Reconsider Me

Part 34

"I have the guest room ready for you." Lindsey said as he let Stevie and Aimee through the front door first. "If Aimee is anything like her mother, I'll have a separate room for you."

Stevie rolled her eyes and elbowed him in the ribs, making him laugh. "We'll be just fine, thank you. She's not gonna want to sleep by herself in an unfamiliar place."

"Thought so." Lindsey nodded and led the way up the stairs. "You'll be staying here and I'm over there, at the end of the hallway." He showed, just letting her know. 

"Have you been grocery shopping yet?" Stevie asked, keeping an eye on Aimee as the girl took in her surroundings. 

"Uh, yeah. I got everything off the list." Lindsey confirmed, referring to the shopping list from Stevie, which she dictated to him over the phone the night before. "I didn't want the hassle of going, once you two got here."

"Smart man." Stevie smiled subtly, appreciative that someone did something she'd asked. "Once we're settled in, I'll start dinner."

"You really don't have to, though." Lindsey reminded her yet again, he told her the same thing several times last night. "I can still go grab something."

"Nope." Stevie disagreed. "I thought, we've already been over this."

"Fine." Lindsey sighed. "Right, I'll leave you to it."

"You don't have to leave." Stevie shrugged, unzipping one of the bags to get a change of clothes.

Lindsey plopped down on the bed and his eyes settled on Aimee, who was inspecting a painting, hanging on the wall. "She's got good taste."

Chuckling lightly, Stevie nodded. "Well, she's been around fine art since the day she was born."

"Is she the biggest fan of Tom Petty yet?" Lindsey teased, watching Stevie as she reached for the hem of her blouse and pulled it up over her head. He looked away, unsure why really. 

"She loves uncle Tom." Stevie smiled. Everyone, who met Aimee, immediately fell in love with her. "You can look."

"I-" Lindsey gulped. "I don't know, why I looked the other way. It's not like I haven't seen you... more naked than this."

"Maybe you don't find me attractive anymore." Stevie said and almost laughed at the expression on his face. "What?"

"That's crazy talk." Lindsey gave her a pointed look. "It's probably the fact we're not, you know, alone." He brought a hand up to his face, shielding it from the unaware little girl. "There's a small kid in the room with us."

"Have you lost all sense of control, Linds?" Stevie walked over to Aimee to get her out of the dress she was wearing and into something more comfortable as well. 

"I've never been able to control myself, when it comes to you." He shrugged, seeing no point in lying. 

When Stevie didn't reply, Lindsey placed his hands behind him on the mattress and leaned back. Something, a new feeling awoke in his heart as he watched Stevie with Aimee. Longing? Sadness? Anger for every single missed opportunity?