Page 49 of Backup Plan

“And I like a glass of wine with dinner. Do you have wine?”

I nod again.

“Then we’re all set. We’re pretty low-maintenance when it comes to drinks. They’ll have the occasional Capri Sun, but mainly they’re water drinkers. Soda upon rare occasion, usually diet or caffeine-free.”

I wrinkle my nose. “You’re no fun.”

She laughs. “You want to give them soda? Be my guest, but be prepared to deal with the consequences.”

“Do they like pizza?”

She nods. “Yes, but it has to be thin crust, and it has to be pepperoni.”

“Boys after my own heart. Sound okay for dinner?”

“Sure. Let me treat, though.”

I roll my eyes. “Let me take care of the three of you.”

“You are,” she says softly, and her eyes are misty when I glance over at her. “Far more than you could possibly know.”

We manage to wrestle the boys away from the games and get them to eat. Afterward, Penny helps Benji with his bath in the bathroom in the hallway outside the boys’ room, and Sammy uses the shower in the en-suite bathroom in Penny’s room.

Once the boys have their teeth brushed, their hair combed, and their pajamas on, they come out to my family room, where I’m catching the highlights on ESPN.

“Mom told us to say goodnight,” Sammy says.

I mute the television and stand. “Sweet dreams,” I say.

“Night, Uncle Liam!” Benji says.

“Thanks for letting us stay here. This house is awesome,” Sammy says. He gives me a quick hug, and he bolts from the room, presumably to go back to his room to try to get in more playtime before bed.

Penny isn’t having it, though. “Straight to bed, Samuel Thomas Calloway!” She ruffles Benji’s hair, too.

“Are you going to triple name me, too?” he asks.

She chuckles. “No need, Benjamin James Calloway.”

He giggles, and he grabs her hand and pulls her out of the room.

She tucks them in and does whatever nighttime routine it is they do, and she returns to the family room a few minutes later, collapsing on the couch a couple of cushions too far out of my reach.

She glances over at me. “I’d sit closer, but Sammy never goes straight to bed, so he’ll probably be out twelve times, and I’m not ready for them to catch us making out on your couch.”

I shake my head. “No explanation necessary. I want to do whatever makes the three of you comfortable. But to be clear, you want to be making out with me on my couch?”

Her voice is low when she says, “More than you can possibly imagine.”

I laugh. “There’s always tomorrow.”

“I hate to cut this short, but I should probably get ready for bed myself. I need to be up before they are so I can help them navigate morning routine.”

“Do they need anything for breakfast?” I ask, wanting to make sure I have whatever they like.

“I grabbed a box of Cheerios from the pantry at the house, but if you really want to make an impression, the boys both love Cap’n Crunch.”

I laugh.