Page 50 of Meet Me on Lilac Lane

“Oh. I have Mia’s kids here.”

“What are they doing?”

“I’m not sure. They’re on the other side of the boat.”

“Cody. You left a two-year-old and a four-year-old unsupervised?”

What? “No. They’re supervised. I’m right here.” He started walking around the boat toward the kids.

“Can you see them?”

“Not exactly.” Two more steps.

“They’re unsupervised.” Her sarcasm came through loud and clear.

He turned the corner and—“Lily, I have to call you back.”

It took him a second to understand the picture in front of him. Finn was covered in engine grease. It appeared as though the boy had tried painting his face with the stuff. Maggie had climbed onto the work bench—how?—and sat admiring his row of chisels and saws. In a sprint, he grabbed her hand just as she reached for the business end of his filet knife hung on a magnet on the wall.

“Finn. What were you thinking?”

Finn grinned up to him, mischief dancing in his eyes. “I wanted to be a football player.” He held his hands, slick with the grease, up to his hair.

“Don’t!” But it was too late. Finn patted the top of his blond head, rubbing the grease in until his curls stood on end.

“Mom does this with her hair,” he said.

Cody groaned. Mia was never going to trust him with her kids again. “I’m sure she uses a better product.” In fact, he remembered a scent of lilac the last time he’d seen her. It made him think of the tree outside his mother’s front door. Hopefully his cheap shampoo from the dollar store would work on the grease in Finn’s hair. “Come here.” Despite the mess, these two really were adorable. Cody snapped a quick selfie with the kids and sent it to Lily.

Cody

See, I’ve got everything under control.

In response Lily sent a crying laugh emoji.

His phone dinged again.

Lily

Should I forward that to Mia?

Cody

Do it and you won’t like what I put in your bed when you come home.

Another laughing emoji and then a GIF of someone pretending to be scared. Then,

Lily

Seriously though, they look happy. That’s a good thing. You’d make a good dad, bro.

Cody

Whoa, there. I’m just babysitting.

Lily

For now.

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