Page 38 of Pucking the Single Dad
"Patricia looks homicidal."
"I don't care about Patricia." His voice dropped. "I haven't been able to think about anything but that kiss."
"Brad—"
"Dad! Miss Serena!" Finn's voice cut through everything. He was running toward us in his little suit, Theo trailing behind. "Are you dancing? Can I dance too?"
The spell broke. Brad stepped back, and I felt the loss like temperature dropping.
"Of course, buddy." Brad lifted him up, and Finn wrapped his arms around both our necks, creating a weird three-person dance that had other couples smiling.
"This is nice," Finn announced. "We should dance at home too."
"We don't have music at home," Brad pointed out.
"We could get some." Finn's head swiveled between us. "Why do you both look weird?"
"We don't look weird," I said.
"You look like when my teacher says we're not in trouble but we're definitely in trouble."
Theo appeared, stealing Finn with promises of dessert conspiracy, leaving Brad and me standing in the middle of the dance floor like abandoned lighthouses.
"We should go," Brad said.
"Yeah."
The ride home was suffocating. Finn provided running commentary about the party for exactly three minutes before passing out against his window. After that, there was just the sound of tires on snow and everything we weren't saying.
"About earlier—" Brad started as we pulled into his driveway.
"Wine," I said desperately. "Too much wine."
"Right. Wine."
We were still lying, and the lies were getting heavier.
"Why are you being weird?" Finn's voice cut through the dark, suddenly completely awake because children have timing like comedic assassins.
"We're not—"
"You didn't talk the whole way home. You're using your fighting voices."
"We're not fighting," Brad said.
"Then why does Miss Serena look sad and you look like when you can't solve a hockey play?"
"Everything's fine, warrior," I managed.
He studied us with those too-knowing eyes. "Mom and Dad used to say that too. Before."
The word landed like a grenade. Brad's hands tightened on the steering wheel.
"That's not—" I started.
"If you're mad at each other, you should just fix it," Finn announced. "Matthew's parents go to therapy. Maybe you need therapy."
"Finn—"
