Page 54 of Bourbon and Secrets

“I can see his feet. I know he’s there,” one of the girls says from a foot or two away.

The blanket is pulled up over us, his arms wrapped around me and our legs intertwined. Lincoln shifts back so I can see his face when he whispers, “Maybe they’ll leave if we stay very still.” He smiles and then closes his eyes.

“I don’t have pants on,” I say as quietly as possible.

“Are we going to get a peep show if we pull this blanket off you two?” Griz says loudly. Oh god, there’s an actual audience out here.

“What’s a peep show?” Lily asks him. I’m praying he doesn’t answer her.

I hear Lark rush out, “I don’t think it’s the marshmallow kind, let’s put it that way.”

“Alright,” Lincoln says, sitting up and pulling the plush blanket down to keep me covered up. “No peep show.” He glares at Griz. “Just fell asleep out here.”

I squint at the brightness of the day and rub my eyes, guaranteeing that the make-up I had on is a blackout mess. Lily stares at us from the floor as she scratches under Kit’s neck, while Griz sips on a coffee, smiling and waiting for one of us to say something else. But it’s Lark who glares at me first and then says, “We went home, and you weren’t there. And then somehow Kit sniffed you out and, well...” she pauses as she crosses her arms, “here you are.” Oh, she’s not my biggest fan right now.I hate that feeling of disappointment.

“Dad, you’re not wearing a shirt,” Lily says.

Oh god.

But he doesn’t even sound nervous when he says, “Fell asleep. Faye runs hot. Ditched my sweatshirt.” Reaching for his glasses from the window’s ledge, he puts them on like none of this is a big deal.

“Dad, it’s winter,” Lily says.

“A mild one,” he says as he scoots out and stands. “I need some coffee.”

“Only brought this one,” Griz says, holding up his cup.

“Thoughtful,” Lincoln mutters as he stretches his arms above his head.

“Breakfast?” he asks me as he grabs his phone from the ground somewhere and starts typing away. I can’t help the surprised look I’m sure I’m giving him. He wants to bring me to breakfast? It’s unexpected. Maybe even more so than beingwoken up by his grandfather and daughters, all studying exactly what it is we were doing out here.

I feel like I’m still asleep. Definitely a bit hungover, but entirely unready to face two kids and the reality of this morning.

The front door swings open. “Are we having a party out here?” Maggie says with an unusually bright demeanor. “Faye, Linc, what are you two doing out here on the porch? I thought I heard the two of you last night, but?—”

I cut her off, looking at Lincoln. “I’m okay. Not hungry right now.”

He smiles back at me. It’s a knowing exchange that feels...good.

I look at Lily, who’s still petting Kit who is chewing on her leash. “Thank you for taking care of her last night.”

My attention moves to the brown and black fluffball making growling sounds. “Kit.”

She stops what she’s doing and looks up at me, her tongue sticking out as she opens her mouth.

“Were you on your best behavior last night?” I ask her.

Lily answers, “She was very good. She slept on the floor right next to me. And then this morning, she had her puppy vitamins, and we went for a walk to the stables. I think she likes other animals.”

Now might be a good time to offer the girls some assistance with this dog situation. I glance at Lincoln before I ask Lily, “Would you want to help me with her? Maybe she can stay with you on the nights I work late?”

Lily’s eyes widen, and then she gives me a knowing nod. “What a good idea, Faye,” she says, her voice a pinch louder, as if this was a line we practiced. “Dad, can we? I’ll make sure she gets walked and fed. It would be like a job, but I only get paid in puppy time?”

He leans into me as he scratches his chin and then smiles. One of those dimples puckers in as he says, “You’re good. I’ll give you that.”

I rest my chin in my hand and try to keep from smiling. He knows exactly what’s happened here—he just got swindled.

“Yeah, Lily. We can take her home now. And then you’re going to tell me how you managed to adopt a dog without a grown-up.”

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