She looked surprised. “I didn’t know they had horseback riding there.”
“I don’t think it’s open to the public. Winnie invited us. She works there.”
“Winnie invited us where?” Hallie said, who’d come out with her bag in one hand, Rupert the penguin in the other.
“Horseback riding,” I told her, taking her bag. “Hop in.”
Hallie jumped into the back seat and immediately she and Luna started squealing with excitement.
“The girls talked about Winnie a lot this week,” said Naomi. Then she laughed. “It’s funny, when you first mentioned her, I pictured an old lady. Such an old-fashioned name.”
“She’s not old.” I went around to the back of my SUV and stuck Hallie’s bag next to Luna’s.
“I know that now. Hallie says she’s twenty-two.”
“Sounds right.”
“And very pretty.”
I shrugged.
“I hear she came to the pool with you guys.”
“Bye, Naomi. See you Monday.” I got in the car and shut the door. My ex-wife was the last person on earth I wanted to discuss Winnie with, and an excellent reminder of why I did not do relationships.
“Bye, girls!” Naomi blew kisses to Hallie and Luna. “I love you! Have fun!”
I backed out of the driveway and turned on the Dad station, which happened to be playing “Bohemian Rhapsody.”
“Oh, I love this song!” Hallie said.
In the rearview mirror, I caught them both bopping their heads along to the music, and smiled.
I could feel a ten coming on.
Fifteen
Winnie
About eight-thirty a.m. Saturday morning, I was sitting at the island with a cup of coffee when I heard knocking on the sliding glass door.
I looked over and saw Hallie and Luna on my patio grinning excitedly. Hallie waved and Luna bounced up and down as I opened the door. “Good morning, girls!”
“Good morning!” they chorused.
“What a beautiful day, huh?” I looked behind them at the sunny, cloudless sky.
“Yes. Daddy says maybe we’re going horseback riding this weekend!” Luna said breathlessly. “Is it true?”
“Sure,” I said. “Tomorrow, if that works for your dad. My cousin can meet us there in the morning. She has a horse you can ride.”
“What’s the horse’s name?” Hallie asked.
I laughed. “I’m not sure, but I’ll find out. Hey, would you girls like a pedicure this morning?”
“Yes!” Luna shouted. “What’s a pedicure?”
“I’ll paint your toes.” I stuck one bare foot out. “Like mine. See?”
“Can you paint mine red like yours?” Luna asked.
“Sure.” I glanced at Hallie, who was looking down at her sneakers. “What do you think, Hal? Red? Purple? Blue?”
She smiled. “You really have blue?”
“I really do.”
“Okay.” She looked a little anxious about it, but she nodded. “I want blue.”
“Great. Then maybe we can show off our toes at the pool today. Why don’t you go tell your dad we’re going to play salon over here, and I’ll get everything set up?”
“Okay!”
“And when you come back, just wear flip-flops, okay? Or bare feet. You won’t be able to put on socks and sneakers.”
They joyfully skipped back toward their place, and I headed for the upstairs bathroom to get all my supplies.
As I went up the steps, I wondered if Dex would come too. If I’d had his number, I’d have texted him an invite. When I got back downstairs, I set the nail polish bottles on the counter and decided to go over and knock on his door.
I went to the front this time, and he opened it with a cup of coffee in his hand. He wore gray sweatpants and a US Navy T-shirt. His mouth curved into something close to a smile, making my heart flutter faster. “Morning, neighbor.”
“Morning. I came over to ask for your number.”
He took a sip of his coffee. The mug had a firefighter’s boot on it and read My Dad is My Hero. “Why?”
“I think my place needs a fire inspection. I thought maybe I’d call you to schedule one.” I grinned. “I know how you are about safety.”
“Ah.” He sipped again, his brown eyes dancing. “Then I suppose I could give it to you. For safety reasons.”
“Why don’t you come over with the girls and we can exchange information?”
“Just information?”
I laughed. “This time, yes.”
“I could come over,” he said, like he was doing me a favor. “Have you eaten breakfast?”
“Not yet. Just coffee.”
“I’ll bring you a monkey bread muffin.”
My eyebrows lifted in surprise. “Were you at Plum & Honey already this morning?”
“Yes. The girls insisted.” He paused. “And I might have asked your mom what your favorite muffin was.”
“Look at you being a nice guy.”
“I know.” He put his grump face back on. “Don’t fucking tell anyone.”
I zipped my lips. “Your secret is safe with me. See you in a few.” As I headed across his driveway toward my place, he called out.
“Hey!”
“Yes?” I turned around.
“Did you hear back about the job in Rhode Island?”
I smiled, pleased that he remembered. “Yes. We’re going to talk by phone next week. I’m really excited.”
He nodded. “Good.”
That evening, I headed over to Cloverleigh Farms to help Millie with a large wedding reception. Usually, our Aunt April was on hand to help with big events, but she and her family had gone down to Chicago to see one of Chip’s games.
It was a long night, and by the time the wedding party went back to the bar at the inn to keep the celebration going, it was after eleven. Millie and I left the staff to break down the room and retreated to her office, where I dropped onto her couch and kicked off my shoes.
“Shot of whiskey?” she asked, taking a bottle from a shelf behind her desk.
“Yes, please.” I stretched my legs and feet. My red toe polish reminded me of giving the girls pedicures this morning. It had been so much fun, and Hallie had been excited enough about her blue toes that she’d forgone her water socks and gone barefoot at the pool—at least for the ten steps between where she’d left her flip-flops on the cement and the shallow end.
But Dex had called it progress and thanked me with a secret smile that made my heart threaten to burst.
Millie poured a little whiskey into two old fashioned glasses and brought them over to the couch. “Sorry I don’t have ice.”
“It’s fine.” I took the glass, scooting over so she could sit next to me.
“Cheers.” She tapped her whiskey against mine. “Thanks for the help tonight.”
“My pleasure.” I took a sip, enjoying the way the fiery liquid warmed my throat.
“So what’s new with your dad crush?”