Page 41 of Manny Included

Pete came out in a pair of shorts and a T-shirt and hoodie.“Hey.Would you like some milk to go with your pie?”

“That actually sounds great—something about chocolate and milk that just go hand in hand.Thanks.”

He sat because he figured here in the bright, happy kitchen with the hard chairs would be easier to do this than in the more comfy and cozy living room.

Pete brought over two glasses of milk.“What do you have planned this weekend?”

“I hadn’t given it any thought, honestly.What’s the plan with the kids?”He’d help out with that.It was only fair.

“Oh, let’s see.”Pete pulled out his phone “Merida has stories for tots at the library while Eric is at t-ball practice.Belle has a crocheting class and a dance class, and three of them have swimming class, and I have swimming with babies on Saturday.Sunday, I need to go get everyone summer clothes because everyone has grown out of everything.We need to talk about what we’re going to do for Merida’s birthday.Also, everyone is going to have to start planning different camps because it’s coming up to camp season.Then it’s getting ready for the last week of school.”

Bay blinked at Pete as he pushed the panic down.That was so much and it was the weekend!He cleared his throat a few times, then nodded.“I want to help as much as I can, so you can tell me what of all of that you need me to do.And I need to apologize for not being around much the last week.I…” He took a deep breath.“I handled our last conversation badly and I’m sorry for that.”

Pete’s cheeks went bright red.“Well, thank you for apologizing, but it wasn’t necessary.You’re absolutely right, and I’m sorry.You have my word that I will be absolutely focused on the kids.”

But that was Pete’s job.He shouldn’t have to be focused on the kids twenty-four/seven for the rest of his life.

Bay shook his head.“I don’t think that’s the answer here.We can be friendly—hell, we can be friends.And I think adult time will keep us both sane, having someone to talk to, to just be with.And I don’t think the fact that I pay you to look after the kids makes us being friends creepy.But for some reason if you add in anything physical, it feels like I’d be taking advantage of you.And if we did decide to do it anyway and it went bad—” Bay shook his head.“I can’t do that to the kids.They’ve already lost two parents; they can’t lose you too.”He was doing it right this time, right?Trying to fix the relationship between them without taking it too far?

“Well, honestly, you don’t.”

“What?”He didn’t follow.

“You don’t pay me to watch the kids.”Pete shrugged, offered him a smile that didn’t quite make it all the way to his eyes.“The trust pays me to take care of the kids.You can’t fire me.I’m just here.But you’re right—I totally can be friends, and I think that’s smart.I promise not to make you uncomfortable again.You have my word.”Pete took a bite of his pie.“It’s pretty good.If you want to come to swimming or do you want to do the library or t-ball just let me know what parts you want.Then the organizing of camps and stuff?That’s going to need your input too.At least the older two are both going to want to go.”

He put his hand on Pete’s arm.“This isn’t about you making me uncomfortable, it’s about me making you uncomfortable.This is your home.You should feel safe here, happy.”He took a deep breath.“And you have my word too.And I guess I want to help whereever I can.I’m assuming none of this stuff takes place at exactly the same time?So it’s not like you have to be at two places at once?”Because then he could just tag along to everything and help where he could.He’d been an ass for nearly a week.Maybe this would help make up for it.Besides, aside from thinking he should be there for the kids, he was actually starting to enjoy being with them.He loved his Merida reading time before bed.Now this field trip thing on Monday had him nervous as hell, but he wanted to be there for Belle and maybe he’d wind up enjoying that too.

“The big thing is that the library and t-ball are at the same time on the same day.Usually, I ask one of the other parents—one of the parents—to watch him while I do the library, because it’s harder with Merida.She can’t be left alone even for a second.”

“I can take whichever one you’d prefer I do.”He and Merida had a growing bond.On the other hand, it might be a good way to find some common ground if he went to Eric’s t-ball game.“I’d be happy to do either.”

“Why don’t you take Merida and Belle to the library?Flynn and I can go to watch Eric’s game since I never get to go see him.We can swap next weekend, but weekends are busy.”

“Oh, swapping sounds good.The best of both worlds.Now about this field trip thing…”

“Does it help to know that Janet Reardon is going to watch Merida and Flynn, and I’m going to be on the same field trip with Eric’s class?”

Relief flooded through him.“Yeah, that helps a lot.Can you give me an idea of what’s going to be expected of me?”

“There’ll be Belle and two other third-graders.You don’t lose them—most everyone will be together in a pile all the time, right?The whole class, all the parents, everybody together.”Pete grinned.“Except for lunchtime.And lunchtime you’ll have to be in charge of making sure that your three kids eat their sack lunches, get back in line, and don’t get lost.Same with things like bathroom breaks.There’ll be a lot of group scenarios, but if there’s an emergency, you’re the parent.If there is a bee sting, that’s you.So like I said, you’ll have Belle and two other third-graders.Now since it’s a zoo, there’ll probably be some kind of an activity.Find the most predators.Find six red animals.Who knows?But you’ll be in charge of making sure they do that.”

“Huh.Okay.”Three kids sounded so much better than a whole class.“I think I can handle that.”How hard could looking after three girls be?

“I’m sure you’re going to be fine.You run a whole company.”

“I do.But kids are far scarier than grown-ups.”

Pete chuckled, but he nodded.“Fair enough.”

“Shall we take our pie to the living room and watch a movie or something?”He really wanted them to get back to what passed for normal for them.He missed it.He missed Pete.

“Sure, I can watch a movie.I don’t guarantee I won’t fall asleep halfway through.If I do, just leave me there on the couch.I’ll be fine.”Pete winked at him.“God knows I’ve slept there before.”

“Haven’t you been sleeping well?”Bay asked.He really did wish Pete would let him hire a part-time nanny so the guy could take a break now and then.

“Oh, I’m all right.I’ve been sleeping some, but if the kids get up in the middle of the night,andif they all do it once for something and they all pick a different time to do it, that means that I’m waking up four times.”And Pete shrugged.“That’s how this works, I guess.”

“Is that how it worked when Tony and Cindy were here?”Because he didn’t believe for a second that they were the kind of people who would make the nanny do all the heavy lifting.