Page 13 of More Than Falling in Love

He bobs his head.“Yep.She makes me cookies and takes me swimming.Soon, it’ll be summer, and then I won’t have to go to school.”

“But I thought you liked school.”I fight the temptation to wring the water out of my ponytail because I don’t want to mess up Kent’s truck any more than I already have.

Mason crinkles his nose, thinking.“I like it sometimes.”

Kent pulls up beside my dad’s truck and points.“That’s our place over there.I’ll come back here to pick you up for lunch soon.”

Everyone here is super friendly, and Ava might not care if I go into her house, but what if she does?

“Will you wait for a second?I’ll just grab my bag and change when we get back to the main house.”

Kent blinks.“Why wait?”

I shoot him a look, then slide out of the truck.There are some things I don’t want to explain in front of a kid.

Kent is out of the truck and next to me in a minute.“What’s wrong?”

“I met Ava at breakfast for the very first time.I’m not going to barge into her house like it’s my own.I didn’t tell Dad I was going to change.I only asked where I could find my bag.”

Kent opens my dad’s truck and grabs my suitcase.“You can change at my place.”

“I’ve already intruded enough.”

He drops my bag into the bed, then opens my door.“It’s not an intrusion.”

When I climb back into the truck, Mason grins.“Are you coming to our house?You can see my room.Dad put stars on my ceiling that glow at night.They’re cool.Maybe you can come back at night when it’s dark.”

Kent seems like SuperDad, and it makes me wonder about Mason’s mother.Obviously, I’m not going to ask about her in front of the kid, but maybe if Kent and I are alone, I can bring it up.Somehow.

Kent pushes open his front door and steps aside.“You are welcome to change in Mason’s room or in the bathroom.Whichever.”

Since he’s holding my bag, I need to give him an answer.“The bathroom works.”

I kick off my wet tennis shoes before stepping into the house.“This place is nice.”

“Mr.Clint used to live here, but when I came to live with Dad after Mommy went to heaven, he moved to this house because it’s bigger.”Mason points toward a door.“That’s the bathroom.Across the hall from Dad’s room.”

Mason is an endless source of information.How long ago did Mason come to live with his dad?And why is my heart rate thumping like it’s cheering at the news that Kent’s single?Then I feel bad because the reason this man is single is because his wife died.That’s nothing to cheer about.

Besides, I don’t know for certain he isn’t dating anyone.Mason didn’t say how long he’d been living here.But I’ll give it time.Eventually, Mason will drop answers to all my burning questions.

But why do I care?In a few days, I’m flying home to New York.I don’t need a map to remind myself that it’s far away from Texas.

And now is not the time to be thinking of what Tandy said on the plane.Sure there are butterflies fluttering in my tummy, but only because I was in a field with actual butterflies.It’s not like he’s tugging on my soul.Much.

Kent hands me the bag, and I slip inside the bathroom.There’s nothing fun about peeling off wet clothes.The puddle I’ve left on the floor is no joke.I lean close to the door.“Mind if I use one of these towels?”

“Help yourself.The ones in the cabinet are clean,” Kent says just before a door closes.

I’m not sure what to do with my wet clothes, so I fold them and set them on the side of the tub.After changing into leggings and a T-shirt, I towel off my hair and wipe the floor.Then I open the door.“Do you have a small bag I can use?”

“I’ll ask my dad.”

Mason shoves open Kent’s door, and I’m treated to an eyeful of man chest.Hello.

When my gaze meets Kent’s, I turn and beeline down the hall.“I’ll be in the living room.”

The kid, thankfully, seems oblivious.“Poppy needs a bag.”

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