Page 42 of Property of Stone
Hers, too.
“Hi, Mommy!” Wren’s Spiderman lunchbox bouncedagainst his hip as he ran to her. She squatted down, opened her arms, and grunted when he hit her full speed.
She pressed a kiss to his forehead and ruffled his hair. “How was school, little man?”
“Good,” he answered in a sing-song voice. “Paulie tried to kiss Debbie when we were at recess.”
“Oh no.”
“Yeah, she didn’t like it so she pushed him down and he cried.”
Good.“Oh no,” she repeated. “Did he apologize?”
Wren shook his head. “No. Mrs. Tuttle told Debbie to apologize to Paulie.”
What?
“Debbie’s mommy came and wasmaaaaad. She was all red in the face and shaking her finger at Mrs. Tuttle.”
Good.
Taryn got to her feet but tipped his face up toward her. “Did you learn anything from that?”
Wren squinted up at her. “Not to kiss girls.”
That would work.
“You must always, always,alwaysask permission to touch anyone first, and if someone doesn’t want to be kissed, then you don’t kiss them.”
He swung his lunchbox around. “Okay.” His eyes landed on the house behind her. “This where we’re gonna live, Mommy?”
“Yes, for now. And, look! It’s got a pool!”
He bounced on his toes. “Yay!”
She turned toward her mother. “Thanks for picking him up from school.”
Her mother’s worried green eyes shifted from inspecting the back of the house to her. “Of course. We had fun at the playground.”
“Gramma said not to throw rocks at the squirrels.”
“I agree with Grandma. How about you don’t throw rocks at all?”
Wren pouted.
Suddenly, her mother’s spine snapped straight when her attention was drawn to something beyond Taryn.Shit. Shit. Shit.Taryn guessed her mother wasn’t looking at something, but more likesomeone.
“He’s behind me, isn’t he?” Taryn whispered.
“By he, do you mean a tall man full of tattoos with a scruffy beard and even messier long hair?”
“That would be him.”
“Why, Taryn?”
“It’s not like that. This is only a temporary pit stop in the rat race of my life.”
Her mother pursed her lips as she inspected him head to toe.
