Page 53 of The Parent Playbook
She steps aside, sweeping her hand toward the interior with a grand gesture.
Right at Scotty’s mostly naked body standing in the center of the sitting room.
There’s a towel around the part that matters, but I’m stopped dead in my tracks. His hair drips, a few rogue drops meandering down his chest.
“For crying out loud, Dad!” Lily’s voice squeaks as her hands fly up to cover her eyes.
Scotty’s face blooms a deep crimson. “Whoa! It’s you! All of you!” he stammers, clutching the towel with one hand as he darts toward the bathroom.
Andy, eyes wide as saucers, spins around to avoid the scene. “Looks like bad timing.”
I can’t help laughing as my face heats up.
From behind the safety of the bathroom door, Scotty’s muffled apology floats out. “Give me two minutes—please!”
“That’s one way to kick off movie night,” I mumble as the bathroom door clicks shut.
I press a hand to my cheeks, trying to cool the unexpected blush. The kids have settled into the sofa, and I’m silently thanking every star that my brain has enough decency to not vocalize my very detailed appreciation of Scotty’s—um—fitness regime.
Now dressed in a casual shirt and jeans, Scotty re-emerges from the bathroom, his earlier mortification replaced by an amused smile. The kids are already sprawled in front of the massive TV, captivated by the vibrant display of the opening menu of a nature documentary.
Scotty sidles up next to me, his voice low and teasing. “Well, it’s a surprise to see you here. I’m guessing the kids might have stretched the truth a bit about tonight?”
I feel a flush creep up my neck, remembering the all-too-revealing entrance earlier. “Yeah, seems like it.” I tuck a stray hair behind my ear. “They mentioned something about you suggesting this little movie night shindig.”
Right on cue, Andy pops up from the couch, his eyes darting between us. “We’re gonna make popcorn! Lots of it!” Lily jumps up to join him, both kids practically bolting for the kitchenette.
Scotty chuckles, watching them disappear. He rubs the back of his head, a gesture so endearingly awkward it sends a tingle down my spine. “Well, now that we’re here, we might as well make the most of it, right?” His tone is light, but there’s a softness in his eyes that suggests something more.
I nod, trying to ignore the slight quickening of my heartbeat. “Might as well,” I respond, more to my heart than to him. The memory of his nearly bare form flashes through my mind, mixing awkwardly with the fact that he’s sitting—right—there.
“I thought about what you said,” he begins. “I overreacted about the suspension business. But it was an important moment for me, you know? To see the effects of being in a new place on Lily’s well-being. It really shined a light on the situation.”
I’m not sure I’m following, but I nod anyhow.
He opens his mouth to go on, but the kids rush back in.
“Set it up, Dad. Andy, this bowl’s for you, and I get the green one. The adults can have the small bowl on the sofa. Dad is always complaining about his dentist bills.”
Scotty blushes for the second time of the evening. “I’ve got this one molar that’s such a pain in the—never mind. Let’s see what these planet-saving documentaries are all about.”
The documentary rolls on, the screen alive with sweeping vistas of rainforests and oceans, a narrative of a family’s eco-mission weaving through stunning natural landscapes. I have a funny twinge of suspicion that the kids were setting something up, as the family on screen looks a lot like the makeshift family forming right here in this sitting room. I sneak a glance at the kids, finding them sprawled out, deep in sleep amidst a fortress of popcorn bowls.
Elbowing Scotty gently, I nod toward the kids. “Look at them, all tuckered out from saving the world.”
He chuckles, a low, warm sound that vibrates through the space between us. It’s a sound I love so much that I replay it in my head. “Yeah, not surprising with Andy being up at the crack of dawn these days.”
I raise an eyebrow, turning to face him. “How do you know about his early mornings?” The question slips out sharper than intended, my curiosity piqued.
“Ah.” Scotty’s cheeks tinge pinkagain, a sheepish grin spreading across his face. He looks over at Andy and cocks his head to the side. “Must’ve been Lily chatting about it. You know kids, they spill everything.”
This man is so utterly endearing. His face is like it was earlier when we walked in on him wearing just a towel and a whole lot of awkward.
“It’s nice, isn’t it? Seeing them like this,” he murmurs, his voice a quiet rumble as he nods toward Andy and Lily.
“It is.” I don’t know what’s coming over me, but I let myselfedge a little closer to him, feeling the warmth of his body roll across me like waves.
He notices, I think he does anyway, as he shifts, coming a fraction closer himself. My heartbeat kicks up a notch, and I can’t tell if I’m all woman or a melting adolescent, because I haven’t felt this way since that long.
