Page 29 of Single Mom's Mountain Men
"Guests huh?" She raises an eyebrow. "For a second I thought you were going to tell me you started a family, but she looks way too smart to be shacked up with you."
"Very funny," I say.
She snickers at me before returning her attention to Patty. "Sorry. I used to change this kid's diapers and you would not believe the dirt I have on him."
“Yeah, he mentioned,” Patty smiles and offers her hand. “I’m Patty.”
“You can call me Anna. So these kids are here for the daycare… or the preschool?’
“Kind of both? Maddie for preschool but Katie is supposed to start Elementary school in the fall. I'm trying to get her prepared for that, but I don't know. Maybe if there's a library? She loves to read."
“Ah.” Katie squeezes her mother’s hand as Mrs. Weatherby turns her attention to the little girl. “Well, we have a pretty decent library here. You can read as much as you want during playtime.”
“Really?
"Of course."
Katie looks up at her mom, her gaze pleading. Patty nods in return, as though coming to a decision.
"Can I talk to you about something?" she asks Mrs. Weatherby, throwing me an apologetic glance.
Mrs. Weatherby immediately seems to catch her meaning.
"Sure," she says. "You can talk to me while we fill out the forms. Wes, you show the girls around."
"Sure thing," I say. I'm curious about their conversation, but obviously Patty doesn't want me privy to it. Perhaps it's about sensitive stuff concerning the children, or maybe other womanly stuff I wouldn't understand.
Anyway, as the two women walk a little bit away for some privacy, I bend and sweep Katie up into my arms before walking to the back door, to show the girls the playground.
It’s a small playground but with ample space for enough swing sets, slides and monkey bars to accommodate the dozen or so kids running around. Maddie’s eyes immediately fixate on the monkey bars and she turns to me.
“Mr. Mitch!”
“Uncle Mitch,” I correct.
“Uncle Mitch, can I go on the monkey bars?”
“Sure things,” I say, dropping her so she can run off there.
I turn to Katie on my left hip. “What do you wanna do, sweetie?”
She shrugs. “I guess I could go on the swings after they’re done.”
I turn to the swings where it looks like two eight-year-old boys are having a competition to see who can swing it up highest.
“Hey,” I call out to them. “You gentlemen think my Katie over here can get a turn on that?”
“I’m not your Katie,” Katie corrects, seeming almost alarmed at the prospect.
I grin. “Nope. But you are as cute as a button.”
I pinch her nose, and she blushes and then smiles slowly. One of the boys digs his foot in on the descent and abandons the swing to run to the monkey bars. I let Katie down so she can walk delicately to the swing.
By the time Patty is done with the paperwork, both of the girls are on the swings, being pushed by new friends.
"Alright, glad we got that squared away," Mrs. Weatherby is saying as they return. "Like I said, feel free to pick them up anytime."
"I'm just going grocery shopping," she says. "I'll pick them up once we're done."
