“Yeah, dad!” Lucy copied Piper’s motions. She was dressed in the exact same robe and headband. “Shoo!”
“C’mon, please! I want the inside scoop about JP and Al Pal!” Colt gave me an expectant look.
“No, no, no, don’t tell him,” Lucy wagged her finger at me. “He’s Team JP. He cannot be trusted.”
Colt blanched at his daughter. “What? No! I’m Team Ali, I swear.”
Lucy harrumphed and crossed her arms over her chest. “I don’t believe it.”
Mer crossed her arms as well and smirked. “Yeah, I don’t believe it either. What about JP?”
Colt’s face cracked. “JP-shmay-pee. Fill me in and I’ll swear my allegiance to Team Ali,” he announced. “Can I have some popcorn?”
It took Mer about two seconds to melt. She gave me a sidelong glance. “I think Colty just wants to be one of the girls tonight.”
“Yeah, I do,” he nodded eagerly. “And I want popcorn.”
Piper sighed as she dished out the popcorn for us in little bowls. “Well, do we fill him in?”
I rolled my eyes. “I guess it’s not much of a secret, you already know I’m pregnant.” I flicked a piece of popcorn at Colt’s cheek.
Lucy’s head tilted to the side as she studied me. “But how did you get pregnant?”
Colt choked on his popcorn, and Mer hurriedly handed him water.
Piper snickered loudly. “Colt! You wanted to join the party, why don’t you fill her in?”
“Well, how about we focus on how they’re doing right now?” he asked, then his eyes flashed to me. “Please start talking and save me,” he said through gritted teeth.
I laughed. “There’s not much to tell. I think we’re best as friends.”
Mer squinted at me. “Is that what you really want? Because I think JP wants more with you.”
“I don’t know about that,” I said quietly. “I think he would’ve handled things differently after the cruise if he really wanted to be with me.” While he said he broke things off because he didn’t want to wreck the life I built for myself, I couldn’t help but wonder if that was just an excuse the same way his ‘busy with hockey’ line was an excuse. He always seemed to have a reason why we couldn’t be together. “All I know is that one minute, he’s dumping me on the cruise, but then I come home pregnant and he suddenly wants me again.”
“He definitely should’ve handled it differently. Like I said, he was a total fuck boy,” Piper said.
Lucy harrumphed in agreement. “Well, all boys just want one thing.”
Colt choked again.
“What do they want, honey?” Mer asked hesitantly.
“They just want attention, as soon as they get it, they leave you alone.” She shrugged her little shoulders. “That's why they pull your ponytail and then as soon as you yell at them, they run away.”
“Yupp, that’s right,” Colt said in a gruff voice. “The stupid boys just want attention, so you shouldn’t give it to them, got it?”
“Yeah, they’re all stupid. Except…” She rolled her lips together.
“Except me, right?” Colt smiled proudly.
“Except Henrik,” she said with a swoony little sigh.
Piper and I made eye-contact and struggled not to laugh.
“Henrik?” Colt barked. “Who the f—” Mer elbowed Colt in the gut. “Who is Henrik, honey?” he finished.
“Henrik is Andersson’s oldest son,” Mer supplied. “He’s a very nice boy.”
