Page 69 of The Dating Charade

“You need me to get that, man?” Sunny appeared to be swiping tears from his face as Sarah swiftly placed the tray in his hands and walked out the door. Sunny called after, laughing. “No, Sarah, don’t leave.”

Sarah’s door shut with a resounding thud.

Sunny turned on Jett. “Man, if it wasn’t so fun watching you suffer, I’d have to kick you out. You guys are terrible for a man’s love life.”

Were he not in his current predicament, he would laugh at the mere image of Sunny trying to get Sarah, of all people, to fall for him.

“Yeah, Sunny. We’re the reason for your love hiccups.” Jett swiftly pulled up his pants, settled the waistline firmly on his hips. The phone still vibrated in his pocket. He checked the screen. Cassie’s name ran across the top. The tempo of his heart quickened even more than before. He hadn’t talked to Cassie in days, not since Sunday.

He pointed at Sunny as he strode toward the hall. “Drew! Dakota!” Both kids turned in his direction. “Go jump on Godfather Sunny.”

“Wheeeeeeeeeeeeee.”

In his periphery, he saw Drew make a leaping dive on Sunny before he turned into his own bedroom and answered the call. “Heeeey.” The word drew on until the door was firmly shut. “How’s it going?”

“Good. I think. What’s a girl gotta do to get a phone call around here?”

His hand slipped off the back of the door as he smiled at her playful and yet sincere tone. He knew exactly why he hadn’t called: those three reasons currently screaming approximately fifteen feet away. “Sorry. I worked two days and took a day trip out of town. Things have been pretty hectic.” He squeezed his eyes shut, knowing the price he’d have to pay for his next words. It seemed that for every minute he avoided taking Sarah’s favors, she ended up doling out two.

“I’m off tomorrow night, though.” I might be able to arrange a sitter, he added silently.

“Another midweek ballgame? This could become a tradition.”

He liked the sound of that, more than he could say. But before he could actually say anything at all, he had to press his hand over the phone while another round of wrestling screams kicked in.

Jett opened the door and leaned his head out. Sunny, lying on the ground, grunted as Dakota and Drew bounced repeatedly on his stomach.

“Quiet down,” Jett hissed.

Sunny arched his head at Jett, his eyes a clear oh-no-you-didn’t.

As Jett began to shut the door, he heard Sunny shout, “Who wants to go pound on Uncle Jett’s door?”

The stampede began.

“You know,” Jett stumbled to say quickly, “I’m going to have to go, Cassie. That sounds great. See you at six.”

“Alright. Well, I’ll—”

“See you soon. Yep. Terrific. Bye.” Jett barely managed to hang up before the screaming, giggling, pounding began.

He could do this. He would make a relationship with Cassie work.

Two and a half hours later, Jett pushed the sleeping bag around both Dakota and Drew’s chins as they lay on the living room floor, chocolate from peppermint cake balls smeared like poorly applied lipstick around Dakota’s lips.

“Kiss,” she said, and he hesitated before begrudgingly leaning down for another wet one. She lay her head back on her pillow.

“Mmm,” he said and wiped his mouth with his hand, tasting the mint. “Ready for prayers?”

Dakota grabbed onto his hand, now accustomed to what had been so foreign weeks ago. Drew nodded sleepily with the other. His curls covered his forehead, the ends touching the tips of his long, blonde lashes. He needed a haircut, had needed a haircut three months ago.

Jett wiped the curls from his eyes. “You want to go first, Drew?”

Drew shook his head, lids drooping, the clock beneath the television pointing out the time of 10:32 p.m.

Jett turned to Dakota. “You want to go?”

“Me start.” She pointed to herself, then to his chest. “Me, then you. Dear God.”