I wince. “Shit. I’m sorry. That was awful of me. I should know better.”
“It’s fine. I’m used to it by now.”
Sammy is back, tugging on my pant leg, eager to show me what they’ve been working on. I gladly let him lead me by the hand to where he and Tanner have been building their LEGO farm and make an array of suitably impressed noisesas he points everything out to me. But I’m stuck on Candice’s bombshell revelation about Clancy owning the rescue center I now own.
Why did he and Jackson hide information from meagain? Is that the reason Jackson was less than thrilled when yet another rich outsider purchased something that once belonged to his family?
My mind is reeling.
As soon as I drop off Sammy, I’m going to start digging. “All right, buddy. Say goodbye to Tanner. We have to go.”
“Okay, Uncle Kick.”
Sammy launches a surprise hug attack on poor Tanner, who stands there stiff as a board. Reminds me of the way Jackson looks when Sammy tackle-hugs him. I make a note to have a chat with Sammy on the drive back about people having different physical boundaries.
“Here. Take this,” Tanner says once Sammy releases him from his ninja grip, placing a white-walled, red-roofed house into his hand.
“This is your house,” Sammy says, confused.
“No. It’sourhouse,” Tanner corrects him with a smile. “Where me and you live on our farm. I want you to have it.”
“That’s so cute,” Candice says, clutching her chest beside me.
I grin at the boys. “It really is.”
“Thank you so much.” Sammy takes the house from Tanner and cradles it in his small hands like it’s the most precious thing in the world.
“Thanks for organizing this playdate. Wagner will organize the next one.”
Her eyes gleam. “Tell him I look forward to that.”
“How did it go?” Wagner asks when I drop Sammy off, his out-of-nowhere “meeting” conveniently over. Sammy’s gone to get changed, which gives me a golden opportunity to needle my older bro for a change.
“Fine. I told her you’re organizing the next playdate, and her eyes lit up. I read that cougars in the wild do that, too, get all excited when they’re about to trap their prey.”
Wagner closes his laptop and stares at me with a confused frown from his work desk. “What are you talking about?”
“Oh, nothing. But I think that little ol’ Candy might have a crush on you, that’s all. Wanted to warn you.”
“Warn me? You are such an idiot.”
“Huh?”
“Candice and I are friends.”
“What?”
He speaks slower. “Candice…and I…are friends.”
How did I not know that? “But I thought you were scared of her and her gold digger reputation. Isn’t that why you made me go over there to pick Sammy up?”
He lets out a rusty chuckle. “No. I asked you to pick Sammy up because an important investor meeting came up unexpectedly. “
“So then why have you let me talk shit about her if you guys are friends?”
“Isn’t it obvious?” He leans forward, smirking like a motherfucker. “So I have more ammo to tease you with.”
“Ugh, I hate you. I can never win.”
