Page 99 of In Spades

“Dude!” Hunter exclaimed. “Did you, like, get to meet the President?”

I smirked, “Which one? I’ve met five. More if you count presidents outside of the United States.”

Their jaws hit the table.

I gave the kids a wink and left them to discuss whether I was really James Bond.

Turning to Kristin, I raised an eyebrow and lowered my voice. “Yeah, I don’t think they have a problem with me, sweetheart.”

Kristin remained silent as we loaded the table with cooked spaghetti, pasta sauce, and a tossed salad.

“Sit,” I said, swatting her rear end as I took a serrated knife out of her hand. “I’ve got it.”

I quickly sliced the garlic bread and tossed it on a floral plate that had seen better days. With my hands wiped clean, I tossed the knife in the sink, then carried the garlic bread over to the table. I snagged the pitcher of sweet tea and topped off Kristin’s glass. Finally, I plopped down in the chair between Logan and Hunter.

It was a tight fit, squeezing six people around the small table, but we managed.

I grabbed the tongs and piled salad on top of my plate. “So, what’s the game plan for the fair tomorrow?”

Logan looked across the table at Kristin, spaghetti still hanging out of his mouth. Slowly, he chewed and then cleared his throat. “You’re coming?”

“Yeah, if it’s okay with you, I’d like to tag along,” I said casually, trying not to take his suspicious expression as a bad sign. Maybe Kristin didn’t mention that part of the plan to them either...

Logan’s jaw flexed, but he didn’t say anything.

Kylie and Kristin shared a worried look. Zoey and Hunter were oblivious.

I contemplated whether Kristin had been right. Maybe I was holding on to false hope that the kids would come around.

I guess I could tell them later that I had a work thing come up and wouldn’t be able to go.

Logan cleared his throat again. “That’s cool.”

Under the table, Kristin’s foot bumped against mine. There was a slight smile on her lips as she looked down at her plate.

I gave Logan a nod. “Good deal.”

The rest of the meal was lively. Hunter entertained us with stories from school and the plots of all the books he was reading. The kid didn’t take a breath for a solid fifteen minutes.

When we finally finished, Kylie hopped up and cut the chocolate cake I’d picked up from the grocery store. She quickly dropped the slices on small white saucers, and I helped carry them to the table.

I’d almost called Revanche to see if Maddie had anything on hand, but decided against it. The time I got to spend with Kristin was precious to me, and I didn’t want to waste most of it driving to Beaufort and back.

Kristin’s eyes met mine and she gave me a subtle nod. “So, Will and I were thinking,” she said, as Kylie and I sat back down. “After the fair, how would y’all like to spend the night at his house in New Bern?”

Hunter froze. “Will you be there, Kris?”

I wasn’t sure which way he wanted that answer to go. On one hand, he sounded scared that maybe Kristin was dropping them off and leaving. On the other hand, he had the tone of a little brother who didn’t want his sister hanging around. Kids confused the shit out of me.

“Of course, I’ll be there,” Kristin said. “I wouldn’t just leave you guys. We’ll still have our day together after the fair, just at his place.” She looked at me as if handing off the conversation baton.

I picked it up and ran. “Yeah, man. Figured you’d like a look at my library.” I looked at Logan. “And I need someone who can game to come kick my ass.”

Kristin would yell at me later for saying ass in front of the kids. The look on Logan’s face was worth her wrath.

“Would we have to share rooms?” Kylie asked.

I shook my head. “Not unless you want to.”

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