Seamus nodded. “She’s in the town cemetery. I could show you if you’d like.”
“I’d appreciate that.”
“Let’s spend a few minutes with the boys first, if you have time.”
“I do, and I’d love to hang with them.”
They went inside to join the boys, who were seated at the kitchen table. Carolina supervised snack time, which consisted of carrot sticks and cheese cubes with milk for Kyle and water for Jackson.
“What’s this?” Seamus asked. “No cookies?”
Carolina gave him a withering look. “Not until they eat the healthy stuff.”
“Should we help them out, Jace?” Seamus asked, his eyes twinkling with mischief as he snagged a carrot from the napkin in front of each boy.
Jace did the same as the boys grinned at them.
“Look, Caro, the boys ate all their carrots,” Seamus said as the boys giggled. “I think that earns them a cookie.”
“You guys think you’re so sneaky,” Caro said as she gave each of the boys a chocolate chip cookie that they devoured.
“What about us?” Seamus asked of himself and Jace. “We don’t deserve cookies, too?”
“I suppose you can have one since you ate their carrots.”
“We did not!” Seamus said, making the boys giggle madly.
Their laughter was such a wonderful sound.
“You’re like an evil leprechaun,” Carolina told her husband.
“She likes to give me sweet compliments,” Seamus told Jace.
“I see that,” Jace said, amused by them.
“It’s how she tells me she loves me,” Seamus said, stealing a little block of cheese from Kyle.
“You have to be on top of your game when you’re married to an Irish charmer,” Carolina said.
“Indeed, you do, love. What’s the homework situation, lads?”
“I have a massive math worksheet,” Kyle said glumly.
“I have to do spelling,” Jackson said.
“I’ll trade you math for spelling,” Kyle said.
“No trading,” Seamus said. “Just get it done so you can play outside for a while.”
“Are you going back to the office?” Jackson asked.
Seamus nodded. “For about another hour or so, and then I’ll be home to wrangle boys.”
Jace envied him fiercely, but he’d never let on to that. How he wished he’d made better choices so he could be the one to wrangle his own sons.
“Will you come back to play again soon, Mr. Jace?” Jackson asked.
“I’d love to. You let me know when, and I’ll be here.”