Page 89 of Summer with the Single Dad

“Ooh, I just love it.”

That voice.

Justine recognized that breathy, ditzy voice. The one that was entirely put on, because Justine knew what the home-wrecker really sounded like.

She glanced up just enough from beneath her big, floppy hat only to have her stomach plummet to her feet.

It was Tad and Ashli.

Now she really felt lightheaded.

She’d also never been more grateful for this enormous hat on her head and how well it could conceal her face.

She absolutely did not want them to see her.

Trying her best to tune out the ringing in her ears and the threat of a stroke in her brain, she strained to listen to more of their conversation.

“Do you know what the tides will be?” Ashli asked. “I really want to get married while my dress still fits.”

Wait, what?

Tad and Ashli were getting married? Here?

Justine’s muesli spun her stomach.

“We can check on the tides.” Bennett said. “And if they’re not cooperating, we also figure we could put the ceremony on the balcony above. Then we could move the chairs and tables back to it, and leave the dance floor inside. Both are options we can certainly try to make happen,” Bennett went on.

Silas let out a cry of imminent disaster just as one of the river’s side walls collapsed again. “Not again!” He growled. “Justine, can you help me, please?”

Justine froze.

Please, please, please don’t let Tad hear her name. Please let the wind carry Silas’s words out to sea.

She covertly checked which way the wind was moving and, thank Hippocrates, it was blowing away from Tad and Ashli. Chances are he didn’t hear Silas say her name.

“Justine, help!” Silas pleaded louder.

She snapped out of her fog and dove in to help the little guy as he struggled to keep more of the sandy wall from collapsing into the river. He giggled while they did it, because it was all in fun, but Justine was in a pure state of panic.

She couldn’t look up again at Tad. She couldn’t risk it.

But boy did she want to.

Surely, Bennett wasn’t actually entertaining the idea of holding their demonic wedding here. It would curse the land and restaurant for eternity. The bonding of such two evil spirits had to bring bad juju. And she wasn’t normally a spiritual person, but the universe wasn’t going to overlook something so glaringly sinful and malicious, and not smite those involved with horrendous repercussions.

Eventually, their voices drifted away, and when she finally dared to look up, they were gone.

But her fear was there to stay, as was the damper on her glorious beach day.

She tried to rally as best she could for the kids. But it wasn’t easy.

They took a break and had snacks, then got back to work on the castle and moat. She pitched in like before, but her heart wasn’t in it. The smile on her face was tough to keep up, and her heart hurt.

By the time they all decided to call it for the day, everyone had rumbling bellies, bodies covered in sand, and a contagious case of the yawns.

“Great first day of summer break,” Silas said, holding Justine’s hand as they climbed the hill up to the house. “Let’s do this every day.”

“Totally,” Jake and Griffin agreed.

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