“She wants to go to Girl Scouts.” He couldn’t have stopped that from coming out of his mouth even if he wanted to. Bless her heart, his girl needed the chance to do stuff, and if anybody could figure out how to get her there, it would be Miz Halley.
“And does she now? Well, it just so happens that Lori here runs one of the local troops. Don’t you, Lori? She’s my daughter-in-law.”
Lori beamed at him, before taking the cinnamon rolls from her mother-in-law and setting them down on the table. “I just so happen to do that. I could talk to her about it if you’d like. We waive the dues for girls who have a hardship.”
His pride took a nosedive right then, but at the same time, hope twisted in his chest. Hope was a terrible emotion. It did things to a man that didn’t really need to be done to him.
Regardless, even if he had to then turn around and disappoint somebody, he was going to say yes because damn it his girl needed to be a kid for a while.
“That’s super kind, and I think that would probably be really helpful.”
“Something smells good, Daddy.” Sarah came wandering into the room with her book in her hand, dressed in a long black dress covered in streaks of dust, her dark hair straight and wet with sweat.
“Miz Halley brought some cinnamon rolls for us to share for some extra breakfast.” Before he could even move, someone had whisked the plate of eggs and toast off the table and into the trash. He hoped they buried it under something, so his baby girl didn’t see it and think that he had done it.
“Yum.” She beamed at Miz Halley. “I love cinnamon rolls.”
“Most little girls do,” Miz Halley said with a broad wink.
“Here we are, Daddy.” Bekka walked into the room with Rachel, who immediately squealed and went to peer at the cinnamon rolls.
“Thanks baby girl. Miz Halley brought cinnamon rolls.”
Rebekka Ann looked less sure about all this than the other two. “They smell good.”
“I’m glad you think so, honey. I’m testing out a new recipe, and I need to make sure that it’s just right. You three are going to be my testers.”
Bekka narrowed her eyes at Miz Halley. “Not my daddy?”
“Men are not good taste-testers; they think everything is good. Women are far better at that sort of thing.” Lord, that lady could play to her audience.
“And why did you bring everyone else?” Bekka was catching on, and she didn’t look pleased.
“Because we thought you could use a break, sweetie. It’s hard to take care of a house all by yourself, no matter who you are. And I happened to be in the neighborhood with a crew of girls who needed some experience, so we thought we’d stop by.”
Lori smiled at Bekka, taking more of a motherly tack. “Your daddy says you like the idea of being in Girl Scouts.”
Pure longing shone in Bekka’s eyes for a moment, but she quickly tamped it down and put her little hands on her hips. At eleven, she was still such a girl trying to be an adult. “I like the idea, but I’m not sure I have time.”
“Well, I’m one of the leaders of the troop here in town, and I’d like to talk to you about it when you have a moment. Right now, you probably need to eat breakfast with your daddy. He ate up your eggs and toast, but a man who is healing up like he does needs sugar, don’t you think?”
Rebekka looked at him uncertainly, and he held out his hand. “I would love for you to sit and have a cinnamon roll with me, baby girl.”
After another second of searching his gaze, she took his hand and smiled. “I’ll get the plates, Daddy. Sarah, can you get the baby in her chair?”
“I amnota baby.” At five, Rachel was determined not to be a little-little girl anymore, but she still needed a booster seat in her chair. She was so short and skinny.
“Oh very well.” Bekka made a face at Rachel. “Sarah, could you help our youngest sister into her chair?”
Sarah giggled, and Rachel nodded her head like, “Yes, that’s that.”
“What are you reading, Sarah? Is it something fun?”
Mitch didn’t wince because it would’ve been obvious, but he knew that Sarah’s idea of fun and Lori’s idea of fun were going to be vastly different.
“I’m readingThe Horrible Bag of Terrible Things. It’s about an evil bag that kidnaps this little boy’s older sister and takes her to a scary universe. It’s really good.” She gave her sister a wicked grin. “I’m taking notes.”
“Oh, shut up.”
