Page 62 of One Bride for Three Single Dads

No, more like eight hundred.

“Man, we will figure it out,” I pitch in supportively.

The guy has gotta be feeling bad right now. If I were him, I would be feeling terrible.

Here we are, in over our heads. I mean, there is no nice way to say it. We arein over our heads.

Hopefully the front wall is still pretty intact. Stepping carefully for soft spots along the rotted subfloor, I make my way to the front wall to check it out.

The wind picks up considerably on the ocean side. It really is a gorgeous view, I have to admit.

Bits of paper and wire sheathing skitter across the floor in the breeze.

Suddenly my heart stalls.

A dark shape dashes past me, practically knocking me off my feet. Instinctively I grab a piece of lumber and just start swinging. I don’t stop until the heel of my boot goes through the floorboard, pinning me into place.

My eyes are a haze of red fog. I’m ready to fight. I’m ready to kill whatever the fuck that was…

And the guys?

What are they doing?

Laughing their asses off.

Chapter 26

JOLENE

“Oh my God, you should have seen him!”

“Practically jumped out of his skin!”

Boone reenacts the scene, almost knocking over the table lamp as he swings his arms wildly, his mouth open, trying to battle an invisible demon before he falls onto the couch.

“Guys, enough,” Harrison grumbles from the doorway.

But Ambrose and Boone are not nearly done. The kids and I stand there while they reenact the scene from the very beginning, this time with what I suspect is a little bit of embellishment.

“Okay, so he just tippytoes toward the window, afraid his fat ass is going to fall through the floorboards…” Boone begins again.

“Boone!” I scold him.

“Oh, okay, afraid his fat butt is going to fall through the floorboards,” he corrects himself.

Still, I catch Alexis roll her eyes at me. She doesn’t approve of impolite language either.

Boone theatrically creeps across our tiny parlor with his hands up and looks through an invisible window. Then he throws up his arms and jumps, practically knocking his head on the low ceiling, and starts screaming like a little girl.

“AAAAAAHHHHHHHHH!!!!!! Save me! Save me!”

“I never said that,” Harrison scoffs.

“You totally did!” Ambrose laughs. “Now, shut up! This is the best part!”

“So he grabs a board and just starts”—Boone waves his arms all around, pinwheel style—“swinging! At anything!”

“Probably saved your life,” Harrison grumbles.

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