“And I am happy to help you here while you make that possible. Doesn’t it look good? I think we’re done.” Calder stepped back to admire the finished pantry, and I took advantage of his proximity to give him a hug.
“It looks amazing. You were right. This was a fun project,” I had to admit. The pantry looked three times as large now, with airy shelves and neatly labeled bins and large glass jars. Even the lighting had received an upgrade from a single bare bulb to a nice fixture that made it possible to see everything, even the far corners. I squeezed Calder closer. “I’m going to be able to send the girls in to get their own snacks so much easier now.”
“Excellent. Parenting win.” Calder kissed my temple. I liked how he often referred to me as a parent, no hesitation, simply accepting that the girls and I were a permanent unit. So many people treated my guardianship like a temporary babysitting gig, but Calder seemed to instinctively get that I was raising them. They were my kids, no qualifiers needed.
“Thank you.” I turned so I could kiss him more thoroughly on the mouth.
“Oh, that’s nice.” He gave an exaggerated shiver that did splendid things for my ego.
“Not too spicy?” We’d cooked together for brunch, including some spicy Bloody Mary drinks and pepper bacon I’d had in the freezer.
“Try me.” Eyes flashing, he pulled me flush against him for a kiss that made my bare toes dig into the hardwood floor. His agile tongue had me panting in no time flat.
“Feeling dusty after all that work?” I licked my lips as he released me. “I could show you the benefits of the second head in my shower.”
He fondled the curve of my ass through my jeans. “You can show me—”
“Uncle Felix!” A gleeful shout echoed from the front of the house. Damn whatever impulse had led to me giving Gabrielle her own key.
“Crap. They’re back early.” Stepping away from Calder, I patted my hair like I could smooth away evidence of what we’d been up to. Heck. I’d planned on taking Calder to the ferry before Gabrielle and the girls were back, no one needing to know how I’d spent the weekend without them.
But now here was Gabrielle breezing in, coat that was closer to a cape flapping behind her, makeup predictably perfect despite the long train ride. The girls were right behind her, racing to tackle-hug me, and then Calder, happy squeals all around. They, at least, didn’t seem all that suspicious of his presence, but Gabrielle was a different story.
“Oops! Didn’t realize you had company.” Her shrewd gaze swept over Calder and her sly smile said she was busy drawing all sorts of conclusions. “I did text.”
Oops. Looking around, I discovered my personal phone on the counter near the work phone. I must have neglected to put it back in my pocket after taking some pictures of the pantry progress.
“Sorry. Is everything all right?” My self-recrimination came out in my tone. Damn it. I should have known better than to lose track of my phone. What if the girls had truly needed me? It was one thing to enjoy Calder’s company and another to get so distracted that I lost track of my real priorities.
“Everything is splendid.” Gabrielle slipped out of her coat, clearly planning to stay. The girls raced upstairs, dragging their overstuffed bags behind them. Clearly Gabrielle had ignored my plea to not go overboard on the shopping.
“You’re earlier than I expected.” I couldn’t shake the feeling that I’d narrowly dodged missing something critical.
“Maybe a little, but darling, it’s almost three.” Gabrielle waved at the clock on the microwave.
Sure enough, it was far later than I’d expected. Double damn. I really had lost track of everything other than how good hanging out with Calder felt. Another few moments and we would have truly been in an embarrassing situation, and it was all my fault for getting so wrapped up in him.
“Now I’m the one saying oops. Guess we lost track of time.” Calder laughed like this lapse was no big deal. And I supposed for him it was a minor thing. “I better get to the ferry.”
“I can take you,” I offered, even though logistically it was more complicated now with Gabrielle and the girls here. But I couldn’t simply abandon Calder either.
“Nah. I’ll sort out the bus. It’s not that far.” He gave me a fast kiss on the cheek, almost absently. We’d been sharing easy affection all weekend. It wasn’t surprising that he forgot we weren’t alone anymore, but my skin still went ghost-pepper hot.
Not trusting myself to speak, I managed a nod.
“I’ll grab my stuff.” He headed for the stairs, taking them two at a time, good mood not flagging in the slightest.
“Well.” Gabrielle drew the word out. No chance she’d missed any of the subtext there. “Seems like you took my advice. Any...sledding this weekend?”
“Gabrielle.” At least the girls hadn’t seen the kiss. I could do without more awkward questions and assumptions. Gabrielle’s smug look was bad enough.
“What? I’m happy for you. You need a—”
“Friend. He’s a friend who helped me with some home improvement projects this weekend. Come see the pantry.” I ushered her closer so she could see that I’d been busy, not having an orgy in their absence.
“Lovely.” Gabrielle dutifully admired the matching bins and baskets. “After Tim, it’s nice to see you with someone who can earn their keep.”
“He’s a friend. I’m not with anyone,” I said firmly as steps sounded on the stairs.
“Okay, I’m out of here.” Calder came into the kitchen carrying his backpack in one hand and Charlotte on his back. “Found this one lurking in the hall.”
“I was looking for a mouse,” she explained as Calder gently set her down. If he’d heard my denial that we were together, he didn’t show it, ruffling Charlotte’s curls and grinning at her.
“Mice? You have mice?” Gabrielle, who lived in a slick modern condo, sounded predictably horrified.
“No, of course not,” I assured her. Actually, I didn’t know. It was an old house. Mice happened, and with Charlotte it was a toss-up as to what was imagination and what was based in fact.
“You could get a cat,” Calder suggested casually as he scooped up his bag again.
“I want a cat!” Charlotte crowed.
“Thanks.” I gave Calder a pointed look, and he at least had the grace to blush.
“Sorry. Didn’t mean to create trouble.”
“It’s okay.” I forced a smile as I waved him to the door. “Go, before you’re late.”