“Done.”
“This situation can’t affect the boys.”
“Of course not.”
“Then you have a deal.”
They shook on it, and to his surprise, she jerked him forward and planted a kiss on him. “Thank you.”
Two kisses in ten minutes. He needed to have pretend girlfriends more often. This was the most man-on-woman action his lips had seen in years. He’d bet Leon had seen action recently. Heck, the guy had probably intended to get a nice taste of Faith, church-going parents or not. Shane could easily understand why he’d come. Faith’s parents would have showed him her picture, and he’d have jumped with excitement at the thought of getting his hands on her. Probably promised them he had nothing but marriage on his mind. And why wouldn’t he? She was pretty, quirky, and clever enough to run a successful business.
In other words, a keeper.
And now she was going to sleep in the same house as the other man. That didn’t sit right with him. What if Leon won her over with his youthful energy and the cuteness she’d mentioned? She wasn’t actually with Shane, so there was no reason she couldn’t see where things went.
Not on my watch.
“You’re welcome to stay here,” he told her, and cleared his throat. “It sounds like it will be a full house at your place.”
She smiled. “Thanks, you’re sweet, but I like my house full. I’ll grab my things and be off.”
He trailed behind her into the living room. Dylan was sleeping on the couch, and Shane bent to ruffle his son’s hair. “Wake up, champ.”
Dylan stirred, blinking sleepily. He sat up. “Did you bring home the M&Ms?”
Shane had been at his weekly poker game with his friends, but these days they usually bet with candy rather than money. They’d found that it evened things up since they had everything from a millionaire computer genius to a pub owner to a librarian among their numbers.
He retrieved a paper bag from his pocket. “Unfortunately, not an impressive haul. Sterling made away with most of it.”
Dylan pulled a face. “Why? It’s not like he eats them himself.”
“No,” Shane agreed. “But he has a competitive streak, and he shares them with the children at the lodge, so it’s not as though he’s selfish. He wins them fair and square.”
Dylan sighed. “Yeah, I know.” He took the bag and opened it. “I’ll split these up so Hunter can have his in the morning.”
“Good plan.”
Dylan was a responsible kid and took fairness very seriously. Sometimes Shane feared he was raising a mini adult, but then his son would get in a temper because something didn’t go his way, and he’d be reminded the boy was only eleven. Still, his brother was much younger, and Dylan seemed to view himself as a second father to Hunter.
While they’d been talking, Faith had gathered her belongings, and she now gave Dylan a hug and patted Shane’s shoulder. “See you later, sugar.”
He didn’t read into the endearment. She doled them out freely to everyone she met. “Thanks for watching them. Have a nice night.”
She left, and he couldn’t help but wish he’d received a hug the same way Dylan had. He envied his son. How ridiculous was that?