All Stars Fall (Seaside Pictures #3.5)(12)

He burst out laughing. “Yeah, it often does. It’s the Legos.”

“Totally.” I smiled back at him as we fell into silence. “All right then.” I took a step backwards. “The laundry’s folded, dinner’s ready, and—”

“Stay.” He took a step toward me.

What was happening?

“Um, no, really it’s fine. I don’t want to intrude.”

“It’s the least I can do.” His sexy smile was back. Ugh, pair that with the fact that he had three of the most adorable kids, not to mention that he used to be a poster on my wall. Torture. You grow up looking at boy bands and celebrities and dreaming about meeting them backstage and marrying them later and then you laugh with your friends.

And then the next day, you’re folding their underwear and making a pot roast.

Huh.

“Please stay!” Bella came stumbling into the kitchen, the black T-shirt still clutched in her right hand, her monkey in the other.

Trevor’s smile fell. “Hey, baby girl, you have a good nap?”

She nodded and then lifted the shirt to his face. “It doesn’t smell like her anymore.”

“I’ll take care of it.” He kissed her forehead. “Why don’t you run off and get your brothers while we get dinner ready?”

“Yay! She’s staying!” She did a little twirl and then whispered in a loud voice. “I like Penny.”

He frowned. “Penny?”

“Penelope was a mouthful,” I added with a smile of my own.

“Gotcha.” He winked at me, making my heart flutter and my stomach drop to my knees. The guy needed to be careful who he winked at. I knew I was blushing. I told my body to stop betraying me, but my face just got hotter. Perfect.

I quickly turned around and made myself busy grabbing plates.

Just focus on setting the table.

Not the image of his abs burned into your brain.

Or his wink.

Or the way he wore a shirt.

Lord, have mercy on us mere mortals.

Amen.





Chapter Six



Trevor




The last time we all sat down as a family for dinner was when my wife was still around.

Though she always hated staying in.

I couldn’t even remember how many times she called a sitter without asking me so that we could go to the latest party or premiere. I was sick of it but hated the fight that followed if I wanted to stay home.

“Why don’t you cook like this?” Eric asked, shoving another piece of pot roast smothered in ketchup into his mouth and chewing like he hadn’t had real food in months. Little shit. “Is this what home-cooked meals taste like?”

I narrowed my eyes then tossed my napkin in his direction. It didn’t make it very far, which just made the rest of the kids laugh and point.

God, I loved them.

“I’m glad you guys like it.” Penelope beamed and then dipped her napkin in her water and dabbed the ketchup from Bella’s face.

She was so natural with them.

Every sitter we’d ever had had been older, mainly because Josephine was paranoid that someday I’d end up sleeping with the nanny. Not that she had any reason not to trust me. She was the cheater. I was the one who was in it for the long term.

I shook my head, trying to get my thoughts away from my failed marriage and on being present for my kids.

On my music.

Penelope squeezed Bella’s hand.

I gripped my fork so hard I half expected it to bend in my palm. Bella deserved that, all three of them deserved that.

Someone to make them pot roast.

Someone to wipe their faces.

They had me, but I wanted them to have more. They deserved to have everything, and I didn’t know how to do that, at least not while I was still figuring out what it meant to be a single dad with three kids under the age of seven.

“Did you guys have fun today?” I asked, standing and picking up dishes to go wash in the sink.

“Yes!” Bella shouted first. “And we had juice!”

“Best day ever,” I teased while Eric gave a little eye roll and shrugged. At least he was eating. He didn’t have much of an appetite, and I knew it was because he missed his mom.

Anger was his way of dealing with things.

He was so like me, it was painful to watch.

I had always had music to ground me, though, music to escape. Eric had no interest in music. He loved video games, which meant I basically had no even playing ground since I hated anything to do with social media and TV. I gave them a little screen time during the day, but I wanted them to be kids, to run outside, play, get dirty, build a treehouse.

Supervised, but still.

“You seem lost in your thoughts,” Penelope whispered as she joined me by the sink and started drying the plates as I handed them to her. “Did everything go okay at the studio?”

I almost dropped the plate. “Wow, first pot roast, now you’re asking about my day?”

I didn’t mean to sound like a jackass, but that was exactly how it came out.

She squeezed her eyes shut like she was in pain and took a deep breath. “Sorry, that’s not…you know what, I should go.” With shaky hands, she set the plate down. Her smile was forced as she said goodbye to the kids and promised to see them the next day.