Page 10 of My Mountain Man Grump
“First thing we need to do, girls, is give these hands a good scrub clean.”
Kyra screws up her face, but they both follow me into the cabin. I wonder if Cole’s watching and if he’s going to storm over here and tell them off for coming into ‘the stranger’s’ cabin. I direct them to the kitchen sink because it looks over the yard, so at least he can see where they are.
With their hands scrubbed clean, I lead the girls back outside and get to work on the nails. Luckily I bought my entire manicure set, because their nails are a disaster. Kyra’s look like they haven’t been clipped in weeks, and Olivia’s are bitten down so much I can’t get the nail file close enough to shape them.
I guess nail care isn’t a priority when you’re a single parent. I try to remember what it was like when I was growing up. Mom raised us on our own, so I’m pretty sure my nails were a mess too.
As I apply the nail polish, the girls chat with me, telling me all about their school and their interests.
They ask me lots of questions: Why I wear a skirt? - Kyra.
Have I ever been to a nail bar to get my nails done properly? - Olivia.
Who my favorite soccer team is? - Kyra
How I got my hair into the topknot? - Olivia.
While their nails dry, I grab my hairbrush, and they take it in turns sitting in front of me while I brush the tangles out of their hair. I give them both French braids, which Kyra has trouble keeping still for.
“Do you girls like cupcakes?” I ask
Olivia’s eyes go wide. “Yes please!” Kyra gives her a look I can’t interpret, and Olivia nudges her.
“Do you have any allergies I should know about?” I ask Olivia.
She shakes her head. “No, nothing.”
I pop inside to grab the plate of cupcakes, and Olivia squeals when she sees them.
Olivia reaches for one and takes a big bite, but Kyra hesitates.
“Dad wouldn’t…” Whatever she’s about to say gets cut off by Olivia delivering a sharp jab to the ribs.
“Owww.” Kyra gives her sister a dirty look. “What did you do that for?”
Olivia swallows her mouthful and hands a cupcake to her sister. “Just try one, okay?0 See if you like it.”
“I don’t know anyone who doesn’t like cupcakes.” I smile at the girls. I guess Cole isn’t much of a baker, because Olivia devours her and grabs a second before glancing up at me, her eyes wide and hopeful. “Can I have another one?”
“Sure,” I tell her. “But no more after that or you might not want your dinner.”
Kyra takes a nibble of hers and chews it with a frownon her face as if trying to decipher the ingredients I’ve used. I see the moment it hits her taste buds, because her eyes go wide in astonishment and the frown disappears. She takes a bigger bite and chews it furiously, dropping crumbs on the ground.
Her ears wiggle as she eats, and it makes me laugh. Olivia laughs too, and a bit of cupcakes flies out of her mouth.
That makes her laugh even more, and then we’re all laughing so hard I don’t notice Cole until he’s striding across the lawn towards us, a look of fury on his face.
“Shit,” says Kyra.
I look at her in surprise, wondering where a six-year-old learns language like that. She’s spitting out the cupcake into her hand while Olivia furiously chews the rest of hers, trying to swallow it quickly.
“What are you feeding my girls?” Cole thunders across the yard. “Is that…” He stares at the plate where one solitary cupcake remains. “…cupcakes?”
I hold up the plate. “You want the last one?”
“You fed them cupcakes without asking me?” His eyes flash dangerously.
“It’s only cupcakes. Your mom dropped the ingredients off for me because she knows I love to bake.” Which he would know if it had really been him I was corresponding with.
