She looked so pleased, he laughed. He couldn’t help it. No matter what thoughts filled his mind, the girls brought him joy and he was glad he’d moved here.

“I love it.”

“Good, because I have the perfect costume for you too, Uncle Derek.” She nodded her head up and down, aquiver in her excitement. Sometimes his eight-year-old niece reminded him of a golden retriever, it made him want to pet her shiny golden brown hair.

“Yeah, Uncle Derek, you’re gonna love it,” Janie said with a slightly evil smirk that made him a little nervous. Since his sister paid in food, today’s excursion was going to cost her some homemade strawberry shortcake, for sure.

He checked his watch, the timeline was tight but he estimated he could finish the shopping, drop the kids off, and have enough time to get ready before he crashed a date tonight. He grinned and ignored the strange looks his nieces gave him.

He had his own evil plan to set in place tonight.

It was time Anabelle saw the possibilities of dating a younger man.