Page 75 of Forgotten Romance

I’m cleaning up breakfast from the pancakes that Mack cooked when my phone rings. I snatch it up without checking the caller ID, then have a split second of panic that I’ve accidentally answered a work call.

“Hello?”

“Hey, I need your kids.”

I blink for a second, sure I haven’t heard right. Then I pull the phone away, see Art’s name, and go back to the call. “I’ve missed something in this conversation.”

He chuckles. “My niblings are coming over tonight for a sleepover, and I thought I could steal Payne’s nieces and your kids and make a full event out of it.”

My eyes narrow as I fill a pan with water. “And Uncle Art woke up this morning and decided a sleepover sounded like a great idea, did he?”

“Scout’s honor.”

“Uh-huh.”

He huffs. “Fine. I’m trying to give you two some alone time. I’m stealing kids from all over the town to make it happen, so shut up and send your monsters my way.”

“Uh, Mr. FBI man who’s listening in: he doesn’t actually mean steal. You can hear him asking for permission here … kinda.”

“No one’s listening to our calls.”

“True. If they were, you would have been arrested a long time ago.” I dry my hands and turn toward where I can hear the three of them thudding around upstairs. It’s tempting to take Art up on his offer. He’s great with his niblings, and I know he’d look after Kiera and Van as fiercely as he does them—he’s a kid around grown-ups and a mature grown-up around kids.

Plus, it gives me free time with Mack. Maybe even enough to take him on a date.

“What are you going to do with them?”

“Bake, play dress-ups, then watch a movie until they crash from their sugar high.”

“Sounds well thought-out.”

“Not my first rodeo.”

I move the phone to my other ear. “Does this mean I’ll finally get to find out where you live?”

“Nope. We’re invading Joey’s place for the night. He’s only got the lease until right after Christmas, and then he’ll be moving in with me, so we might as well make use of it while we can.”

“And you’re going to have them for the whole night? Six kids?”

“And because you don’t think I can, I will. I don’t see how six is any different to two.”

Oh, that naive man. “I’ll keep my phone on.”

Kiera and Van are herded into the kitchen by Mack.

“Hey,” I say, holding my phone away from my ear. “Who wants a sleepover with Uncle Art?”

“Ohhh, I do!” Kiera shouts.

“Me. Van, do. Van sleepover.”

“All yours,” I tell him as Mack makes what the fuck eyes over the kids’ heads.

I hang up the phone and step closer to him as Kiera tries to stuff her lunch box into her bag. “I thought, maybe, if you’re free …”

“Yeah?”

“Wanna go on a date with me?”

---