would be proud of me. Would they be proud that their father was leaving the house to have sex with a woman he wasn’t involved with seriously?
No, they wouldn’t.
But I admitted, I had needs, and I was a weak man. It didn’t make it easier that Vivian was a proponent of our convenient relationship.
“You need to stop feeling guilty,” Brad said, reading my mind. “You’re not doing anything wrong.”
I ignored his comment. I didn’t judge Brad with his life choices. He never brought anyone home to meet the girls. That was an unspoken rule, and I knew he loved the girls like they were his own, so he wouldn’t anyway. He could live his life how he wanted to live his life … but me … I had children. Two girls. Without a mother. I needed to hold myself to a higher standard.
“Drink some water. Sober up before the girls get up,” I said.
“Nice to see you still hungover on a Monday morning,” Mason shot out as he strolled in, all ready for work in his crisp, pressed navy-blue suit, holding his portfolio. “Where did you go?”
Brad groaned in his misery. “Bar, dinner, and then back to Kelly’s house.”
“On a Sunday night?” Mason said, indignant. “And who the hell is Kelly?”
“My new girlfriend.” Brad rubbed at his head, squinting as though it hurt to open his eyes.
“You can’t call the new girl you just met at a bar your girlfriend.” Mason made a gagging noise in the back of his throat, as though he were going to throw up. “Thank God STDs are not airborne.”
Brad rubbed at his temple. “Shh. Quiet.” He rested his head against his hands. “Anyway, what’s on the agenda for today?”
Mason threw Brad a look before his head dipped down to his detailed schedule, the one he printed out every morning just for himself. “Sonia will give you your schedule when you get to work. But for me, besides today’s ten o’clock with the new supplier and our quarterly meeting with the managers, I’ve got nothing assigned. The agency just sent me more nanny résumés. I have to go through them, so we can set up more interviews this weekend.”
Brad groaned again but for a whole different reason. I wanted to join him. I was beyond frustrated.
Patty had returned from seeing her mother, but she hadn’t mentioned anything regarding her referral. If she didn’t by today, I was going to because my patience was all dried up.
Mason shut his portfolio, taking his regular seat at the table. “I think we’re getting close though. To finding the perfect nanny. Not to worry. I’m a great people-reader.”
Brad lifted his head and sported a heavy smirk. He threw me a look, and I discreetly shook my head.
Hold your tongue, brother. It’s a lost cause.
“Little bro”—Brad’s tone oozed with a light humor—“good people-reader? I’d have to question that, given your choice in women.”
The smile slipped from Mason’s face. “Shut up, and that’s why you’ll be single for life. You’ll never have what Janice and I have.”
Brad flinched, but in the next second, he shot back, “Yeah, if all I could get was a gold digger, then I’d rather be single for the rest of my life.”
“Gold digger?” Mary sauntered in, surprisingly all dressed in her uniform, holding her favorite wand in her arms. “I want to be a gold digger.”
I smirked, shaking my head.
I had to hand it to Mary for breaking up all the tension in the room.
Brad sobered up as though our mother had walked into the room. He pushed back his hair, scooped her up, and kissed her full, round cheeks. “You’ll never be a gold digger.”
“But I want to. I have my own shovel in the garage. Where would we go digging for gold?” Her blue eyes were wide and so damn beautiful, just like her mother’s.
Mason laughed beside Brad. “Well, there are public mining areas. I’ll have to look it up.”
She pointed her wand at Mason. “You do that.” With her wand, she tapped the paper. “Are we going to look for my babysitter today? Because Teddy Monster is ready to ask the questions.” Her smile widened. “And I set up an obstacle course she’ll have to go through.”
Mason and I shared an amused glance. An obstacle course? Only my daughter. If they could pass the Mary test, then they were hired.
Mason touched the tip of her nose. “Not today, but this weekend.”
Brad set Mary on her feet and took off out of the room.