away, and Dominic’s company and laughter and kisses and…
An idea teased at the edge of my brain. I knew better than to chase after it, especially with the tiny patter of footsteps transforming into a thundering charge as they got to the stairs. “Speaking of filling the house,” I murmured, and Hal smiled again as the girls rounded the corner to the kitchen.
“Hi, Max!” Marnie said as soon as she saw me. “Did you have another fun sleepover with Uncle Nicky?”
“I sure did,” I replied and fully ignored Hal’s huff of laughter.
Steph wandered sleepily over to her dad, and Hal picked her up effortlessly in one arm, setting her against his hip and kissing her forehead before taking another sip of coffee.
If he wasn’t the best father I knew, I would eat my goddamn shoes. Hal might worry, but I didn’t, not about his relationship with his daughters at least.
“Did you guys stay up late?” Marnie asked as she opened the fridge. She tried to grab the milk, but it was a new gallon and too heavy for her to hold.
I stepped in before she dropped it on the floor. “We did stay up a little late.” I supported her hold on the milk and carrying it over to the counter with her. Then I got a plastic cup out, poured it half full, and handed it to her.
“Did you watch one of your movies?”
I had watched something way, waaay better than even the best movie, but that was definitely not something I wanted to share with anyone present. Although Hal was hiding a smile behind his coffee cup, so he knew what was up.
I cleared my throat. “Not last night. Mostly we just talked.” I got another cup out and poured a little milk in then found a sippy lid for it, snapped it on, and handed it over to Steph. She took it with a little smile and started guzzling it down immediately.
Marnie looked puzzled. “Why did you just talk?” she asked. “That sounds sort of boring.”
“I just wanted to get to know your uncle Nicky a little better, that’s all.”
“You could have done that over here. Next time you guys should have your sleepover in your room.”
“Well, we also worked on his house some,” I said. “We have to be there for that.”
“Is that what they’re calling it now?” Hal murmured.
As soon as his girls weren’t looking, I was going to smack him upside the head. “So,” I began in an effort to change the subject, “what’s on the agenda for today?”
“I’ve got work,” Hal said then added unexpectedly, “but one of my guys is picking me up, so you’ll have the truck to take the girls around in if you want to go somewhere.”
“Yes!” Marnie crowed. “We can go to the mall and see Santa!”
“If Max wants to,” Hal said.
Marnie and Steph both looked at me with big, hopeful eyes.
I was sunk, utterly sunk. So, even though I wasn’t sure about going out and interacting with more townspeople and leaving myself open to questions and gossip, I said, “Sure, we can do that.”
“Yay!” Marnie cheered, and even Steph made a sound of happiness. Unfortunately, Marnie’s cheer was accompanied by shooting her hands into the air, which sent the dregs of her milk all over the floor and her nightdress. She looked down at herself. “Oops.”
“Yeah, oops.” Hal put down his empty coffee cup and switched Steph to his other hip. “Come on, you little menace, let’s get you cleaned up and into your clothes before I have to go. Can you—” He glanced my way and mimicked wiping something, and I nodded. “Great.”
“I’m a my-nuss! A minus!” Marnie said then frowned at her dad. “No, I wanna be a plus.”
“Pluses are very careful with their cups, honey. Do you think you can do that next time?” Hal asked as he guided his eldest toward the stairs.
“Yeah, I think I can.”
“Perfect, that’s my little plus.”
Then Steph said, “Daddy, I wanna be a plus, too.”
Hal, to his credit, barely stumbled. He gave her a squeeze, though, hard enough that she squeaked, and said, “Baby, you already are a plus.”
They headed upstairs, and I stared at the milky floor and wondered when life had turned so upside down that I was actually considering staying in Edgewood.
Wait, what? What? No, I wasn’t!
Yes, my brain helpfully reminded me. You are.
Fine, yes. The idea of living closer to Hal and the girls held great appeal at the moment. Hal was my best