Page 27 of Single-Minded
“Hey, West,” Ben said as he approached. He was in the llamas’ enclosure, hovering over his four-legged darlings. His oldest daughter, Evelyn, was helping out from this side of the fence.
“How’s it going?” I asked Ben.
We’d started out as a group of single dads, all of us different ages, our kids different ages, but with the common challenge of raising kids by ourselves. Now more than half our group had gotten hitched, Ben included, but our ties remained strong, and we tried to get together at least one Saturday a month.
“Great,” Ben said enthusiastically. “These ladies are raking in the cash for the shelter.”
“Hi, Dr. Holloway,” Scarlet said.
“We’re getting our picture next,” Nova informed him.
“Esmerelda and Betty can’t wait to see you three,” Ben told them.
“There’s five of us actually,” Scarlet said, and Ben’s gaze shot to mine, then to Presley.
“Miss Presley probably wants her own photo, girls,” I said, offering her an out.
Ben’s brows rose up his forehead, and I shook my head, knowing he’d jump to all the wrong conclusions because I was with a good-looking woman.
“The more the merrier,” Presley said. “You get some of you four first, so your dad has some good family shots. Then you can be in my pictures too.” She took out her debit card as Evelyn came our way.
“Hi, Evelyn,” Scarlet said.
“Hi,” Ben’s daughter said to my three. She was older than my twins by a couple of years, but she and Ben and Emerson’s other three played with my kids whenever the dads’ group got our families together. “Come this way, and I’ll show you where to stand.”
As Presley looked on from her spot next to Colby and the animal photos, one of Ben’s techs snapped photos of us with my phone. He stepped forward to hand it back to me.
“Wait, we need some with Miss Presley,” Nova hollered.
“Use your indoor voice around the llamas,” I told her, even though Ben waved it off.
Evelyn went up to Presley and said, “I’ll show you where to stand.”
“Why don’t you make it a girls’ pic?” I suggested, uncomfortable with how it would look for both Presley and me to be in it. I was her contractor, not her husband. Not even her friend, really.
“We want you in it too, Daddy,” Sienna said.
I met Presley’s gaze and saw the hint of a challenge there, as if she was daring me to join them.
I nodded, resigned and determined to get it over with quickly. “Where do you want me?”
“Can you pick me up so I’m taller?” Nova asked Presley.
“Nova,” I said.
“Come here,” Presley said and hoisted my youngest into her arms.
Soon enough, the photo shoot was over, with the tech getting shots on both my camera and Presley’s.
“That’s a wrap,” I said, relieved she’d placed Presley and Nova on one end, the other two girls between the llamas, and me on the opposite end.
“Daddy, can we go see the fire truck next?” Nova called out as the girls bounced out of the llama tent, Presley surrounded by them, with me at the back.
As I went by, Ben came up to the fence, his brows still raised. “That was interesting as hell,” he said so only I could hear. When he flicked a glance at Presley, I knew what he was getting at.
“That was the girls’ doing,” I growled quietly.
“Food for thought though,” he said with a sly grin.
