Page 89 of Hard Hat Hottie

“When we go out, if Rob needs toilet paper, he’ll send Alec and me into the bathroom and tell us to bring back a roll. He takes sugar packets from the table. He says it’s not really stealing. That the restaurant owes it to us because their prices are so high.”

My head is about to blow. If my son wasn’t already a whimpering mess, I’d yell for his deadbeat dad to get up here this instant. I need to make sure Alec doesn’t suffer any more for the poor choices Rob has made.

“Baby, come here.” I grab my little man and pull him into my lap. “I’m sorry you’re hurting. It wasn’t a good choice to take Harry’s Magic 8 ball, but that’s not why we don’t see each other anymore. I shouldn’t have introduced you to him until I was sure we were going to be better friends. That’s on Mom. But when you’re older, you’ll see that sometimes boys and girls don’t stay friends.”

“Who’d want to be friends with a girl anyway?”

I squint my eyes at him, trying to remain playful.

“Well, except you,” he quickly corrects, batting away a few more tears.

“I’m going to talk to your dad. It’s not okay to take anything that doesn’t belong to you without permission. And whether it’s toilet paper, sugar packets, salt and pepper shakers, or a Magic 8 ball,theydon’t belong to you.”

“Yes, ma’am.”

“We need to give this back to Harrison.”

“But he’ll be mad at me,” he bellows.

“He might be upset, but I don’t think he’ll be mad if you tell him the truth. And that you’re sorry and won’t do it again.” While I might be angry that things didn’t work out as I’d hoped with him, deep down, I believe he’s a good man. Maybe he’s a player like all the rest. But he was good to my kids, and amazing with his mother. I have no reason to think he’d be any harder on Alec than I am.

“Listen, I need to have a few minutes alone with your dad.”

“Please don’t tell him. I don’t want him mad at me too,” Alec begs.

“Baby, I’m not mad.” At you anyway. “And he won’t be either.” I rub his little back. It’s not his fault he’s been taught that this is okay. “Let me just straighten all of this out so we can start building your castle. Okay?”

“Really?” He sniffles. “We can still do that?”

I kiss his little cheeks. “Of course, we can.” But his dad is going to be gluing every single cube together. His fingers will be so covered in dried paste, he won’t be able to jack off for months.

“Holy cow, Harlow. You’ve really had a shit week,” Shay blurts into the phone. “What are you going to do about the Magic 8 ball? Are you going to leave it on Harry’s doorstep?”

“I haven’t completely figured that out yet. But I think Alec needs to give it back to him. I’m just praying that the whole thing isn’t completely awkward.” I pause, wondering if I want to share the rest. “Harrison messaged me the morning after I saw him hugging his latest conquest.”

“What? Harlow! You didn’t tell me that. What did he say?”

“He had the nerve to say,Sorry. You deserve better.Like I don’t know that.” I spit out angrily. “But now I feel like I’ll probably need to call him to talk before just arriving on his door with my little kleptomaniac.”

Alec may have taken it all in stride the first time, but I want to make this as quick and easy as possible. Tell Harrison what happened, keep it all about a life lesson for my son, return the 8 ball, and get the hell outta there.

“Ugh. What a mess.”

“You got that right. Rob agreed to take the boys to the beach tomorrow. Considering the mess he created for Alec, and me, it’s the least he could do. I think I’m going to start drinking as soon as they walk out the door. Maybe it’ll help me figure out how to confront Harryandbeg his forgiveness for my child, all in one conversation. You want to meet for Bloody Mary’s somewhere?”

“Sure. But I have a better idea. Why don’t we treat ourselves to a spa day? I know just the place where we could do both.”

CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE

HARLOW

“There’s my girl.” Shay comes in for a hug before squeezing my cheeks in her hands. “Today going any better?”

“Yes. I gave Rob another piece of my mind. How was I ever attracted to a man who could act like that?” I ask as we stroll down the sidewalk arm in arm.

“From the stories I recall, there was a lot of tequila involved. Don’t worry, my dear. We’re drinking vodka today. Your virtue is safe with me.”

My eyes bounce from one shop sign to another, curious where we’re going. I’ve lived here forever, but the salon I use is on the other side of Candy Cane Key. “Where is this spa you mentioned?”

---