Placing the bag on the kitchen counter, I take a look at the house. The kitchen is clean, and the living room is picked up. I did it all last night when I got home and was too amped up to sleep. It felt good to hold Laken in my arms, even if I was just carrying her up to her apartment. It’s been just over three years since I’ve held a woman in my arms. It’s been the same amount of time since I’ve been with a woman.
It’s not because I’m harboring some sort of faithfulness to my late wife. I know that Holly is gone, and I know she would want me to move on. I’d like to think I will someday. However, right now, raising twin girls on my own and being promoted to fire chief, well, that doesn’t leave a lot of time left for dating.
Not only that, but this is Mason Creek, and everyone knows everyone. I already have the old ladies in town trying to fix me up with their granddaughters. Many of which are way too damn young for me. I just haven’t felt like bringing someone around the girls was a good thing. They’re young and so damn impressionable and full of questions.
I’m just not ready.
Yet, I still told Laken she could come over. Part of me didn’t want to disappoint my daughters. There’s an even bigger part that wanted to spend some time with her. My girls will be there, and they already know her. They adore her, if the last week has shown me anything. It’s not a big deal. Just being neighborly and all that.
My phone rings, pulling me out of my thoughts. “Hey,” I greet Ryder. “How’s Olivia?”
“Pissed that she asked me to take her home last night.”
“Did you stay the night?”
“Yeah,” he sighs. “Fuck, man. I couldn’t leave her there alone that drunk. What if she needed something?”
I don’t answer, and I know he doesn’t really want me to. Ryder and Olivia love one another, but they’re both too busy getting in their own way. “That’s tough, man.”
“That it is. What are you and the girls getting into tonight? I thought about swinging by.”
“We’re uh… shit,” I mutter. “The girls are making brownies.”
“You don’t bake.”
“Nope.”
“Your mom or Christine?” he asks.
“Neither.” I should have just let his call go to voice mail.
“So the twins are just going to learn how to bake on their own?”
“No.”
“Come on, man, help me out here. What’s going on?”
“Fine,” I concede. “I might have run into Laken at the market. And somehow, it ended up with the girls helping her make brownies. Brownies that were intended for me as a thank-you for getting her and Leni home last night.”
He whistles, and that alone pisses me off and makes me wish I would have just kept my mouth shut. “So, what? Laken’s coming over?”
“She is.”
“When?”
“Within the hour.”
He’s quiet for several long seconds that feel like a lifetime. “You doing okay?”
His question catches me off guard. “Yeah, of course, why wouldn’t I be?”
“Come on, Gray. This is the first woman you’ve had around the girls intentionally, and she’s coming to your house. That’s a big fucking deal.”
“It’s not,” I lie. “It’s her being nice to the girls. Mom takes them to her bookstore once a week, and they’ve grown fond of her. They asked her if they could help when they saw brownies in her cart, and she volleyed the answer to me. I couldn’t tell them no.”
“You’re their father. It’s your job to tell them no.”
“They don’t get to do these types of things. At least not unless it’s with my mom or Holly’s.” What I don’t say is that they don’t have their mom here to do these kinds of things with. And while my mom and Holly’s do so much for them, I have a feeling baking with Laken will be a completely different experience.
“All right, you know what you’re doing. At least I hope that you do.”
“Not even a little bit,” I confess, making him laugh.
“All right, well, call me later. I’m gonna need to hear how it goes.”
“Yeah, yeah,” I mutter. “I need to go check on the girls. They’re being really quiet, and they’re cleaning their room, so that usually means trouble.”
“How’d you con them into cleaning their room?” He’s obviously heard me complain about the mess my two angels make of their room. Mostly with clothes.
“That’s just it. I didn’t. Laken made a comment about being good and keeping their room clean so that she could come over. As soon as we pulled in, they ran to their room like their little asses were on fire. They’re afraid if it’s not clean, she won’t stay and bake with them.”
“Wow. Good motivation. Maybe you should make this a weekly thing? You know, Laken coming to visit.”