Page 53 of A Dream for Daphne

“With your suit on,” Poppy said.

She smiled and moved closer to the stroller to see Tatum sleeping and covered by the top in the shade. Poppy was in shorts and a tank top with a nice refreshing glass of some kind of juice next to her.

“Where is Holly?”

“On the sailboat with Reese. I’ve got some peace and quiet and you’re just the person I wanted to see.”

“Really?” she asked.

“Take a seat and grab a drink. Reese brought that cooler down with everything in it.”

Since she didn’t have a lot of girl time with anyone, she decided to do it.

Not that Poppy felt like a friend to her since it was her boss.

Even though she knew Poppy was trying to be a friend at the same time.

She opened the cooler, grabbed a bottle of water, and sat in the chair next to Poppy. “I can’t thank you enough for this job. Every morning I wake up and it’s just a dream I feel I’m living in.”

“I can’t thank you enough for accepting it,” Poppy said. “Do you know how hard it is to find someone you trust to care for your child?”

“No,” she said. “But I love your kids as if they were my own.”

“And it shows,” Poppy said. “I can’t ask for anything more. Holly liked Julie, but she didn’t have nearly the fun that she has with you. It worked out well Julie is with Rose. Colin isn’t as hyper as Holly is.”

Since she’d watched both kids at once before, she knew the truth to that statement.

“They are when they are together.”

“And you’ll have your hands full next Saturday with the four of them while we are at the wedding,” Poppy said. “Are you sure you can handle it?”

“Positive,” she said. “Rose said they aren’t going to stay long. She’s still recovering.”

Daisy Jones and Theo James were getting married next Saturday. Julie had made plans prior not knowing that, and since Daphne was watching Holly and Tatum, she said she’d take Colin and Summer also. She’d had four kids before. She’d be fine.

“Because Daisy works for Rose and they are so close, she wouldn’t miss it. I’m sure Rose will leave after dinner is done or the cake. It’s still a few hours.”

“That’s right,” she said. “I can handle a few hours. Fussy crying babies don’t bother me in the least. Holly and Colin will be entertained and Tatum is an easy baby.”

Poppy grinned. “Thank God for that because Holly is such a handful. Not a terrible two, but the energy this kid has.”

“I’ve seen worse,” she said.

“Which makes you perfect.” Poppy lifted her sunglasses up and put them on her head. “And now the reason I wanted to see you.”

If it wasn’t for the fact that Poppy was smirking, she might think she was in trouble or had done something wrong. “Is everything okay?”

“That was going to be my question to you. Not that I’m watching you or anything, but Friday you came home late and then last night I noticed the lights coming down the road when I was in the kitchen. Two nights in a row you came home late. Dare I ask if there is a guy in your life?”

There was no way to hide this.

No reason to either.

“Maybe,” she said.

“Does this guy work with his hands?” Poppy asked, doing a little shimmy in her chair.

“He does,” she said.

---