restaurant. I’d eat there. Heck, I’d manage it,” Max said to Pete.
Pete smiled appreciatively but shook his head. “We thought about it once, but with my hours at the station, it wasn’t practical. I would have to quit my job and that’s too big of a risk when you’ve got three kids to take care of.”
“Maybe when you retire,” Max suggested. “I expect a phone call if you do.”
Gianna started collecting plates. Pete and Kendall hopped up to help. Gianna tried to get Kendall to stop. “You don’t have to do that. Please, sit. You’re our guest.”
“You have to let us help you clean up. It’s the least we can do,” Kendall insisted.
“Let’s send the men out to keep an eye on the kids while we take care of these dishes,” Emma suggested.
Gianna refused, but the sisters were adamant. There was nothing she could do but let them have their way. Pete offered the guys another drink and they headed outside to see what the children were up to.
“You’ve chosen well, Max,” Pete said as he leaned against the porch railing.
“Your cooking made it an easy decision.”
“Not that,” Pete said with a laugh. “Although, that was also an excellent choice. I meant your bride-to-be. She’s a keeper.”
Max got that smitten look on his face. “I definitely think so. I’m very lucky.”
“And her sister’s the nurse, isn’t she?” Pete asked Charlie. “You have good taste, my friend.”
Max’s expression changed to surprise. “Pete knows about Emma?”
“There’s no Emma,” Charlie said, wishing he had never told anyone about his interest in the unattainable. “I mean, there’s obviously an Emma. There’s no me and Emma. She’s dating someone else.”
“Bummer,” Pete said. “She’s cute, seems nice.”
“You sure she’s dating that guy?” Max asked.
“I’m sure. All she talked about the other day when we met to discuss the wedding was him.”
“The ice-cream date?” Pete was too good at putting two and two together.
Charlie’s face must have been redder than a tomato. “It wasn’t really a date. It was more of a meeting. She’s all about this doctor guy. I have no chance.”
Max gave Charlie’s shoulder a squeeze. “Sorry, man. I thought there was still hope. Kendall hasn’t said anything about it being serious between the two of them.”
Well, it was true, and Charlie needed to get over it. He had to forget about his feelings for Emma and move on. The sooner, the better.
Pete’s daughters climbed the front-porch steps. “Can you help us do jump rope?” Mia asked her dad.
“Jump rope is more of a Mommy thing. I can’t help, girls.”
“But we want to play Teddy Bear, Teddy Bear! We need one more person, and Sean won’t do it.”
Not many teenage boys wanted to play jump rope with their little sisters. Fortunately for these lovely ladies, Charlie was an expert jump-rope twirler.
“I can do it. My sisters used to jump rope all the time.” He grabbed the rope from Eva and led the two very excited girls back to the sidewalk.
“You don’t mind if I take some video to show the guys back at the station?” Pete shouted from the porch, cell phone in hand.
“No, as long as you don’t mind me whipping you with this jump rope later. Go right ahead,” Charlie replied.
Pete put his phone away. Charlie and Mia twirled the rope for Eva first. The little girl’s smile put one on Charlie’s face, as well. She was so proud of herself when she managed to turn around without tripping up the rope, but when she had to touch the ground, she forgot to keep jumping.
“Good try, Tinker Bell.” He put up a hand so she could give him a high five. She had to jump to reach his hand.
“If you’re still single when my girls are grown up, I bet they’d marry you for this!” Pete shouted.
Charlie took the ribbing, but he hoped it wouldn’t take that long for someone to fall in love with him. By then, his heart might have hardened into stone.
The front door
Pete smiled appreciatively but shook his head. “We thought about it once, but with my hours at the station, it wasn’t practical. I would have to quit my job and that’s too big of a risk when you’ve got three kids to take care of.”
“Maybe when you retire,” Max suggested. “I expect a phone call if you do.”
Gianna started collecting plates. Pete and Kendall hopped up to help. Gianna tried to get Kendall to stop. “You don’t have to do that. Please, sit. You’re our guest.”
“You have to let us help you clean up. It’s the least we can do,” Kendall insisted.
“Let’s send the men out to keep an eye on the kids while we take care of these dishes,” Emma suggested.
Gianna refused, but the sisters were adamant. There was nothing she could do but let them have their way. Pete offered the guys another drink and they headed outside to see what the children were up to.
“You’ve chosen well, Max,” Pete said as he leaned against the porch railing.
“Your cooking made it an easy decision.”
“Not that,” Pete said with a laugh. “Although, that was also an excellent choice. I meant your bride-to-be. She’s a keeper.”
Max got that smitten look on his face. “I definitely think so. I’m very lucky.”
“And her sister’s the nurse, isn’t she?” Pete asked Charlie. “You have good taste, my friend.”
Max’s expression changed to surprise. “Pete knows about Emma?”
“There’s no Emma,” Charlie said, wishing he had never told anyone about his interest in the unattainable. “I mean, there’s obviously an Emma. There’s no me and Emma. She’s dating someone else.”
“Bummer,” Pete said. “She’s cute, seems nice.”
“You sure she’s dating that guy?” Max asked.
“I’m sure. All she talked about the other day when we met to discuss the wedding was him.”
“The ice-cream date?” Pete was too good at putting two and two together.
Charlie’s face must have been redder than a tomato. “It wasn’t really a date. It was more of a meeting. She’s all about this doctor guy. I have no chance.”
Max gave Charlie’s shoulder a squeeze. “Sorry, man. I thought there was still hope. Kendall hasn’t said anything about it being serious between the two of them.”
Well, it was true, and Charlie needed to get over it. He had to forget about his feelings for Emma and move on. The sooner, the better.
Pete’s daughters climbed the front-porch steps. “Can you help us do jump rope?” Mia asked her dad.
“Jump rope is more of a Mommy thing. I can’t help, girls.”
“But we want to play Teddy Bear, Teddy Bear! We need one more person, and Sean won’t do it.”
Not many teenage boys wanted to play jump rope with their little sisters. Fortunately for these lovely ladies, Charlie was an expert jump-rope twirler.
“I can do it. My sisters used to jump rope all the time.” He grabbed the rope from Eva and led the two very excited girls back to the sidewalk.
“You don’t mind if I take some video to show the guys back at the station?” Pete shouted from the porch, cell phone in hand.
“No, as long as you don’t mind me whipping you with this jump rope later. Go right ahead,” Charlie replied.
Pete put his phone away. Charlie and Mia twirled the rope for Eva first. The little girl’s smile put one on Charlie’s face, as well. She was so proud of herself when she managed to turn around without tripping up the rope, but when she had to touch the ground, she forgot to keep jumping.
“Good try, Tinker Bell.” He put up a hand so she could give him a high five. She had to jump to reach his hand.
“If you’re still single when my girls are grown up, I bet they’d marry you for this!” Pete shouted.
Charlie took the ribbing, but he hoped it wouldn’t take that long for someone to fall in love with him. By then, his heart might have hardened into stone.
The front door
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