Page 40 of The Single Dad's Guide to Recreation

Slow down, girl. You’ve barely kissed the guy and you hardly know him.

What you do know: he’s likely planning to cut the toddler program that’s the highlight of your week. Even if he and his son love it, he may not have a choice.

Plus, he might not be married, but he’s grieving.

Though I think I read somewhere that sex can be healing. If only we can find the time.

When I crawl into bed later that night, the buzz from the cider has worn off, but Daisy and Leia’s love is still wrapped around me like a cozy blanket. Whatever happens with me and Josh, my friends will have my back.

ChapterFourteen

JOSH

Halloween in Manhattan could be fun, with kids running up and down condo hallways and meeting neighbors you barely knew existed, but it was nothing like the holiday I remembered growing up. Even before I was old enough to trick-or-treat without adult supervision, it was exciting to be outside past bedtime. To see the houses transformed by colored lights and spooky decorations, even to be frightened by scary costumes.

I’ve been determined to give my kids as much of the smalltown Halloween experience as possible, so when I got a newsletter from Bedd Fellows Farm announcing the mid-September kickoff of their pumpkin patch, I figured it’d be a great way to get us all in the mood. Since my dad’s out of town for a golf tournament this weekend, I ask my mom if she wants to visit the farm with me and the kids Saturday morning.

But she begs off, pointing to her ankle. “I’ll just slow you all down.”

My mom’s in a boot and pretty mobile around the house, so I hadn’t even thought about the challenges the farm might present. “Do you want us to stick around here? It’ll be happening all next month too.”

She waves this down. “I’ve got a good book to read. Just bring me back a treat.”

As the kids and I get dressed, I impulsively call Avery and invite her to join us instead.

“Are you sure?” she asks.

The tentativeness in her voice has me pushing harder. “Of course. You think I can keep up with both of these monsters on my own?”

I’m relieved to hear her laugh. “Are you speaking literally? Are Percy and Mabel dressing up as monsters?”

“No costumes required.” I drop my voice. “Unless you want to go for the sexy milkmaid, that is.”

“I’ll see what I can do,” she purrs in a tone that heats me to my core, making me worry that I’m playing with fire.

Twenty minutes later, we pull up in front of Avery’s house. Before I can get to the door, she steps through it and my mouth goes dry as I take in skintight jeans tucked into boots and the plaid shirt tied at the waist revealing a hint of pale skin. “Forget sexy milkmaid,” I mutter. “I’ll take sexy cowgirl any day.”

The minute we get to the pumpkin patch, Mabel drags Avery to see the star of Bedd Fellows Farm, a sheep called Baabara Streisand. I hear the woolly animal lives in some sort of pet palace up by the house, but at the moment she’s posing for photos with fans.

Meanwhile, Percy runs in the other direction. I just manage to catch him before he clambers onto a pile of pumpkins. “Whoa, boy. I think this is ayou break it, you buy itsituation.”

“Actually, this is the pumpkin mountain.” Sam Bedd appears next to me, clapping a hand on my shoulder. “So many kids wanted to climb on the pumpkins we just made it a thing. Go for it, little man.”

Another preschooler joins Percy, and as Sam and I watch them in silence, I remember that my old roommate was always easy to just hang out with.

“Do you ever feel like a fraud?” With anyone else, I’d have to work my way up to this question. But this is how Sam and I talked. We could be working in our room for hours and one of us would throw out a random question. Even now, it doesn’t seem weird to bring up something that would be embarrassing with anyone else.

As expected, Sam doesn’t question the question. “You mean that thing where you think someone’s going to walk in your office and say, ‘You have no idea what you’re doing. Get out.’ That thing?”

“Uh, yeah, I guess. Except it’s not just in the office. It’s everywhere.”

Sam’s gaze follows Percy, now trying to move a pumpkin half his size. “Well, nothing prepares you for parenting all by yourself, I’m sure. And you seem to be doing a pretty good job of that.”

“Maybe. Better than I did when Lisa was still around, ironically. At least I’m present.”

“And she wasn’t?”

“Not on purpose. She was… depressed.”

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