Chapter 30 #2
“For substandard work. Brian is amazing at his job. I used to have to work the front desk during his breaks. Anyone who covers for him complains about how bad it is. I’ve heard Bree and Livvy complaining much they hate it themselves.”
Opening his bottle of water, Kent took a sip while listening intently. “Then why do you think he was written up?”
“Livvy owed him for a month’s worth of coffee, and Bree owes him for two weeks’ worth. He stopped bringing them any. He also told them he wouldn’t bring them anymore if they didn’t give him what they owed him.”
Colby ran over to them to climb on the bench of the picnic table. “May I have my drink, Sage?”
“You may.”
“Me, too.” Uninhibited, Tinsley climbed onto Kent’s lap.
Sage removed the cover from the straw for the juice box, then poked it though the box. Kent reached for the other box, doing the same thing for Tinsley.
“Careful,” she warned as Kent gave the box to Tinsley.
The warning came too late. When she took the juice, Tinsley grabbed the box too hard, sending the juice squirting out of the box and hitting Kent on the chest.
Wishing she had warned him quicker, she reached inside the diaper bag for wipes.
“I’m sorry,” she apologized, while Tinsley gained control of the straw and sucked it into her mouth.
“It’s cool. At least it’s clear.” Patting the wipes on his shirt, he gave her an unconcerned smile.
“Apple juice. It’ll still be sticky.”
“I’ll live.” Holding Tinsley as she drank her juice, he seemed comfortable for him not to have been around children before.
“Do you have children?” she asked.
“No. I don’t have nieces or nephews, either, as far as I know,” he answered easily.
The girls finished their drinks before running off again. Sage let them play for another thirty minutes before rounding them up.
Before she could pick up Tinsley, Kent swooped her into his arms. Enjoying the childish giggles, Sage took Colby by the hand for the walk to the small restaurant on their way home.
They found a table at the busy restaurant, and Kent settled Tinsley into a highchair the hostess had brought while she helped Colby climb into a booster seat.
“I want a hamburger and fries,” Colby demanded.
“All right.” Her eyes went to Kent’s. “Tuesday is kids’ choice,” she told him. “What would you like, Tinsley?
“Corndog,” Tinsley said sweetly.
Kent’s face filled with amusement. “I can see who the alpha is between the two of them.”
“Don’t count Tinsley out. She’s more cunning than you’d expect.”
Sending her a doubtful look, he ordered chicken tenders and fries. She ordered herself a barbeque sandwich with a side of corn, then pulled out two coloring books and boxes of crayons and gave them to the girls.
“You order a lot of chicken for a billionaire.”
Kent wadded up the paper from his straw, flipping it at her. “You’re a nut. I never said I was a billionaire.”
Sage gave a jaunty huff of air.
“You’re the one who acted like your stuff was made of gold,” she whispered to him. “If you’re that concerned I’d get pregnant when we had sex, you can take the precautions yourself.”
“I normally do.”
“How normally?”
“Always. You’re the first one.”
“Really?”
He nodded.
“Poor guy.” She laughed. “I bet Colby nearly gave you a heart attack.”
“Darn near.”
Colby raised her head at the darn .
“I said darn .”
Her niece went back to coloring.
When the food came out, the girls immediately started eating. Sage had to cut up Tinsley’s corndog before she allowed her to eat it and wasn’t happy about not being about to use the stick.
As they ate, Tinsley stared covetously looking at the other food on the table. “I want hamburger.”
Sage wasn’t fazed. She had dealt with this problem before.
“You chose a corndog. Colby chose a hamburger. She doesn’t have to share.”
Tinsley picked up a piece of her corndog, holding it out to Colby. “I’ll share.”
“I don’t want a corndog.” Colby held her hamburger protectively.
She popped the piece of corndog into her mouth, but huge tears came dripping out of her eyes.
Colby set her burger down. “She can have a piece.”
Sage cut a small portion off and gave it to Tinsley.
“Thank you, sissy.”
“You’re welcome.” Picking the burger back up, Colby started eating.
When she chewed on the burger, Sage saw Tinsley looking at Colby’s burger again, ignoring her own food.
“No, Tinsley, I’m not going to let Colby give you any more of her food.”
Tinsley started eyeing Kent’s food. “I want chicken.”
Using his fork, Kent gave Tinsley a tender. Sage knew he thought that would make Tinsley happy. It didn’t.
“Sauce.”
“You have ketchup.”
Tinsley pointed at Kent.
“That’s too hot for you,” he told her.
Tears coursed down Tinsley’s cheeks.
Kent desperately flagged the waitress down for a milder sauce.
The tears didn’t stop until the sauce was set down in front of Tinsley.
Sage almost felt sorry for him when she saw the triumphant look on his face.
“Want mustard!” Tinsley bellowed.
Kent paled when customers at other tables turned to gawk at them.
Flagging the waitress down again, Sage asked for mustard.
Tinsley continued to cry until the waitress hurried back to the table. Once Sage squirted some mustard into the buffalo sauce, Tinsley quit crying to happily eat her food.
Warily, Kent resumed eating his fries, not touching the tenders.
Chewing the last of the tender, she lifted soulful eyes to Kent. “Want more—”
Kent didn’t let her get the rest of the sentence out before giving her another tender.
Sage couldn’t hold back. “What were you saying about the alpha?”
“She’s cute but ruthless.”
“Welcome to the terrible twos. She can have a meltdown in two point three seconds, then wrap herself around your finger in half the time.”
Accusatory, he nodded his head at her plate. “That’s why you ordered the barbeque sandwich and corn.”
“She thinks they’re yucky.”
Tinsley’s hand came out with a squished piece of corndog. “I share.”
Kent slid his whole plate toward her. “I’m good.”