He Who Takes Care of their Needs

"For you."

Those were Duncan's last words before he was dragged by my kids so they could show them how clean the house was.

I was wondering why there was no clutter at home. He threw a sexy grin over his shoulder and then disappeared behind the closed doors of the kitchen together with my kids.

I shook my head. I guess he must have promised them something pretty big. The house had been clean of their toys, and the usual mess in the living room was missing. I mean, no matter what bribe I do, the house will be in disarray the next day after they cleaned up.

No matter. If whatever he said helped them be neat, that was fine by me. Who was I, to take this boon for granted? My kids were learning to clean up, so that would be a win for me.

I stood up, picked up the soiled dishes, and washed them. Yes, I was the general manager of The Belle, but it doesn't mean that I have to order other people around when I can do things on my own.

When I was satisfied with how clean the kitchen looked, I went back to the front desk and helped Renzie and Jana. The kids and Duncan were nowhere in sight, they must be at home.

I mentally recalled if there were clothes scattered about the house. No, they were all in the hamper. The only thing that needed to be put away was the dirty plushies that Nicole asked me to wash.

I also need to go to the market and buy some groceries and fresh food to cook. So far, I was able to do dishes from my home country. Then again, Jane had been introducing me to Scottish food.

Has it been five years since we moved here? It feels like it was just yesterday when we boarded that plane that changed our lives forever.

I sighed and took a deep breath. For now, I need to focus on work.

The day flew by in a blur, with the patrons going in and out of The Belle, making sure all things were in order, I only saw my kids a handful of times. Even Jane, who was usually with the kids were helping out in the inn.

When she noticed me giving her an odd look she just mouthed, "Duncan." As if his name would answer my unspoken question. I had to massage my forehead a couple of times the whole afternoon.

By the time I needed to go home, I had a headache that all I wanted was to sleep and forget about the world. Since I am a mom though, that is like asking for the moon to have its shine.

What greeted me when I stepped inside my house was the wonderful aroma of homemade bread. Yes, bread, that earthy aroma that you wanted to smell early in the morning enveloped the inside of my house, making my mouth water.

I went to the kitchen to find once again, Duncan in front of the stove, wearing the pink apron that I own. His overcoat was nowhere to be seen. Then I remembered that he was not wearing one.

He was wearing tight dark blue jeans and a simple olive-colored polo shirt. Huh, why did I not notice what he was wearing this afternoon?

I had to blame that lapse on being shocked to see him after what happened last night.

I looked at my kids. Claude had his book on his right side, the same as Nicole. They were seated at both ends of the table while a laptop was in the middle.

I smiled. They looked like a real family. The kind of family that the books I read always describe. The happy family that I wanted, but I knew I could never have.

It was ironic really. When I became a mother and a wife, I only had basic expectations. A husband that helped me with the expenses. Sometimes helping with the housework. I had no grad allusion to being uber-rich, or to going anywhere. I hated shopping and spending too much money on things that I don't need.

I just wanted to have enough to provide for my family.

Yet fate had other ideas.

Duncan must have felt me looking at him. He turned around and gave me a smile that punched me right in the gut. Damn this man. He was systematically breaking down the walls that I had built around me.

I can feel myself blushing once more. The way those eyes looked at me from top to bottom was disorienting. It was like he was trying to see if I was hurt or something.

"You're back," Duncan said.

Claude and Nicole stopped what they were doing to look at me and smiled their sweetest smile.

"Hi, mommy!" they said in unison.

I stepped inside the kitchen and gave each of them a kiss before I faced the man that was trying to win over me.

Mind you, this was the second time he had been with me and the kids. But looking at him, it was like he had been taking care of my kids since they were born.

Before I could say anything, he was speaking, "I have raided your pantry and asked what the kids wanted. The lasagna is in the oven and the bread is ready." He turned his back to me and checked our dinner. "try to freshen up a bit, lass. Don't worry about the kids and dinner, I have it all covered."

I looked at my kids who were engrossed in their homeschooling work and nodded. I saw his shoulder shake with suppressed laughter.

I was doing it again, nodding my head even though he could not see me. I groaned and left them to their own devices. Nicole must have taken some pens to my desk because the desk lamp was on.

I took a long shirt from my walk-in closet and headed for the bathroom. My stomach rumbled, the food must be ready because I could smell it from here.

I quickly freshened up so I could join them. From the quiet sounds, I could hear the kids were also helping with preparing our evening meal.

The table was clear of books and his laptop. They were replaced by a steaming hot tray of homemade food. The kids were getting cutlery and water while Duncan was serving them portions of food they could have. There were two small bowls of red and white sauce on mine and Duncan's plate. There were several slices of bread on all of the plates.

[I only I had met this man sooner,] I thought. There was a natural way he took charge of the kids without being over the top. I couldn't hear what he was asking Nicole, but the pout she had on disappeared.

Claude was looking at his food like it was the best thing he saw. There was an air of anticipation in the air when they saw me.

I smiled at them, as I sat on one of the unoccupied chairs. A glass of water was placed on my right accompanied by a tablet of medicine. Duncan just grinned at me as his eye lit up.

I gladly accepted the medicine and took a healthy drink of water. When he had served everyone, he sat and asked Claude to say, Grace.

Why? Why was fate like this? I asked as I listened to my son, who was never religious, thank God for the food they were having. All I could do was close my eyes.

I felt tears gather on my eyelids. My heart, that has been encased with a thick wall of ice, was slowly melting. What magic had he cast over my children? Has he also cast the same magic over me?

However, he was just a man. A normal man who had somehow caught me in his sight. Maybe he thought that I would be a good challenge. Maybe he was just bored. Maybe...

"You."

His simple declaration last night stopped whatever questions I had in my head. He wanted me. That was it. Me.

The ultimate question was...

Can Duncan handle the real me?