Page 66 of Summer with the Single Dad

Aya matched her sister’s glare, then took a step further by scrunching up her face. So many of their interactions brought back waves of memories and déjà vu for Justine and her interactions with her sisters. Though usually, they kept their bickering quiet since if their mother heard them, there would be hell to pay. They still pushed each other’s buttons the way Emme and Aya pushed each other’s.

It was just what siblings did.

“Because you wouldn’t let me do it myself,” Aya shot back.

“I was only trying to help and stop you from—”

“All right,” Bennett said, his voice booming over his squabbling daughters. “Aya, you were rude to Emme. Emme, this isn’t an eye for an eye. Just because Aya was rude doesn’t mean you need to stoop to her level.”

“Doesn’t mean I need to do anything to help her either. I wasn’t being rude. I was telling her how she treated me and asking her why she thought I should be nice to her.”

Bennett’s nod was full of exhaustion. “I understand that.”

Emme rolled her brown eyes and tossed her dark chestnut curls over her shoulder. “Ugh. Fine. I’ll wash and cut up your strawberries.”

Aya’s expression was one of triumph. But a stern look from her father had the little girl stowing her glee quickly. She hopped off her chair and came around to her sister at the counter. “I’m sorry. I was rude to you. I’m sorry I made the jug spill. You were just trying to help.” Then she wrapped her arms around her sister. “You’re a good sister.”

“You are too,” Emme said, embracing her sister. “Most of the time.”

The girls started to giggle, then together, they washed and diced the strawberries as if their quarrel had never happened.

Bennett was already back at the coffee machine. “What kind of milk—if any—do you take?” he asked.

“Whatever you have,” Justine said, still in awe of how easily the girls resolved their differences. It had to be the parenting. Because even though Justine and her sisters were told not to argue, they still did. And they often held silent, secret grudges against each other for days. They just had to be covert about it because if their mother found out they were at odds, they would all pay.

The toast popped up, and Justine and Emme spread generous amounts of all-natural, chunky peanut butter on the slices. They remained conservative with the honey though.

Bennett brought her a steaming mug that smelled like heaven. “I like oat milk in my coffee,” he said. “So that’s what I put in yours.”

She gingerly took a sip while still standing at the counter. “Mmmm.”

She and Emme joined Aya back at the table where summer in a bowl, a.k.a. the washed and diced strawberries, sat tempting all of them.

Bennett joined them with what looked like a bowl of muesli.

They sat there like a family.

She should have felt guilty about that, especially since this was another woman’s family. This was Bennett’s late wife’s house. Her children, her husband. And yet, all Justine felt was joy.

“I like this,” Aya said, slurping the milk from her bowl. “Dad, are you baking the cupcakes and cakes today?”

Justine gasped. In all the chaos of the flood in her cabin, avoiding Bennett because of their outdoor, tree sex, and her ongoing self-destruct party masquerading as a voyage of self-discovery, she completely forgot that she offered to help him bake for the school fair.

Bennett nodded. “I’ve taken the day off—well, mostly off—to bake. You girls can help me decorate when you get home from school.”

The sisters beamed.

“I’m so sorry,” Justine said, setting down her toast. “I completely forgot that I offered to help.”

Bennett shrugged and sipped his coffee. “You can still help. Unless you have plans today?”

She shook her head. “Nothing besides more exploring. But if you need the help, I’ll gladly help.”

His smile was sly and stirred all kinds of inappropriate things in her belly and brain. “I could use the help. Thank you.”

Heat filled her cheeks, and she smiled like a woman who’d had an orgasm on a desk that morning, not to mention some incredible kisses—with tongue—before and after.

“Justine, will you walk us to the bus stop?” Aya asked, leaning forward to grab a strawberry slice from the bowl.

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