Page 42 of Suddenly Entwined

He crumples the foil from his sandwich. “It’s not that hard.”

“You know how? Why?”

The idea that Dean, the bachelor who lives on a boat, could braid my kids' hair, and I can’t, irritates me. If the girls like having their hair done, why haven’t I made it a priority to learn?

“Used to practise on rope when I was learning boating knots as a kid.”

I nod, remembering an August day last summer when Dean took us out on his boat. The girls had jumped right into the bay when they got hot and squealed in horror the second their toes touched the icy water. They’d doggy paddled back to the boat as fast as they could where Dean and I hauled them back aboard, laughing as they shivered.

I stick my phone back in my pocket and turn to Dean. “We gotta take the girls out again this summer.”

“On the boat?”

“Yeah, I was thinking about last year when–”

Dean interrupts me. “Who the hell is that?” He straightens up and wipes his mouth with the back of his hand.

“Huh?” I scan the job site, seeing only the usual people milling about.

And then I spot her. Caro’s wearing tight jeans and a plain black t-shirt that scoops low across her chest, her curls loose and spilling over her shoulders. She’s got a red plaid button upover her shirt that makes her hair seem even brighter. And slung over one arm is my lunch kit which looks comically large on her shoulder. The lunch kit I was reaching for on the table behind her this morning. She hasn’t seen me, but I know if Dean has noticed her, that about eleven other men will have as well. And the idea of their eyes gliding all over her has me jumping off the tailgate and banging down my coffee mug with a thud.

“Shooting your shot, MacMillan? Atta boy,” Dean says, like he’s surprised.

“Pipe down. That’s Chris’s little sister,”

“Doesn’t look that little.”

I shoot him a look. “Really?”

“What?”

“I’m a girl dad, Dean. Don’t be a creep. And worry about your own love life.”

He holds up a hand in innocence. “I’ll go find Chris.”

“No!” I say with too much force, reaching out to grab Dean’s arm as he stands.

I clear my throat and try to sound casual, even though I’m feeling anything but. Having Caro nanny for me shouldn’t be a secret, but I’ll ask her if she wants to tell him herself.

“She’s got my lunch. I must have left it on the porch or something.”

Dean clicks his tongue, then chuckles. “She did the braids, eh?”

“Maybe,” I reply, my eyes still trained on her.

A smile stretches across his face. “Very interesting.”

“Not really. Stay here.”

I leave him behind, making my way through the job site to intercept Caro before she wanders much further without safety gear. Isaac will have a fit if he sees her walking through here without a hard hat. And Chris, I think, would be even more weirded out at the sight of his younger sister hand delivering me my lunch kit. He’ll only need to take one look at me to know that I’ve seen her naked. Heat floods my cheeks at the memory of our goodbye this morning. Or that I took full advantage of the proximity of her lips this morning and kissed her.

I’ve got to get her out of here.

“Oh! I found you,” Caro smiles, taking longer strides to reach me.

I tense as she approaches a tangle of cords. “Watch…” she steps smoothly over an orange extension cord, “your step.”

I take the bag from her, accidentally brushing my knuckles against hers. She fidgets with the buttons on her flannel.

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