get some of that wipe-away paint. You know the stuff. The kids can draw on the walls and you can just wipe it away.”
Keely blinked up at him. “How do you know about kid-friendly paint?”
Dominic felt his face flush as he glanced away. He couldn’t remember the last time he had been this uncomfortable. His pushed his hands into his pocket, clearing his throat. “I did a little research.”
He had to do something to pass the time while he waited to see if Keely would call. Hoping that Keely would allow him to stay, Dominic had started searching the Internet, trying to learn everything he might need to know about raising two kids.
He was a little amazed at what was out there. He certainly didn’t remember any of the stuff he had come across being there when he was a kid. If Keely allowed him to help raise the kids, they would need to have a serious talk about how they raised the kids. Dominic wasn’t sure a potty chair with an iPad attached was such a good idea.
Keely didn’t say anything about Dominic’s admission, but a small smile played across his lips. “The basement would be a good place to build a playroom.”
“I was just thinking that there were going to be times when you needed them out of your hair for a little while. If it’s raining or something, it’s not like they can go outside and play.” Dominic shrugged. “It seemed like a good idea when I thought about it.”
“No, you’re right,” Keely replied. “It is a good idea. I’ll have to give it some thought.”
“Well…uh… if you need any help painting or anything…” Dominic left the rest of his words unsaid. Keely knew what he was offering. The ball was in his court now. Dominic didn’t want to push.
Dominic pressed the elevator call button and stood next to Keely as they waited. The silence between them was awkward. Dominic just didn’t want to say anything that would send Keely running. He felt like he was walking around on eggshells.
“So,” he finally said when he couldn’t stand the silence any longer, “how do you like practicing law here?”
Keely’s chuckle relieved some of Dominic’s tension. “It’s not big city law, that’s for sure. But I think it’s even better. Most of my clients are people I’ve met around the area since I’ve been here.”
“Any juicy cases?”
Keely laughed again. “Nothing I can talk about.”
Dominic grinned. “Happiness looks good on you.”
“Yeah?” Keely’s eyebrows rose. “How so?”
Dominic held the elevator door open when it arrived and the doors slid open. He waited until Keely pushed the stroller in and then stepped inside himself, hitting the lobby button.
“I don’t know. You seem more relaxed.”
“I think it’s less relaxing and more not worrying about the small stuff.” Keely nodded to the two small children in the stroller. “I have bigger things to worry about than whether my curtains match or not.”
Dominic inhaled slowly as he shoved his hands in his pockets. “You really hated that house, didn’t you?”
“I’m not going to lie to you, Dom. I did hate it. It was a really nice, fancy house, but there was no warmth there. It was like living in a chrome fishbowl.”
Dominic winced, mostly because Keely was right. A huge glass domicile with floor-to-ceiling windows and lots of white and black and chrome. There hadn’t been an ounce of warmth in the place, not even when the gas fireplace was burning. He just wished he had seen it before sinking over a million dollars into the place.
“You like your house.” Hell, Dominic liked Keely’s place. It was cluttered, older, and well lived in, but it was warm. It was a house a family lived in.
“I do like my house,” Keely admitted. “It’s…comfortable.”
“Comfortable.” Dominic chuckled. “That’s a good word.”
Keely beamed up at him. “It is a good word, isn’t it?”
Dominic felt lighthearted as the elevator doors slid open and he followed Keely out. Keely was
Keely blinked up at him. “How do you know about kid-friendly paint?”
Dominic felt his face flush as he glanced away. He couldn’t remember the last time he had been this uncomfortable. His pushed his hands into his pocket, clearing his throat. “I did a little research.”
He had to do something to pass the time while he waited to see if Keely would call. Hoping that Keely would allow him to stay, Dominic had started searching the Internet, trying to learn everything he might need to know about raising two kids.
He was a little amazed at what was out there. He certainly didn’t remember any of the stuff he had come across being there when he was a kid. If Keely allowed him to help raise the kids, they would need to have a serious talk about how they raised the kids. Dominic wasn’t sure a potty chair with an iPad attached was such a good idea.
Keely didn’t say anything about Dominic’s admission, but a small smile played across his lips. “The basement would be a good place to build a playroom.”
“I was just thinking that there were going to be times when you needed them out of your hair for a little while. If it’s raining or something, it’s not like they can go outside and play.” Dominic shrugged. “It seemed like a good idea when I thought about it.”
“No, you’re right,” Keely replied. “It is a good idea. I’ll have to give it some thought.”
“Well…uh… if you need any help painting or anything…” Dominic left the rest of his words unsaid. Keely knew what he was offering. The ball was in his court now. Dominic didn’t want to push.
Dominic pressed the elevator call button and stood next to Keely as they waited. The silence between them was awkward. Dominic just didn’t want to say anything that would send Keely running. He felt like he was walking around on eggshells.
“So,” he finally said when he couldn’t stand the silence any longer, “how do you like practicing law here?”
Keely’s chuckle relieved some of Dominic’s tension. “It’s not big city law, that’s for sure. But I think it’s even better. Most of my clients are people I’ve met around the area since I’ve been here.”
“Any juicy cases?”
Keely laughed again. “Nothing I can talk about.”
Dominic grinned. “Happiness looks good on you.”
“Yeah?” Keely’s eyebrows rose. “How so?”
Dominic held the elevator door open when it arrived and the doors slid open. He waited until Keely pushed the stroller in and then stepped inside himself, hitting the lobby button.
“I don’t know. You seem more relaxed.”
“I think it’s less relaxing and more not worrying about the small stuff.” Keely nodded to the two small children in the stroller. “I have bigger things to worry about than whether my curtains match or not.”
Dominic inhaled slowly as he shoved his hands in his pockets. “You really hated that house, didn’t you?”
“I’m not going to lie to you, Dom. I did hate it. It was a really nice, fancy house, but there was no warmth there. It was like living in a chrome fishbowl.”
Dominic winced, mostly because Keely was right. A huge glass domicile with floor-to-ceiling windows and lots of white and black and chrome. There hadn’t been an ounce of warmth in the place, not even when the gas fireplace was burning. He just wished he had seen it before sinking over a million dollars into the place.
“You like your house.” Hell, Dominic liked Keely’s place. It was cluttered, older, and well lived in, but it was warm. It was a house a family lived in.
“I do like my house,” Keely admitted. “It’s…comfortable.”
“Comfortable.” Dominic chuckled. “That’s a good word.”
Keely beamed up at him. “It is a good word, isn’t it?”
Dominic felt lighthearted as the elevator doors slid open and he followed Keely out. Keely was
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