Page 40 of Summer Swoon

“I should act insulted, but I can’t,” Dex said. “She’s right. I can sleep anywhere and through anything. All in all, it’s a good trait to pass on to kids, right?”

“From a mother of a former colicky child who didn’t sleep for almost a year, I say it’s a great trait to pass on,” Eve said.

I listened to them talk about sleep schedules and other baby-related things for a few minutes before Dex totally changed the subject.

“I was actually going to call you,” he said. “Do you have a roofing nail gun I can borrow for a day? I’m helping Courtney’s dad replace the roof on his garage and if you remember, the last time I did something like that with a hammer, my hand was curled into a fist for a week.”

“That’s his story and he’s sticking to it,” I said to Courtney.

“You’re an ass,” Dex said, even though he was laughing.

“Maybe, but I’m an ass with an extra roofing nail gun. In fact, it’s in my truck.” I looked at Eve. “Do you mind hanging out here with Courtney and the boys while we go grab it?”

“No, not at all,” she said.

I gave her a quick kiss and Dex and I headed to my truck.

“So that’s Eve.”

“That’s Eve.”

“She seems nice. Things are still going well?”

I hesitated for a second before saying, “Yeah.”

“That didn’t sound very confident.”

We approached the truck and as I retrieved the nail gun from the bed, I figured out what to say to that.

“I really like her, Dex.”

“So what’s the problem?”

I looked down at the ground and rubbed the back of my neck.

“For one thing, she’s leaving in a month.”

“And for another?”

“I haven’t told her about my past yet.”

“Do you think it will matter?”

“I don’t see why it would.” I shrugged. “But Pop seems to think it will.”

The fact that I was a child star is kind of a well-known secret in Seaside, especially with the older folks. It was more of a thing when I first moved here, but after twelve years, no one really cares or talks about it.

“What do you think?” I asked.

“Could go either way.”

I handed Dex the nail gun and closed the truck, then we headed over to the next aisle to put it in his.

“I’m gonna ask her to extend her trip.”

His eyes rounded.

“Do you think she will?”

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