by Hart, Emma
Thirty minutes later, I pulled up in the parking lot of Harvey’s. As I’d suspected it would be, it was packed. I was barely able to get out of my truck without dooring the car next to me.
In my defense, the line was there for a reason, and it wasn’t for their fucking tire to go on.
After squeezing my way between my truck and the Honda next to me, I blew out a long breath and hauled my purse up onto my shoulder. Judging by the cars here, I was walking into a level of hell I’d promised myself I’d never experience again.
Harvey’s sat just on the brink of town, in the area where nobody could ever truly agree on whether it was in Rock Bay or not. I liked to believe it wasn’t, but that never changed the fact that the only two times I’d ventured in here on a weekend, it had taken me three hours to get out, because everyone had a question they wanted me to answer.
Because, apparently, I knew better than the people who worked there.
I did, but that was beside the point.
I yanked a cart from outside the door and put my purse in the child seat, making sure to keep the straps looped around one wrist. I wasn’t going to make this trip twice this week, and since Eric had the flooring under control, I only needed the paint.
I pushed the cart into the store and blinked as I looked around.
Yep.
Packed.
With a sigh, I ducked my head down and made my way through to the small café where I knew Brantley was waiting for me with the twins. Luckily for me, the café was right by the front door, so I made it there without being intercepted by anyone with a hundred questions for the resident builder.
“Kawi!” Ellie beamed up at me as I slipped into the empty seat.
“Hey, you.” I smiled and chucked her under the chin. “Hey, Eli.”
He sank down in his seat. “Hey,” he mumbled, looking away.
Brantley rolled his eyes. “Thank you for this. I don’t think I can take another debate about the pros and cons of Disney Princesses or flowers and hearts.”
“Well, the entire debate would be rendered void if you simply said no,” I said.
“That, I know. I just couldn’t be bothered with the argument today. Somebody woke up at four-thirty this morning.” His eyes slid to a very sheepish-looking Eli, whose own gaze was now firmly trained on something very interesting on the floor.
I gestured to the giant coffee in Brantley’s hand. “That explains the entire carafe you have in that cup.”
“If only,” he muttered. “I need it.” He brought the cup to his mouth and finished whatever was left of it. “Are you ready to get this done?”
I pointed to my cart. “Ready to buy the paint. We need it for the living room, too, right?”
He nodded. “I’m considering new colors. My cart is just around the corner. Kids, come on.”
Ellie got up and tucked her hand into mine. “Can I showed you my bedwoom?”
I raised my eyebrows. “The colors you want?”
She shook her head emphatically. “The paper.”
“I don’t know,” I said slowly. “Paper isn’t great. You remember how we peeled it all of the walls before? If you get paper, that might happen to your pretty walls.”
Her eyes widened. “Are you sure? I don’t wanna had a peewy woom.”
“Exactly. Wouldn’t you be so sad if that happened?”
She pouted, her bottom lip jutting out really far.
I put my purse back on the child seat and moved her hand from mine to the cart to hold onto.
“Oh, no,” she said, pointing at the seat. “I wanna sit dere.”
Brantley came up next to me. Eli sat on one side of his half-full cart. “Ellie, come here.”
“No, I wanna sit dere,” she repeated, pointing at my seat.
He stared back at her. “Do you want the tiara rug?”
Once again, her eyes widened. “Yeah.”
He pointed at the seat in his cart.
Ellie sighed and held up her arms. Brantley scooped her up and deposited her in the seat next to her brother.
The look he shot me gave away his exhaustion.
Man, someone needed to introduce him to the wonder of shopping online.
“Okay,” I said quietly, meeting Brantley’s eyes. “If anyone tries to stop us, you’re here as my client and I’m working. Got it?”
His eyebrows drew together in a frown. “But, you are?”
“No, I mean officially. Last time I came in here on a weekend, it took me two hours to leave because everyone who recognized me wanted my advice.”
“Ahh. I see. Don’t worry—I don’t have the patience for that today. Shall we go to the paint?”
I nodded and pushed my cart.
He followed suit. “I forgot to text you their choices.”
“To be honest, it sounds like Ellie doesn’t have a clue anyway.”
“I wanna pink and purtle woom wif hearts on the curtains,” she said confidently.
“You gave up on the wallpaper, then, huh?” Brantley asked wearily.
She nodded. “I no want it to peel.”
“Good choice,” he said to her, right before he turned to me and mouthed, “Thank you.”
I grinned, turning down the paint aisle.
“I want wed,” Eli said quietly, playing with Brantley’s watch. “Wed and bwoo.”
“Red and blue?” I asked him softly.
He nodded.
“You want bright like Superman?”
He looked at me, his entire face lighting up. He nodded enthusiastically before he realized he’d made eye contact and quickly looked away again.
I scratched my cheek, hiding my smile behind my palm. His shyness was so endearing—so unlike the child who, the night before, had latched onto me and refused to let go until he’d been put to bed.
Brantley briefly met my eyes. “Superman blue and red it is.”
“That was easy,” I said. “Hey, Eli, this red?” I pointed to a scarlet red that stood out.
He peered up toward the can I pointed to and frantically nodded his head.
“Done.” I waved Brantley away when he tried to get it. I pulled two cans off the shelf and dumped them in my cart. “Aaaaand, the blue…” I moved backward, running my hand along the shelf. “This one?”
He turned right around, saw it, and nodded.
“Done.” Another two cans made their way to the cart. They weren’t the biggest, and I’d rather overbuy and know the paint could be used again in the future. I also grabbed a very small can of bright yellow and, ignoring Brantley’s questioning raise of his eyebrow, put that with the cans. “Ellie, your turn.”
Much more animated than her brother, she turned around almost fully in the cart and looked to the other side of the aisle where the pinks and purples were.
“That one.” She pointed to a bubblegum pink color. “And that one.” She pointed her other hand to a much softer lilac that would complement the brighter pink to perfection.
“All right, done.” I grabbed two of each color and put them with Eli’s cans. Turning to Brantley, I held out my hands and said, “Done!”
He muttered something beneath his breath that sounded a lot like, “Damn kids behave for everyone but me.”
I laughed, pushing my cart forward so it was level with his. “I’m pretty sure I read on the internet that’s something you have to accept as a parent.”
He slid his gaze to me. “Yeah? Benjamin Franklin always said you shouldn’t believe everything you read on the internet.”
Opening my mouth, I paused.
Wait.
“Funny,” I said, letting the sarcasm seep into my tone. “I come save your a—butt,” I corrected myself, “And here you are, screwing with me.”
Brantley grinned, bumping my elbow with his. “You sound surprised.”
I narrowed my eyes at him. “Watch yourself, Brantley Cooper. Or I might just leave candy lying around when you least expect it. Exactly where certain tiny humans may find it.”
I pushed up the sleeves of my plaid shirt, one by one, and smiled slowly. “Stop teasing me and nobody gets a sugar overdose.”
He skipped in front of me at the register, and with his back to his kids, let an easy smile stretch across his face. “That sounds like a threat.”
“Actually, there’s every chance I’ll forget this conversation tomorrow, but sure. It’s a threat.”
He burst out laughing, putting a divider on the belt. “Your honesty is so refreshing.” He put a rug up on the belt. “But, your warning is duly noted. I’m almost entirely sure that stopping teasing you isn’t on the cards right now because it’s so damn fun, so I’ll take my chances.”
I sighed, and was about to reply, when someone tapped on my shoulder. I jumped and turned, only to look into the familiar eyes of Harvey, the owner.
The corners of his eyes crinkled as he smiled. “Kali. Here on a Sunday?”
“Shh.” I pressed my finger to my mouth. “The People don’t know yet. Can you get me out of here?”
Harvey laughed, taking control of my cart. “Anything for my favorite handywoman. Come over to the customer service desk and I’ll get you sorted out.”
“Thanks, Harvey.” I touched his arm with a smile. Then, turning to Brantley, I grinned. “See you Monday.”
He sighed, but his fight against his smile was so obvious it made me laugh.
I waved goodbye to the twins and followed Harvey to the customer service counter.
“Business or pleasure?” he asked, ringing up the paint.
“Business,” I replied.
“Looks like pleasure to me.”
I rolled my eyes. “You watch too much TV, old man.”
His smile was lopsided as he took both my loyalty card and my debit card. “But I can see the look of a girl with a crush.” He swiped my loyalty card. “He’s handsome, no?”
“You’ve been speaking to Mom, haven’t you?”
“I might have seen her in the grocery store first thing this morning,” he admitted, swiping my debit card. “You seem very comfortable with him.”
I took both cards from his wrinkled hand and shot him the hardest look I was capable of. “No.” I waggled my finger at him the exact same way I had my mom. “Don’t go there. It’s business, Harvey. All right?”
He grinned, revealing his pearly-white, slightly crooked teeth. “Sure thing, sweet girl. Sure thing.”
I put the last can of paint back in the cart and pursed my lips at him. “Stay out of trouble, Harvey.”
“Me? Never.”
Chapter Eleven
If there was one thing I wasn’t prepared for on Monday morning, it was Brantley Cooper hustling his children like a boss while wearing a sharp as fuck suit.
That’s right.
The first thing I was coherently able to see on Monday morning was a suited and booted guy, herding two tiny humans the way a dog herded sheep.
I stood just inside the front door, blinking at the sight before me.
“Eli! Get your dinosaur. Ellie, I’ve asked you three times now to put on your shoes.”
“I can’t find dem!”
“You had them in your hands five minutes ago!”
“Ewi stole dem!”
“Eli, did you take Ellie’s shoes?”
“No! I don’t want her shoes. I can’t find my dinosaur, Daddy.”
“It’s on your bed. Eleanor, put down your juice and find your shoes now!”
“But I’m firstyyyyy!”
“Shoes, Eleanor! Dinosaur, Elijah! Now!” He leaned against the banister, pinching the bridge of his nose. His nostrils flared as he took a deep breath, and with his eyes shut, it was easy to say he was already over this day.
All right, so he wasn’t hustling like a boss of herding them like sheep. He was more kinda throwing out instructions and hoping something would stick and that one of them would listen to him.
Huh. Maybe it was kinda like herding sheep…
“Morning,” he said, much brighter, dropping his hand from his face. His eyes sparkled a little when they met mine. “Welcome to Hell. At least there’s aircon.”
I couldn’t help it. I burst out laughing. It took all my concentration to cover my mouth with my hand to control it. “You look smart this morning.”
Smart. Sexy. Panty-melting. They were interchangeable, right?
He sighed, tugging at the lapel of his suit jacket. “Work won today. I have to go and introduce myself and head up a big meeting. Easier said than done when you have to get kids to daycare first.”
“I can’t find shoeeeees!” Ellie screamed. “Ewi stole them!”
“I did not!” Eli shouted back. “You won’t give me my dinosaur!”
“You can had it when you give me my shoes!”
I slid my eyes toward the living room where World War Three was apparently starting. “Wow. That’s fun.”
“Don’t,” Brantley groaned. “Eleanor, give Elijah the dinosaur. Elijah, return your sister’s shoes to her right now, or you go without the dinosaur and without shoes! You have two minutes!”
“Shoeless. Pulling out the big guns,” I noted.
“Desperate times call for desperate measures. Which is why I’ll be buying whiskey on my way home from work for my coffee next time I have to go in to the office,” he added, stalking into the front room. “Elijah.”
“I don’t had her shoes!” Eli yelled. “She put them under the coffee table!”
I bit the inside of my cheek. Ha!
Ellie narrowed her eyes. “No, I didn’t!”
Brantley sighed and got on his knees.
Boy, if I thought his ass was good in jeans and sweats…
I cleared my throat and looked away.
“Dinosaur, now.” He demanded.
I peeked back in time to see Brantley swap the dinosaur for her shoes.
“Car, Elijah. Now.” He pointed toward the door.
Eli muttered something about it not being fair because daycare sucked, but he stomped off, storming right past me.
“You. Shoes.” Brantley gave Ellie a death stare.
Wordlessly, she put them on, redoing the Velcro four times before she was happy with it.
“Car, please.” Brantley pointed to the door.
Ellie stared at him, her head turning as she walked.
“Sofa!”
She jumped, moving out of the way of the sofa and walking into it.
Brantley rubbed his eyes, blowing out a long, slow breath. “I need a nap already.”
I laughed as he scooted past me and put both kids in the car. All right, I enjoyed the view as he bent over inside the car, too.
He slammed the door shut. “You hear that? That’s silence. It’ll last for—”
A muffled scream came from inside the car.
“That long,” he sighed. He reached inside and grabbed the two backpacks on the floor by the door—plus Ellie’s monkey. “Okay, uh—”
Another scream.
“God fucking help me,” he muttered, then met my eyes with a wry smile. “You’ll be done before I get back tonight, but help yourself to coffee or water or what—”
“Go away!”
“Go.” I barely managed to keep my laughter inside. “I got it.”
He smiled gratefully and headed for the car.
I had no idea how he did it.
***
I was covered in pink paint. Honestly, I looked like Barbie had thrown up on me. For whatever reason, today had not been my friend, and today was the reason I never put the flooring in before the paint.
It was everywhere. Not only had I accidentally stepped into the roller tray, but sometime around lunch, I’d dropped the paintbrush I was using to edge around the ceiling and it had hit me square in the forehead.
The bristle side of the brush, that is.
So, there was bubblegum-pink paint on my forehead and in my hair. I was pretty sure it’d managed to drip down beneat
h my shirt at some point, so my boobs had gotten a makeover, too.
I hadn’t dared touch Eli’s room. Not that I’d time with The Great Monday Battle of the Paint.
Driving home barefoot had been a joy, too. The boots I always wore to work had become my most comfortable shoes, and I’d never actually driven barefoot in my life.
I never wanted to do it again, either.
I slammed my front door shut behind me and instantly went upstairs to my bathroom. The only thing I wanted was a shower—I needed it, too, since I was supposed to go to my parents’ to see how Dad was getting on with the twins’ beds.
The hot water was amazing as it beat down on me. I scrubbed and scrubbed until I was red all over and there wasn’t so much as a drop of paint on me.
It felt so damn good to be clean.
I stepped out of the shower and wrapped myself in towels. I secured a towel turban on top of my head and killed the water. With the rush of silence as the water shut off came the distant sound of my phone ringing.
“Shit!” I jumped from the bath rug to the carpeted hallway, only just making it. The last thing I needed right now was to slip and fall on my ass and break a bone.
I darted down the stairs to where I’d dumped my phone on the hallway side table with my keys. It’d stopped ringing, but I grabbed it anyway and checked the call list.
Three missed calls: Brantley.
I frowned.
That was…overkill.
I was still staring at my phone when it buzzed violently, following up with a shrieking ring.
Jesus. I had to turn that volume down.
Brantley’s name was on the screen, and I swallowed down the mild panic at the number of times he’d tried to call me. Had I done something wrong? Trodden paint through his house?
I wasn’t sure, but…
“Hello?” I answered on the fifth ring, only just getting it before it would go over to voicemail.
“Thank God. Kali?” He was rushed—his tone tight, frustrated, helpless.
“Yeah. Is something wrong? I have a bunch of missed calls from you.”
“Yes. No. I need your help—do you know anyone who would be able to get the twins for me?” he said quickly, almost too quickly.
I clutched my towel at my chest. “Whoa, whoa. Slow down. Why do you need someone to get the twins?”