Chapter 7
Chapter Seven
A familiar face smiles at me at school pick up. Will’s honey-colored eyes are warm and inviting as he walks toward me. “Hi, Sadie. How are you settling in?”
“Pretty great. Finally added some final touches to the house.” My own lips turn up.
“That’s good to hear. Let me know if you need some help.”
“I’m doing ok so far, but thank you for offering. Actually, would Kayla be interested in coming to hang out on Friday? We can play a movie or something.”
“Sure. I think Kayla will be thrilled. You’ll text me the address?”
“Of course.”
Asher slams the car door like he always does, making me wince.
“Sorry, Mom,” he says.
“It’s fine. Until the doors fall off.” We both laugh at that while Olivia does a little eyeroll, her signature move.
“Guess what, Liv? Kayla will come to our house on Friday.”
Her eyes widen with glee, and suddenly, she’s the ten-year-old she sometimes forgets she is .
“You want us to do something special? Have a movie night or something? I can make us sushi,” I continue.
“Yeah, I’d like that.”
My face contorts with pride. Getting Liv excited about something isn’t easy, but damn, it’s rewarding.
“Who’s that?” Asher asks as he exits the car. Logan’s van is parked in our driveway, and he’s packing some things into it.
“That’s the nice man building us a deck at the last minute,” I say as we walk by him.
“Hello.” He does an awkward wave. “Sorry to take up the driveway. I just needed to get some stuff to head onto my next site.”
A pang of guilt hits my stomach. He’s not done after he finishes here. He probably has to work doubles because I made a last-minute decision to build a deck.
“Mr. Builder, when will your work be done? My mom says I can’t use the pool until the deck is done.” Asher joins the conversation.
“It’s Builder, just Builder. Mr. Builder was my father.” I chuckle at Logan’s ridiculous joke, though Asher doesn’t have a clue what he meant. “There’s a lot of work to be done. I might even need an extra set of hands.”
“I could help you.” Asher brightens. “But I have school.” His eyes drop, making this an Oscar-worthy performance.
“You’re right.” Logan’s shoulders drop dramatically.
“Maybe I could skip school for a few days? This seems really important.”
Logan laughs out loud, the sound hitting me straight in the stomach.
“I don’t think so, Ash. But nice try.” I pat his head, and he exhales with disappointment.
“How about this?” Logan adds. “I was thinking of asking your mom to come in the afternoons, too.” He glances at me. “Not every day, but I’m not sure I’ll finish it unless I work around the clock.” That pang turns into a full-on wave of guilt .
“Yes! That would be great.” Asher screams before running inside.
“Of course, you can come whenever you want to. And I’m sorry for making you work so hard,” I respond, doing my best to look apologetic, but I’m not about to tell him he’s not needed. I really need to get my life together, and that deck is somehow an essential part of it.
“Don’t worry. I’m used to hard work.” He smirks.
I follow the kids, frazzled like every time I’m on the receiving end of that smirk. Logan and his van are gone the next time I check the driveway.
He and I get into a comfortable rhythm. I make us coffee in the morning, and we both throw ourselves into work afterwards. He sometimes drops by in the afternoon to deliver some materials, but he doesn’t stick around long.
The kids and I are on a roll, too. They seem at home in our new house, and it’s all I could’ve asked for.
When Friday rolls around, Will and I arranged for me to pick up Kayla with Liv after school. Butterflies stir in my stomach as the girls enter the car. It feels childish, but I really want this to go well. I want my Liv to be accepted and loved, not only by us, but by her peers, as well.
“Hi, girls!” Liv shoots me a pointed look straight away, so I tone down my excitement. “Had a good day at school?”
“Yeah, it was great,” Kayla responds cheerfully, and Liv smiles.
“My day was super boring,” Asher interjects, hijacking the rest of the conversation until we get home.
“Wow, your house is amazing,” Kayla says as we walk in.
Liv’s cheeks flush, and she grabs her hand. “I need to show you my room.”
My throat tightens, so I clear it before saying, “You go and enjoy yourselves, and we can watch something later, all together. I’m even making Liv’s favorite—sushi.
” Yes, like every other ten-year-old, my daughter’s favorite food is sushi.
I’ll order a pizza, too, in case her new friend is an actual kid .
“Sure.” Liv shrugs, and I barely resist pumping my fist in the air.
“Come on, you’re helping me.” I say to Asher, and he follows me to the kitchen.
A few hours later, we are all sitting on our living room sectional, bingeing Wednesday . Liv and I are eating sushi, while Asher and Kayla munch on the pizza. Not that we normally eat on the couch, but I’m a cool mom, right?
The doorbell rings, and I get up to open the door. In snug dark jeans and a gray Henley, Will looks like he took his time getting ready. I, on the other hand, am in yoga pants (brand new ones, at least).
“Hope I’m not interrupting?” he asks, his eyes wrinkling with a smile.
“No, of course not. Come in.” I wave him in. “Want to join us for sushi?”
“I wouldn’t want to impose.”
“The girls will want to finish the episode, anyway.”
“I don’t want to go home yet,” Kayla tells him instead of a greeting, and I chuckle.
Will rolls his eyes. “Guess I could take a bite of that sushi, after all.”
My chuckle gets louder as I bring him a plate and a set of chopsticks. It’s nice to talk to someone who understands exactly what I’m going through, what with raising a preteen.
The episode ends, and Will manages to get Kayla to put on her shoes and head home.
“How about you wait for me in the car, Kay?” he tells her.
Kayla nods. “Bye, Olivia. See you in school.” She waves at my daughter.
“I was thinking,” Will starts, his gaze dropping to the side. “Maybe you guys could come to our house next weekend?” His tone is hopeful. “The kids can play, and you and I can have a glass of wine. ”
“Oh.” My lips part in surprise. “Asher and Olivia are at their dad’s this weekend.”
“Sure. Next time, then.” He winks. “Drop by for an ice cream if you’re around.”
“Will do. Have a great night.”
My overextended smile falls away as I close the door. My stomach churns. Guess it’s part excitement, but it feels mostly like nerves.
Will’s a great guy. He’s hot, nice, and a stand-up single dad.
He also owns an ice cream shop, which is a dream come true on its own.
Can you say unlimited ice cream ? But the thought of opening myself up to someone makes bile rise in my throat.
Physically, I guess, it would be ok. I haven’t had sex in so long that I’m bursting at the seams with the need for it.
But emotionally? Ugh, a shudder runs through me. Emotionally, I’m dreading it.