on the other side, Henrietta in hand.
Was she still upset about the night before?
Paige pointed to the ground where Henrietta lay sprawled on her belly. “Henrietta seems to like my place.”
Summer’s bellowing drowned out his reply. August ran over and flung herself at Paige, knocking her off balance.
“What’s wrong?” Paige’s brows crinkled in concern.
“We don’t wanna go to school,” August wailed.
“We can’t go today.” Summer sat up and rubbed her puffy, swollen eyes.
Paige patted August’s back. “Why can’t you go, sweetie?”
Zeke frowned, a headache forming behind his eyes. “They’re having this Mommy and Me Tea at school and my grandma was supposed to go—
“’Cept she’s sick,” August said, sniffling.
“She’s upchucking,” Summer cried.
He frowned at the girls. “You have to go to school, girls. Dad’s already late for work. You don’t want the sick animals to get sicker because I’m not there, do you?”
August hedged, chewing her lip. Summer sniffed and swiped at her nose with the sleeve of her dress.
“We could go to work with you,” August suggested.
Frustration welled up inside Zeke. “Girls, I can’t keep you there all day. I have surgery scheduled—”
August tightened her grip around Paige’s legs. Summer leaned over and whispered something in her sister’s ear. August nodded to her twin, then spoke up, her eyes wide. “Okay, we’ll go, Daddy, under one ’dition.”
“A condition?” Zeke ran a hand over his jaw. “I don’t believe this. I’m bargaining with my four-year-olds.”
“You want us to go to school?” August folded her arms as if preparing for battle.
Zeke nodded.
“Then Paige has to come to the tea with us.”
Chapter Four
Paige quickly searched Zeke’s face for his reaction. Kids! They had no idea how awkward they’d made things for both of them. Zeke looked as if he’d been strung up and left dangling over a tank of hot oil. “Um, girls—”
“I’m sure Paige is busy,” Zeke cut in firmly, giving the children a stern glare.
Paige hesitated. She was busy. She had to turn in her project at ten. But Zeke’s haggard expression and the twin’s swollen eyes tore at her heart. She couldn’t help but sympathize, and she’d always had trouble saying no, especially to innocent children. Another reason she wouldn’t make a good mother.
“I’m sorry you walked in on all this, Paige. We’ll work it out somehow.” Zeke shrugged, then took Henrietta by the collar and pulled her inside. She flopped at the girl’s feet and covered her furry face with her paws, letting out a whine of her own that added to the saga of sobbing.
“I do have class,” Paige said, hoping the girls would be all right. “My project’s due today—”
“You don’t like us,” August blurted, poking out her bottom lip.
“It’s ’cause we’re lots of trouble.” Summer swiped at her puffy eyes. “Just like Mommy said.”
Paige’s chest tightened at the misery in the girls’ expressions. She chewed her lip, not knowing what to say. Fury streaked Zeke’s face, but he seemed to mask it quickly as he knelt before the girls. He patted both their backs, then spoke in a calm husky voice, “Listen here, girls. I don’t know why your mother said that, but I’m sure she didn’t mean it the way it sounded. Your mom loves you.”
Summer’s lip trembled. “She said we make too much messes to go with her.”
“That we’d get in the way. That’s why she won’t come back,” Summer’s voice cracked as another onslaught of tears slipped down her cheeks. “Eber.”
Moisture pooled in Paige’s eyes but she blinked to stem the tears, shifting uncomfortably. She felt like an intruder to a private conversation. Zeke clenched his fists by his sides and her heart went out to him. She should retreat to her own yard, give the threesome time to discuss the situation, but her feet refused to budge. She remembered how her mother’s absenteeism from the events in her life had made her feel. And Summer and August’s mother had chosen to leave when they were small. They couldn’t possibly understand.
“I’m sure Mom was just in a bad mood when she said those things, honey.” Zeke tipped Summer’s chin up with his thumb. “She loves both of you very much. We’ll call her tonight and you can talk to her, okay?”
“We tolded her we’d be good,” Summer whispered. She stuck her thumb in her mouth and chewed on her fingernail.
Paige’s own nails dug into the palms of her hands. She cleared her throat before she spoke, sympathizing with Zeke. How could any parent explain or defend another parent who’d deserted their child? Zeke’s broad shoulders stiffened, his chocolate eyes dark with anger. And some other emotion she didn’t recognize. Hurt? Was he still mourning over the loss of the woman, or did he hate her for leaving them?
“What time is the tea?” Paige finally asked.
Zeke’s gaze locked with hers and he shook his head, his voice hard when he spoke. “Look, I appreciate the offer, but you don’t have to do this, Paige. The girls are my responsibility, I can take care of them.”
“I know you can.” Paige blushed, suddenly aware how handsome Zeke looked in his white shirt and navy slacks. “But I want to go to the tea. For them.” She forced herself to stop staring at him, then knelt beside the girls and patted their hands. “I haven’t been to a tea in ages. What time should I be there?”
“Twelbe o’clock,” Summer and August said in unison.
“You’re really gonna come?” August asked in disbelief.
“Paige—”
“I’m really going to come.” Paige tucked a strand of the little girl’s red hair behind her ear, ignoring Zeke’s brittle look, “that is, if it’s okay with your daddy.”
Zeke’s smiled tightly, his voice low, “I guess so.”
“We promise not to pester you too much,” Summer said in a shaky voice that tore at Paige’s heart.
“You could never pester me too much, girls. We’re friends,” Paige said gently. Both girls threw their arms around her neck and Paige fell backward with the impact, almost toppling to the floor.
Zeke’s tender look sent butterflies shimmying through her stomach. “Hey, you, two, you’re going to wear Paige out before the tea.” When Zeke had settled the twins on the floor, he reached out a hand and helped Paige up. His hand was hot and rough, his olive
