“Carly’s here!” Sophia yelled. “Carly’s here, Dad! She’s here!”
Evan nodded at his daughter, doing his best to conceal his reaction. If Carly was there, then her mother was also there, which meant Evan’s weekend with Becs was about to begin.
Not that it was a weekendwithBecs. She would merely be there. In the house. With him.
Why the hell did he agree to this again?
Evan should’ve told his mother that they didn’t need the help. Between him and Kaye, they could easily handle everything half a dozen eight- to nine-year-old girls could need. Seriously, how hard could it be to ensure they were fed and not running amok?
Oh, who was he kidding? He was outmaneuvered when there were only two. Multiply that by three, and he was in way over his head. At least with Becs there, they stood a chance.
As for whether he would survive the weekend … well, that was anyone’s guess. If Becs mentioned Luca even once, he would likely hide in his study until Sunday afternoon when the kids’ parents would return to get them.
A loud squeal sounded from the front of the house. It was followed by another loud squeal. That was how little girls communicated. Somehow, those squeals translated to “You’re here!” and “Yep! I am!” and “Let’s get this party started!”
“You’ll survive,” his mother said, patting him on the shoulder.
“They’re barely four feet tall. Of course, I’ll survive.”
Kaye grinned. “Sure. Let’s pretend you’re worried about thelittlegirls.”
Evan frowned. “What?”
His mother chuckled. “I’ve seen the way you look at Becs.”
“You’ve seen no such thing,” he muttered, taking a sip from his coffee to keep from having to continue the conversation. It was six thirty in the evening. The last thing he needed was coffee, but he figured the girls would stay up until at least ten, and since his bedtime was nine at the latest, he needed the caffeine if he was expected to make it.
“Hey,” Becs greeted when she walked into the kitchen. Her pretty blue eyes shifted between him and his mother. “Are we the first ones?”
“You are,” Kaye answered. “Shelly’s mom called a few minutes ago. She’s on the way.”
Evan focused on breathing while Kaye ran through the list of girls who were coming and the status of their arrival. He did his best not to look at Becs, but she made it damn near impossible. She was wearing a black tank top with white shorts, both of which showed off her silky alabaster skin. Her shoulders were sprinkled with freckles, as were her nose and cheeks. He’d never found freckles sexy until Becs.
“I’ve made finger foods for dinner,” he heard Kaye say. “Little sandwiches. Bologna, turkey, ham. I figured they could have a selection. I’ve also got carrots and celery. Ranch dip and peanut butter if they want it. Would you like some tea? Or I made a pot of coffee for Evan if you’d prefer that.”
“Tea would be great,” Becs answered.
“Why don’t the two of you take a breather before the other girls arrive,” Kaye suggested. “Enjoy the calm before the storm.”
Evan sipped his coffee, staring out the back window to avoid looking at Becs.
“Evan?”
Frowning, he looked at his mother. “What?”
“You. Becs. Find a quiet place for a little while.”
“I don’t need quiet,” he said petulantly.
“Go. Now.”
As he had growing up, Evan reluctantly did as his mother instructed.
“Is everything okay?” Becs asked, following as he led her toward his study.
No. No, it certainly was not.
He wouldn’t tell her that, of course, so he grunted, hoping she would take that as a positive response. Why ruin her weekend, too?
