Page 82 of Feels Like Home

“Aww, that’s so sweet! Tell her thank you for me… and to come in next week for a coffee on the house so I can meet her,okay?”

“’Kay.” He smiles, looking down at hishands.

Aidan stifles laughter and covers his smile with his fist, leaning against the side of the door. If I were in the mood, I would remind him that he was nervous around Christine at first, also. And still has quite the crush onBri.

“How’d your day go, boys? Get all that yard workdone?”

I’m a dad who requires my kids to do chores. I’m mean like that. And Nolan was over all day — they want to be big and strong, so I worked them today. Every time they complained about doing the work, I reminded them how Grady got big. He’ll be playing college ball soon, and he got where he is now from working hard, and not in thegym.

I’m not an awful person, though. I pay them for doing chores, and even Nolan got cash, and of course, tonight I’m taking them to the haunted house then out forsupper.

“We did!” they say together,proudly.

They grumbled about it to me most the day. To Christine? They act like they just got done with an afternoon at the trampolinepark.

Littlepunks.

I barely hold back my eye roll, but I see Christine press her lips together to stop from laughing. One side of my mouth quirks into a smile, and I reach over the console and take her hand inmine.

She smiles at me and lays her head back against the seat. I take her hand and bring it to my lips, kissing the back of it softly before resting our joined hands on my thigh, contentment coursing through me as wedrive.

Ed Sheeran’sShape of Youcomes on the radio. All three boys shout to turn it up and singalong.

I’ve apparently neverreallylistened to the words of this song, but sitting in my pick up while three teenage boys belt out the lyrics and Christine’s shoulders shaking from her laughter has me listening a little closer. And… yeah.Awkward.

That is, until I see we’re already at the hauntedhouse.

“We’re here!” Christine shouts, pulling her hand away from mine and bouncing around in her seat like a kid heading into a candystore.

“Can’t wait,” I grumble, and shegiggles.

“Oh, come on, you bigwuss.”

“Wuss? Second time you’ve called me a wussnow.”

She grins and swings her door open. “Come on, boys! Let’s go see if we can’t get your dad to wethimself.”

I groan, and the boys all burst outlaughing.

“I kinda love her,” Aidan says to Nolanquietly.

“She seemsawesome.”

“So awesome,” Reeceagrees.

I smile, despite the fact that I’m walking intohell.

We walk up to the front to pay for our tickets, and I take a moment, standing back to watch as my boys stand on either side of Christine. They’re waiting in line to enter, looking way more excited than I am about what’s about to go down. Not that it takesmuch.

She wraps her arm around Aidan’s neck when he says something that I don’t hear, but it must have been full of smart ass because she’s rubbing the top of his head and he’s trying to pull out of her grasp, but they’re alllaughing.

“And you—” Christine points to Reece who’s still laughing. “You’re just as bad, you littleturd.”

“Me?” Reece puts his hand to his chest and pulls his innocent face. The face that’s gotten him out of manypunishments.

“Yes, you. It’s always the quiet ones to look outfor.”

He grins up at her, and I step forward, placing my hand on the small of Christine’s back. The line moves forward slowly. I’m quiet as we watch the three boys chat and horse around while wewait.

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