Page 28 of Until You

You’re batting a thousand here in the parenting department, Crew. Taking them away from those who could help me shower them with attention to ease the sting of Brittney and her selfishness was a major parent fail.

It’s at times like this that I appreciate my mom and the special bond the girls have with her. I realize also that I deprived them of contact with her when I picked up and came here. Sure, I thought texts and FaceTime was enough—but that was before I knew their mother was bailing on them.

Now it’s up to me to fill the void their mother has left.

Then again, isn’t that what I’ve been doing?

“Earth to Dad. We did say thank you,” Paige adds. “You were just too busy flirting with the owner to notice.”

“I was not,” I sputter, looking from one pair of eyes to the next. “Girls. Talking and being nice to someone does not constitute flirting with them.”

“Well, she sure liked you.” Paige looks at Addy, and they both snicker.

I groan internally. “Out with it.”

“When we were in the dressing room and you were sitting in the chair at the front by the window, we heard her whispering to her helper about how the rumors were true. That you are hot.”

A round of giggles sounds off as my cheeks heat in embarrassment. Jesus. While it does boost my ego, the last thing I need is the girls hearing it.

Welcome to the small-town fishbowl.

“Well, what do you have to say?” Addy asks. A million things to say go through my head, but I decide to go with the one that will have the path of least resistance.

And the most laughter.

“Let’s face it, girls.” I blow on my knuckles and polish them against my chest. “Your old man is hot.”

“Oh please,” Paige says as Addy makes gagging noises.

“Gross. My ears did not need to hear that,” Addy says. “I’m so going to tell Nana you said that.”

Dear God. No. The last thing I need is my mom, bored to tears while recovering from surgery, to have that thought idling around in her head. I’ll be bombarded with well-meaning but pushy texts and calls asking if I’ve asked the salesclerk out. Followed by why haven’t I asked her out. Then to be smothered with reasons why I shouldn’t give up on love because of that trollop Brittney until I call my sister to take her phone away from her.

It’s like with our dad’s passing a few years back, her new hobby has become being a sounding board in my sisters’ and my life.

I love the woman to death but being smothered by love is not a way I’d like to go.

“No, you won’t,” I say.

“If you’re going to make my ears burn, then I’m going to have her call you nonstop until your ears burn.”

Jesus. The kid should be a hostage negotiator when she grows up.

Time to pull out the big guns.

“You send that text, and I’ll buy more of that vegetable lasagna for you.” I chuckle, trying to come up with what would be the ultimate deterrent for her. “And—”

“You wouldn’t dare.” She makes a gagging noise as Paige backs away, shaking her head.

“And . . . no swimming pool for you all summer.”

“That’s not fair,” Addy says, launching herself at me, trying to tickle me until I renege on my threat.

“What’s not fair?”

All three of us look up from our laughing fit to see Tennyson standing there, purse slung over her shoulder, a bemused smile on her face, and her eyebrows lifted.

Jesus.