“How do you even get a fry stuck in your hair?” I asked Molly.
She spun her head to look, but the motion just made the fry swing out of her view. Billy casually plucked it out of her hair and started munching on it.
I sighed. “If you need any ketchup, there’s plenty on your cheek.”
Billy paused, then smeared the fry across his cheek and tipped it to me in thanks.
“You two need to get cleaned up, but the water isn’t working. Go run through a sprinkler or something.”
Molly shook her head. “Mommy says sprinkler water can make worms grow in your belly if it gets in your mouth.”
I scrunched my face up. “What? I mean, sure. Maybe your Uncle Zack could tell you if that’s true. Then go find a sprinkler and close your mouth real tight.”
Billy nodded. “We need to get cleaned up to go to that thing tonight, right?”
“What thing?” I asked.
“The festibal of lights,” Molly said matter-of-factly.
“Ah, of course. The festibal.”
“It’s the night of lights, doofus.” Billy nudged Molly with his elbow, grinning.
“Don’t call your sister a doofus,” I scolded.
Molly crossed her arms. Her little face went bright red with anger. “Well,” she said after a brief silence. “You’re a big turd-haired throw-up burp.”
“Clean yourselves up!” I said, cutting off Billy who was about to go right back at Molly. “I don’t care how you do it. But when I see you again, you’d better both be sparkling.”
I knew I was letting my frustration with Gramps and the inn get the better of me. I had a fresh problem to solve and all I wanted was to sit down and devote my entire focus to it. But that wasn’t my reality. I had to take the kids to some Fairhope festival and shelve it till tomorrow.
I watched the kids go and was surprised to find my thoughts didn’t go immediately to getting the water back on or even how to save my grandfather’s struggling business. They went to the girl across the street with the long legs and bright eyes. The one who made me feel awake in a way I hadn’t felt in as long as I could remember.
I ran my knuckles across my jaw and shook my head. I needed to make sure to avoid her tonight.
10
HARPER
Lin was at my place again helping me finish up the last of my preparation for the cooking. My counters were full of wrapped and sealed baked goods. The fridge was loaded with sweet treats like my famous strawberry marshmallow shortcake–yes, it tastes better than it sounds. All that was left was a little prep for the hot food I’d be cooking on site. Mr. McDermit was going to set up his grill for me so I could make my famous Philly coleslaw sliders. I’d decided to start calling almost all of my creations “famous,” even if I could count the number of people who had tried it on one hand. Branding, baby.
Someone knocked on my door. I glanced up, then pointed to the oven. “Mind getting those out in a sec? Just poke them with a fork and make sure they give easily.”
Lin nodded.
When I opened the door, I was greeted by two small, familiar faces. Billy and Molly looked like they’d just competed in one of those crazy mud races that CrossFit enthusiasts always seemed to be doing. I took a step back when I caught a whiff of the smell they were giving off. “Hi?”
Billy smiled. His teeth looked extra white against the dirt smeared all over his face. “Dad said we needed to get cleaned up and our water isn’t working. We couldn’t find any sprinklers. Can we use your shower?”
Molly nodded. “No sprinklers.”
I raised my eyebrows. No sprinklers? What did that mean? “Does your dad know you’re here?”
“He’s really busy, but he told us to get cleaned up and ‘he didn’t care how we did it’.”
Molly nodded again. “You’re not a stranger anymore. We looked both ways before we crossed the street, too.”
I grinned. Apparently the very serious talk Greyson had with his kids hadn’t served its purpose. “You can bathe yourself?” I directed the question at little Molly, who had her hands clasped in front of herself and was humming tunelessly.
She frowned. “I’m six. I can tie my shoes. I can make toast by myself. I even know how to unlock daddy’s phone.” She added that last one with a sly squint of her eyes.
“Dad doesn’t know she can do that,” Billy said.
“I see. Well, I guess you two can go help yourselves. The bathroom is right over there. My friend and I will be in the kitchen if you need anything. Okay?”
The kids headed into my apartment like they owned the place. They’d apparently already agreed that Molly would go first, because Billy opened the door for her and closed it behind her.