Page 24 of Could Be Worse

Sadie: Great. We just got back from a walk. I’m about to fix lunch.

Bryce: It’s almost one. They usually eat at 12:00.

Great. Already messing up, Sadie!

Sadie: We lost track of time, while playing in the pile of leaves in the yard.

Yes! Make it sound like we’re having a grand old time!

Bryce: Sounds fun.

Sadie: The girls were a hoot. I’ll show you pics later.

Bryce: Looking forward to it. Should be home by 6.

Sadie: Okay, see you then.

Feeling like a silly schoolgirl, I set my phone down and finished serving the girls tomato soup and gluten-free crackers.

“Why are you smiling?” Cat asked. “Did you get a message that made you happy?” What an observant little girl. I hadn’t noticed I was grinning.

“Nope, just a text from your dad checking up on us.” I set a bowl in front of each of them, then went to get mine.

“He never texts Nana Bea.”

“Well, I’m new, so he’s a little nervous.” I blew on the soup before putting a spoonful into my mouth.

“He worries a lot,” Tori said. She didn’t talk as much as Cat, but I could tell she was warming up to me.

“How do you know he worries a lot?”

“When he’s like this.” She scrunched her forehead and put her fingers on her temple.

“He does that a lot when he’s going through the mail,” Cat said. “He hates doing the bills.”

“I see. Well, I’m sure he’s got everything under control. Let’s eat. It’s almost naptime.”

They nodded and spooned soup into their mouths.

Those two were so cute and proved kids noticed everything we did, even when we didn’t realize they were paying attention.

Bryce’s worried expression flashed behind my eyes. I need this job, he’d told me when asking me to stay. Could he be having financial troubles? I doubted he’d tell me if he was.

After I put the girls in their beds for a nap, I cleaned up the lunch mess, then studied the pictures on the end table in the living room.

Most were of the girls when they were babies, but one was a picture of them, and presumably, their mom. As I’d thought, she was beautiful. Blonde shoulder-length hair. Blue sparkling eyes. Pink lips. How could she leave her babies?

How could she leave Bryce? He seemed incredible, but I didn’t know him. Other than, he made me laugh, gave me the warm fuzzies and a spectacular orgasm.

He hadn’t lied to me. She’d run off with her lover, apparently. She’d cheated on him. No wonder he didn’t trust women… trust me.

8

Bryce

When I got out of my truck, I could hear giggling from inside the house. I went behind a hedge of spirea to peer into the front window. It was five thirty, earlier than I’d expected. Admittedly, I couldn’t wait to get home to see my girls and Sadie.

My heart swelled at the sight of Cat and Tori dancing with her. They were being silly, wiggling their bodies and making goofy faces, which was the reason for the giggles.

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