Page 43 of Beating Heart
She whipped around and stormed off, growling at a few of the guys as she walked back outside.
Kingston walked over to me and did his typical dramatic shiver. “Yikes. I find that woman terrifying. She always looks so pissed off.”
“Yeah, I do notice the way you always run to the bathroom whenever she stops by. Thanks for that, by the way.”
He clapped me on the shoulder. “You’re just much better at handling that kind of shit. I would have agreed to up the timeline, and that wouldn’t be a good thing. So… you’re welcome.”
I rolled my eyes. “That’s convenient. Are you ready to get the door in?”
“Yep. I just need your help to lift it.”
“Let’s do it.”
We spent the rest of the day tackling one thing after another, and I was relieved when I got to the camp and picked up my boy.
I should have been concerned when his camp counselor told me she’d try to stop by our Fourth of July party. Cutler loved to invite everyone in town every time we had a get-together.
“I thought I told you that you needed to ask me before you invite people to things,”
I said as we drove toward home.
“Yeah, but she’s real nice, Pops. She gave me an extra cookie at snack time.”
I shook my head as we pulled into the driveway, and my head snapped in the direction of my neighbor’s house. Emerson was out front in those damn jean shorts, bent over, planting flowers.
Cutler was out of the car and running that way as Winnie sprinted in his direction.
“Hey, what did I tell you about waiting for me before you jump out of the truck?” I grumped.
“Sorry, Pops! I want to say hi to Sunny and Winnie.”
Emerson turned our way, pushing to stand and brushing her hands off to free them of the dirt.
“Hey,” she said, as my son ran into her arms like they were long-lost family members. “How was camp?”
This fucking kid and his attachments to certain people.
Beautiful women seemed to be his thing.
He rambled on and on about all the things that happened at camp, and I crossed my arms over my chest, waiting for him to take a breath.
“Pops, did you tell Sunny about the fireworks party?”
Did I not just tell him that he wasn’t allowed to invite people without asking?
I cleared my throat and shot him a warning look. “I haven’t had a chance to do that.”
“Oh, sorry. I’m not supposed to ask people to come to the party without talking to Pops first.”
She smiled. “My parents had the same rule growing up, and I swear my brothers never listened. Everyone in town would show up at our parties, and my mom would get so aggravated with the boys. She finally just stopped fighting it and took on a the-more-the-merrier philosophy.”
“I like that.” My son glanced over at me, his hair disheveled from swimming in the lake at camp and his cheeks a little pink from the sun. No matter how much sunscreen I put on this kid, he still got tan everywhere, but his cheeks were always rosy. “The more the merrier, Pops. Did you hear that?”
“I did. I’m standing right next to you.” I chuckled. “And of course, you like that. You aren’t the one throwing the party.”
Emerson’s jade-green eyes locked with mine. “I’m guessing he’s just the entertainment?”
“Something like that,” I said, as Cutler started running around the yard with Winnie. I scratched the back of my neck and squinted up as the sun was shining down on us. “You’re welcome to come. It’ll be a good group.”
