“You’re right about the hobby, so long as it doesn’t interfere with your care. But Sawyer, you gotta know that I could definitely do dating in ways that they didn’t like.”
Sawyer frowned. “Like what?”
“Like… introducing you to people too quickly, staying out too late, bringing people around who could hurt you….”
“Well, you wouldn’t do that.” Sawyer rolled his eyes.
“You know that. I know that. But CAS won’t. In fact, if I’m dating to find a partner, then in theory, I’m dating to find a co-parent, and that’s a big deal for them.”
Sawyer pulled a face. “As if you need a co-parent. Or I’d want one. Well… another cool uncle—or aunt—would be okay. Like if you found someone who was actually fun to spend time with, I wouldn’t mind. But like, you’re good at the single-dad stuff, or whatever.”
That deserved a kiss to the forehead and a hug. Robbie didn’t make the rules. He just followed them. Sorta. Sometimes. When he felt like it. Especially if it meant showing physical affection. “Thanks, kid. But on that note, I think we’re probably both overdue for bedtime.”
Miraculously, Sawyer didn’t fight him. He just nodded tiredly and headed for the stairs.
“Hey,” Robbie said before he could get too far.
Sawyer turned around.
“I love you, kid.”
Sawyer gave a watery smile. “Love you too.”
Chapter Twelve
Caution, Meet Wind
Tuesday morningFinn stumbled into the kitchen to find Holly haunting the coffeepot. She gestured at his phone, which he’d left plugged in by the fridge so that he couldn’t roll over in the middle of the night and think about texting Robbie. “You’re popular this morning.”
He grunted and nudged her away from the pot. “I know why I look like shit. Why do you look like shit?”
“Producer Paul,” Holly said pensively. She watched Finn pour himself a mug of coffee, then topped up her own mug and brought the entire pot to the table, where she set it in front of herself. “He’s really pushing this idea of doing aDancing with the Starsstyle tour after the season’s done.” She paused and winced. “I shouldn’t have told you that.”
Finn looked at his coffee—sad and black, the way he normally took it during competition season—and decided it could use a pick-me-up. He added a generous amount of Holly’s caramel-flavored creamer so he could drink it without burning himself and sat down across from her. “It’s not like I’m not gonna find out later today.” His meeting with Producer Paul was scheduled for a few hours from now. “You don’t want to take the show on the road?”
“I work in TV, not live events.” She hunched her shoulders. “And it would mean giving upScarborough Fare.”
Holly spent her summers withDance Your Ice Off, but during the rest of the year she worked on a middle-budget sitcom about rival food truck owners. Finn remembered the day she got her first job as an assistant producer on a CBC show. He’d never seen her so excited.
“Right.” Finn blew out a breath and slugged his coffee. “So I guess you’re… leaving.”
“If the plan doesn’t change, yeah.”
Shit. Finn loved working with Holly. Now it looked like, whatever happened, he probably wouldn’t be doing that for much longer.
Just a few weeks ago, his summer had looked bright—a new relationship, renewed passion for his work, even that call from Scott. And now it was all slipping through his fingers at once, and on top of that, he wouldn’t get to work with his best friend.
Ugh. How much more of Gail’s tea was he going to have to drink this summer?
“Hey.” Holly kicked him under the table. “Don’t make that face. I’m already sad. You have to fake it for me until I’m ready to fake it for you. Quid pro quo.”
Somehow she always knew what to say. Smiling wryly, Finn stood and tugged on the end of her ponytail. “All right. Pancakes for breakfast?”
“Yes, please.”
He was just loading the plates in the dishwasher when his cellphone rang and he remembered what Holly had said about his multiple messages. Cursing to himself, he picked it up and checked the caller.
Scott.
