Page 18 of Faking It With the Grumpy Single Dad

“Bye, Sasha!” the boys echo from the backseat.

“Well, shoot,” I murmur as I maneuver the truck into a U-turn and make my way back out of the driveway. “Guess we’ll have to call your grandma, boys.”

Flo answers on the second ring, her voice echoing through the Bluetooth speakers in the truck.

“What’s up, dear?”

“Are you free today, Ma? I need some help with the boys.”

“Hi, Grandma!” Eli interrupts. Cody giggles.

“Hey, kiddo!” Flo answers warmly. “Where’s your brother?”

“I’m here!” Cody chimes in.

“Hi, honey! What’d you boys have for breakfast this morning?”

“Cocoa Puffs!” answers Cody.

“With Lactaid!” adds Eli.

Flo bursts out laughing. Even I can’t help snorting at that. Thanks to Eli’s lactose intolerance, the entire household has been dairy-free for years.

“That sounds delicious, sweetie,” comes Flo’s response.

“Ma?” I prompt her.

“Oh, right. I’m sorry, dear. I’m out in Worcester today at a conference. I told you about it a couple days ago.”

Indeed, I do vaguely recall her mentioning that she had to haul herself out toward western Mass this weekend. It’s just that my mind has been so consumed by the renovation at Poppy’s cottage that I’ve barely had room for anything else.

“Alright, Ma. No problem. Drive safe.”

“I’ll stop by tomorrow, okay? Love you, boys!” A moment later, she hangs up.

“Well, shoot. Again.” I drum my fingers on the steering wheel. I really can’t waste any more time this morning, so I turn onto the road that’ll take me out toward Mermaid Shores. “Looks like you boys are going to have to come to work with me today.”

“Awesome!” Eli bellows.

“This is a very important client, though, okay?” I continue, eyeing them both in the rearview mirror. “And her house is currently in a pretty dangerous state. You can’t be running all over the place. I won’t have to be there all day today, but it’d bebest if you two could be angels and find one spot to stay in, and try to keep yourselves out of trouble, alright?”

Eli grins. “Aye, aye, Captain!”

Cody, ever his brother’s polar opposite, nods somberly. “Don’t worry. I brought my Switch.”

Thank goodness for Nintendo. That’ll keep them occupied for a good while.

I just hope that Poppy won’t mind two young boys hanging around her house. It’s not the first time I’ve had to bring them to a job site with me, though. They’re usually pretty good about it, especially since they’re older now.

On the way to the coast, I call my second-in-command, Eric. I let him know that I’m going to be later than expected, so he might have to sign for the delivery. I consider asking him to warn Poppy that I’ll be arriving with my two sons, but I figure I can just cross that bridge on my own when I come to it.

Mermaid Shores is teeming with activity. Already, the beach is filling up with tourists, and there are a few kites waving in the breeze. The weather isn’t quite warm yet—it’s not even technically summer—but it doesn’t seem like anyone cares. I patiently wait for groups of people dressed in nothing but shorts and bikini tops and flimsy sundresses to cross the busy Main Street, then turn down the narrow, shady lane where Poppy Minton lives.

Eric and a couple other guys are already there. We’ve got a skeleton crew today, since all we need to do is wait for the shipment of imported wood beams and artisan tile, then haul it inside. I also want to deal with a couple things upstairs on the second floor, but I can send the guys home early and deal with that on my own.

I wave to my staff, then deal with the boys.

Ushering them inside, I keep an eye out for Poppy, but she’s nowhere to be seen. Her Bronco wasn’t in the driveway, but she usually keeps it in the garage.

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