Page 27 of Meet Me on Lilac Lane

Something crashed in the kids’ bedroom. “Don’t come in here.” Finn’s voice sounded pinched.

“Well, that’s never a good sign,” she said to Maggie. The toddler nodded even though Mia knew she had no idea what her mother was talking about. “Stay here.”

In the bedroom, the table lamp, normally on the bookshelf, lay on the ground. The crescent moon stem was in pieces. Nearby, lay the ball Finn had been repeatedly told not to throw in the house.

Finn sat on his bed, studying his fingers.

“Are you hurt? Did you cut yourself?”

A quick shake of his head told her he was fine.

“What happened here?”

“I was holding the ball and it slipped.” Finn wiped his hand across his face.

She put her hands on her hips, tried for a casual tone. “Slipped, eh?”

“I only threw it a little.”

“You aren’t supposed to throw it at all.” She knelt by the bed and raised Finn’s chin until he looked her in the eye. “What did I tell you about throwing things in the house?”

“I’m sorry, Mommy.” He sniffed.

“I forgive you.” Finn reached out his arms and she pulled him into a hug. “I’m glad you weren’t hurt. Go get a trash bag. We’ll get this cleaned up.” He ran off and was back a minute later, white garbage bag held around his neck like a cape. They carefully placed all the broken pieces into the bag before Mia scoured the carpet looking for stray shards. When she was satisfied there were none left to cut anyone’s feet, she tied the bag shut.

“We’ve left your sister alone too long.” They walked hand in hand the few steps to the dining room. “Maggie! No!” At the table, her cherub daughter drooled purple crayon, the half which was not in her mouth was dancing all over the application papers spread before her.

“Cowor, Mama.” Maggie grinned wide. Bits of purple crayon stained her teeth. Gripping the crayon tight in her chubby fist, she drew a long streak across the page in front of her.

“Oh, Mags.” She scooped her daughter out of the chair and carried her to the kitchen. “Those are Mom’s papers. You can’t color on them.” Sitting Maggie next to the sink, she dug the remaining crayon bits from her mouth, then washed her face. “You can’t eat the crayons.”

“Pwum is fwuit,” Maggie informed her, showing her the damp, uneaten end of her plum crayon.

“I—” A knock at the door saved her from having to untangle that one. “Don’t eat crayons.” She lifted Maggie down from the countertop and went to the door.

Cody.

Her heart rate picked up again, but this time she didn’t mind it as much. In his flannel work jacket and worn Levi’s, he looked like the cover of Eligible Bachelor’s Weekly. If such a magazine existed.

He held up the toolbox in his left hand. “I’m here to fix your fence. I’d have been here sooner, but I got tied up with my remodel of the old Hansen place. Dani wanted to make sure it was ready.”

“No problem.”

Finn brushed past her. “Cody!” He barreled into Cody’s legs.

“Hey, bud.” Cody ruffled Finn’s dark hair. “Want to help me again?”

“Yes!” He started to run down the steps, but Cody stopped him with a hand on his shoulder.

“Whoa, bud. I think your mom would like you to be wearing shoes.” The smile he sent Mia’s way made a warmth gather in her belly.

Ridiculous.

Mia helped Finn find his shoes and started to help him put them on, but he ran over to Cody instead. Cody glanced at her, his gaze searching her face. She gave a little shrug. It didn’t hurt to have help getting the kids into outdoor gear.

“Be careful, Finn,” she said. “Listen to Cody.”

“We’ll watch out for each other,” Cody said. He put a hand on Finn’s shoulder. “Won’t we?”

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