Page 86 of Summer with the Single Dad

“You’re coming to the beach with us today, right?” Aya asked, picking up her bowl of cereal and draining the milk. “You promised.”

“I did. And I will,” Justine confirmed.

Emme shot a glance Justine’s way, but it felt more like a glare.

Was Emme mad at Justine?

“I already have my bathing suit on and my sunscreen,” Aya said proudly. “Just need to find my hat, my flip-flops and grab the sand toys.” She got up to put her dishes away. “Dad, can I pack us some snacks from the snack cupboard?”

Bennett was in the kitchen puttering. “Yep. Just make sure to pack enough for all your cousins.”

“I know,” Aya said with a sigh, grabbing a fabric bag from the pantry and opening up a cupboard filled with fruit puree pouches, granola bars, and veggie straws. She started throwing six of everything into the bag.

Emme finished her breakfast—peanut butter toast—without saying a word, then took off upstairs. Justine needed to get changed for the beach anyway, so she followed.

“Everything okay?” she asked as she hit the top of the stairs a few seconds after Emme’s storm cloud.

“You promised to do the cakewalk with me and you disappeared.” Her little mouth plummeted to a deep pout, then a frown.

Crap.

Justine had promised to do the cakewalk with Emme. She’d asked Justine when they decorated the cupcakes and cakes together Thursday night. Then Justine completely forgot because of the whole freezing when Barnacle was choking thing.

She pressed her fingers to her forehead and scrunched up her face. “I did. Didn’t I? Crap. I’m so sorry, Emerson.”

Emme’s eyes welled up with tears. “I just … I feel like you and Aya have this great relationship because she’s so … well, I think it’s annoying, but you probably think it’s cute. Because she’s cheeky and says whatever is on her mind before she even thinks about it. But then I’m over here being the big sister, getting her up in the morning and trying to be perfect for my dad … perfect for my uncles taking care of all the cousins. And I asked for one thing, and you forgot.”

Double crap.

Fresh guilt piled on top of Justine’s heart. But that wasn’t this little girl’s fault. She had never asked Justine for a single thing until she asked for a date to the cakewalk. And Justine stood her up.

She stepped forward and pulled the little girl into her arms, pressing a kiss to the top of her head. It smelled delicious. Like lilac, lavender and sunshine. “I am so sorry, sweetheart. So very sorry. I made a promise, and I broke it. You have every right to be mad at me. And I can feel how much you must hurt right now. You’re expected to be perfect, and it’s an impossible standard to live up to.”

Emme trembled a little in her arms.

“You’re expected not to make any mistakes because ‘you know better.’ Because you need to ‘set the example for the younger ones.’ But you’re still a kid too. It’s a lot of pressure.”

Emme nodded against Justine’s chest.

“Have you talked to your dad about this?”

She shook her head. “He’s so busy. I don’t want to bother him.”

“You can talk to me about anything. Know that. Always. And I will make it up to you. We can do something else together, okay? Anything you want.”

Emme lifted her head. “Could we go somewhere together tomorrow? Just the two of us?”

As much as these dads were slaying it in the parenting department and their village was so full and pure and warm and wonderful, it was easy to see how these children craved a mother. How they craved attention and just another parent to be there for them. Talia had that now with Brooke, but Emme, being the oldest of the cousins, probably remembered her mother the most and felt that loss stronger than the younger ones.

“Let me run it past your dad, but I’d love for us to go do something together.”

Was this overstepping?

She’d only known these kids a week and yet they clung to her like limpets on a rock. And she actually didn’t mind. All the children were wonderful and sweet. They kept her thoughts and all the nattering in her brain to a dull roar, and distracted her from a guilt that otherwise could swallow her whole.

“Aya’s going to be mad,” Emme said, stepping out of Justine’s embrace. “She’s going to want some one-on-one time with you too.”

“Well, I still have six more weeks left here on the island. I’m sure we can plan something to keep her from losing her cool.”

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