Page 30 of Sighs By the Sea

I smile and unbuckle. “We are. Are you gonna be good today? No sneaking powdered sugar?”

Georgie gives a wide-eyed nod. He was grounded from his tablet all last night for the mischief he caused the day before. Although the pictures that Henrietta sent didn't exactly encourage punishment. Seeing my son and three other little boys covered in white powder and naked? Let's just say my sense of humor got a workout. But the photo will certainly be going into his high school graduation slide show.

I get us both out of the car and stride to the front door with George in my arms. The scent of ocean air and blooming jasmine fills the morning breeze as I ring the bell and wait.

A man, even bigger than me, answers. His bald head shines with sweat, though it’s still early.

“Name?” he asks, like he’s the bouncer at a club. What is all of this, then? Did Henrietta hire some sort of bodyguard?

“Erm, Grayson and George.”

“Come in.” The giant steps to the side, lumbering like a tired bear.

Behind him, an older woman wearing bifocals and a robe stands. “Georgie! How nice to see you! I see you met Mack, my bodyguard.” The woman, Henrietta, who is Tommy’s mother, pecks me on the cheek as I walk inside. This is only the second time I've left my son with her, but I'm already glad I did. George gets to play with his cousins all day while someone I know and trust keeps him safe.

My jaw is practically unhinged. “Bodyguard?”

“Well, Tilly had some concerns."

I set George down and level her with my meanest stare. "Seems some cop called to warn her about some things."

My fingers go to my face to pinch the bridge of my nose. "Maggie?"

"Yes, that's right. So, I asked Mack to come for a visit from Tahoe. He loves the sunshine anyway.”

Mack doesn’t react, only sits on the couch and scrolls through his phone. The twins are already stomping around the front living room, toys scattered everywhere. The sound of laughter and clattering toys echoes off the high ceilings. Since I was uncomfortable with leaving George at a daycare, Tommy’s mother offered to watch him. Though she has a nanny that comes by, she still does most of the work hands-on. I have never met someone like Henrietta. She seems to thrive in chaos. Especially with the boys. There is always one of them here, and by the amount of smiling she does, I know she loves it.

“Maggie's being safe. She met George and might be a little attached."

A twinkle sparks to life in her eyes. "Oh? And this is the disaster date woman too, right?"

So she spoke with Tommy too. What a momma's boy. I roll my eyes. "It wasn't a date. It was a meeting at a restaurant."

She quirks a brow, and I feel the urge to tug on my collar. I have a suspicion that people don't often fib to Henrietta. Or even try to. I've done it this once and not only do I regret it completely, but have the odd idea that I need to apologize profusely. "I would like to date her, but she's…."

"Stubborn." She says and helps Georgie out of his coat before ushering him off to play. "And that's good. She'll need it to be a good stepmom."

Both my hands go out, waving like a fool. "That's not what I'm looking for."

"And why not? Shouldn't every woman you have an interest in fit that bill?" Well, damn. She's got me there. While I contemplate things, she walks up to me and smooths something off my sweater vest. "Darling baby, be confused, that's okay. But don't give up on the family life. If this Maggie person is too stubborn, look elsewhere." Her close proximity is making me nervous. I didn't exactly have any sort of nurturing as a kid. My brother and I were raised by Tia in a house full of assholes. Wondering where my parents are? Me too. There was never a father in the picture and my mother passed when I was nine from cancer, supposedly. Though I never saw any evidence of her getting ill. Another in a long line of questions I won't ever have the answers to. Most of the people that would know are dead or in jail hating me.

So motherly attention is…strange. "You're a good boy, Grayson. Someone will see that and pin you down. Trust me," she gives a little wink and turns to Mack. "Did Georgie eat?"

Since I'm still a little stunned by her words, it takes me a second to respond. "Uh, yes. He already had breakfast, and I want him to take a nap today. No matter what he says.”

"And you? Have you had breakfast?" She's already on her way to the kitchen. I haven't but don't get the chance to say it. "Have a muffin," is all Henrietta says as she tosses me a warm blueberry pastry. A dog trots over at the motion. I didn't see him yesterday. "Uh, hello," I say, awkwardly. The fluffy husky sits and licks his chops.

I look at the muffin and back at the dog. "Um, do I give him some?" I ask.

Henrietta claps her hands. "Murphy, stop that." Murphy lays down, but his sad eyes are still on me as I unwrap my breakfast. The aroma is sweet and my first bite taste even better. "Sorry," I say softly to the dog. He whines once but doesn't get up. Meanwhile, Henrietta is already going back to her crossword puzzles. She waves the hand with her pencil at me. "Eat in the car, or you'll be late."

I start back toward the door, a chuckle escaping despite the long day ahead. Henrietta is quickly becoming one of my favorite people.

“I’ll be late picking him up today, if that’s okay. I have some work at the Embarcadero store.” Henrietta waves me away again without looking up. I smile.

“Nice to meet you, uh, Mack.” The man gives a stiff nod but doesn’t speak as I walk out and shut the door behind me.

On the way to the Embarcadero, I listen to the news. Bombings, looming government shutdowns, and natural disasters all have me seething by the time I arrive waterside. The world seems to be burning, and there’s a hopeless feeling that accompanies it.

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