Page 146 of Summer with the Single Dad

The kids bounced between the beach and pub, chasing each other, then coming back up for food. There were other children from the island that Justine recognized from the funfair. She stood on the far end of the patio, her arms on the top rail, watching the children play in the sand as the sun began to sink behind the horizon.

A warm, strong arm wrapped around her from behind and she leaned into Bennett as he came up beside her. “You’re sure you want to live in this desolate wasteland of angry, sad, depressed people?”

She glanced over her shoulder at the people on the dance floor. Keturah Katz was getting down with her bad self. She had a beer bottle in one hand and was holding the hand of an elderly gentleman with the other. Laughter competed with the music, and glasses constantly clinked in cheers.

“Yeah, it’s a pretty sorry place to live,” she agreed, leaning her head back on his shoulder. “But the people aren’t so bad.”

“Even Mr. Serious?”

She paused and pursed her lips. He playfully hip checked her.

“I saw you chatting with Grayson. Did he offer you a job?”

She smiled. “I think he’s going to. Or he’s already hired me.”

“So you have the job now. And the trailer for a few more weeks. Then we’ll figure out what comes next.”

She nodded. “We will. I’m not worried one bit.”

“And if we don’t find a trailer to replace the one that you’re in … there’s always my bed.”

She tossed him some side eye. “You don’t think that’s too soon?”

He shrugged. “I mean, you’ve already lived with us once.”

“But would we be in the bed together? What will that say to the girls?”

“I can stay in the study if you’d prefer.” His grin was cheeky.

“No!” she blurted out, which pulled a deep, sexy laugh from him. He kissed her forehead.

“We’ll figure it out,” he said. “I’m not worried. You’re staying and that’s all that matters. The rest will work itself out.”

“The rest will work itself out,” she repeated, just before he went in for a kiss.

She was lost in the passion and sweetness of his mouth, but the unmistakable gasp from below perked her ears. Followed by the excited holler of Aya, “Emme, they do have crushes on each other. Look!”

EPILOGUE

Six months later

“You’ve cleaned the same spot on the counter like thirteen times already,” Bennett said. “I’m pretty sure it’s spotless.”

“You don’t know my mother,” Justine hissed from the kitchen. “She’ll come in with white gloves.”

“Seriously?”

“No. But her eyes are like white gloves.”

He sighed and approached her where she furiously scrubbed the kitchen sink. His hands found her shoulders, and he could feel how tightly wound she was. This was the first time her parents and sisters would be coming to the island to visit. Yes, Bennett had met Dr. Brazeau and Dr. Brazeau before, but only when he and Justine went to Seattle. He hadn’t met her sisters yet though.

“It’s going to be okay,” he said, pecking her on the forehead. “They were fine with you leaving surgery and moving to the island, remember?”

“No, they weren’t,” she protested, shaking him off and resuming her scrubbing. “My dad was, maybe. But my mother wasn’t. Just because Hui Ying Brazeau says she’s fine with something doesn’t mean she is. Fine means ‘not fine.’”

Resting a hand on her shoulder, he reached into the sink with the other hand and removed the green and yellow sponge from her grasp. He pivoted her to face him, then removed her pink rubber gloves one-by-one. “You’re done here. The house is cleaner than it’s ever been. The cabins are ready for their stay. They’re stocked with food. Wyatt has prepared us an incredible meal. Everything is going to be okay.”

The look in her beautiful brown eyes said not only did she not believe him, but he also had no idea what he was talking about. “Vacuum! I haven’t vacuumed under our bed.”

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