Page 9 of The Parent Pick-Up
As he heads out again, Olivia tugs my hand. “Mom, I’mstarving.”
I wince. “We’ll order something. Anything you want.”
From the garage: “Yeah… about that.”
I blink. “About what?”
“There’s no delivery out here. Not this time of year.”
Olivia gasps like he’s just told her Christmas is canceled.
“Dad makes thebestspaghetti,” Hannah says brightly. “You should stay.”
Owen reappears, arms full of emergency gear and a look on his face that says he’s not thrilled with the idea but is too polite to say so.
I glance at Olivia, whose smile is wider than I’ve seen it in days.
And I say the only thing I possibly can.
“We’d love to.”
Chapter Four
Owen
After dinner,Hannah and Olivia bounce around the kitchen, begging for a movie night. It’s not part of the routine, but I’m clearly outnumbered.
“It’s already late,” I say, holding up a hand like I’ve still got some authority left.
“But it’s still summer, Dad,” Hannah pleads, hands clasped under her chin like a cartoon character. “Please?”
Olivia mirrors her perfectly, like they rehearsed this.
I glance at Ivy, hoping she’ll back me up, but she just sips her water and lifts an eyebrow.
“One movie,” I mutter.
Cheers erupt. The girls scramble around for pillows and throw blankets, setting up the perfect movie-watching environment.
When our eyes meet, Ivy snickers. “You didn’t stand a chance.”
I smother a sigh. “I never do.”
Ivy and I clean the kitchen together while the girls set up their blanket fort. Ivy hums softly as she loads the dishwasher, and for a second, it feels like we’ve done this before. It’s both strange and somehow nice having help in the kitchen.
When we’re done and the girls are all set, I grab a bottle of wine from the fridge and lift it in the air. “Care to join me?”
Ivy inspects the bottle, her eyes widening in appreciation. “Wow. That’s one of my favorites.”
I grab a couple of hoodies, and we head outside, where chairs are lined up to face the view of the bay. The moon casts a silver sheen across the dark water, and a breeze rustles the seagrass.
I’ve always loved this view, but I’ve got to admit, it’s even better with a glass of fine wine and Ivy sitting next to me.
I hand her one of the hoodies, and she pulls it over her head. She’s so cute wearing my clothes, it makes my heart stretch in a way I’m not ready for.
The last thing I need in my life is unpredictability. I have enough of that with Hannah’s mom.
And then there’s Ivy’s questionable past.
