Rico thought about it for a minute. "Hmm. I can come up with really cool band names, and I super-glued my fingers together once."
Mitch nodded. "OK. Just try to stay out of the way."
"Oh, come on. I'm more useful than that," Rico said with a laugh.
"I'll find stuff for you to do, don't worry. An extra pair of hands is always useful," Mitch told him. "For now, could you watch Sammy while I fix the porch."
At the moment, Sammy was inside washing her hands, but Rico had plans for her.
"We'll explore the yard and she can model that crazy new hat of hers." Seeing her through the kitchen door, Rico called out to her. "Hey, missy, I'm supposed to keep you out of trouble."
"OK," she called back.
"Make sure to wear your new hat," Rico told her and she ran off to get it.
While Rico waited for her, he noticed that some branches had broken off the trees in the yard and were just hanging there, dry and sad-looking. After Rico jumped up to pull them down, he figured he might as well clean up any other yard debris, make it a little nicer since Sammy would be playing there.
"I see you found a way to keep busy," Mitch said.
Rico could tell he approved. "Sammy is helping too." He pointed her out as she was modeling her oversized, floppy hat all over the yard. She did eventually pick up a twig and then danced it over to the pile of yard debris Rico had made.
"I guess she's just taking her sweet time about it," Mitch said and smiled at his kid.
A smile sure had a way of lighting up his face and making him look even more gorgeous. That's when Rico noticed what Mitch was wearing other than an orange t-shirt that stretched over his chest enticingly and a pair of old jeans. "A tool belt? Now you're just flaunting yourself," Rico told him.
"I'm working," Mitch said like he had no idea that a tool belt kicked up his hotness level right through the roof.
"What a tease," Rico grumbled and got drowned out by the hand saw Mitch turned on just then.
Finally Rico had some real work to do. He was clearing out the pieces of board Mitch cut from the porch. He was doing that and also dividing his attention between watching Sammy and ogling Mitch. Sammy was still puttering around the yard.
Then Rico noticed that she stopped and was peering under the porch. "You see something?" he asked her and went over to check it out.
"Rico, something is moving under there," Sammy said alarmingly as she pointed at the narrow space.
"Oh God, don't let it be rats," he said under his breath.
"What did you say?" Sammy asked as he crouched down next to her, but he wasn't about to tell her.
"Oh, nothing. You just stay back and I'll check it out. Or maybe go tell your dad about it, OK." Rico wanted her where she would be safe, just in case there was a dangerous critter under there.
Sammy ran off, but what Rico found under the porch wasn't anything bad. Two sets of amber eyes were peering out from tiny, cat faces.
The two orange kittens were probably scared by all the noise Mitch was making. But they came out readily enough as soon as Mitch stopped his sawing and banging.
Now Sammy had her dad by the hand, and she was bringing him over.
"Look who was hiding under there," Rico said as one of the kittens swatted at his fingers. The other kitten was scratching at his jeans as he knelt in the grass.
"Rico, you found kitties," Sammy squealed excitedly as she ran over ahead of Mitch.
"You found them," Rico pointed out as both Sammy and Mitch got down to sit in the grass with him. "Should we give them some milk? They sound hungry."
"Chocolate milk!" Sammy said. "Chocolate milk is better."
"Not for kittens, and we don't have either kind of milk anyway," Mitch said as he reached over to pet the other kitten. If Rico leaned forward just a little, he could have buried his face in the crook of his neck. But of course he couldn't do anything like that.
Shaking himself out of it, Rico realized what Mitch just said. "I can go get some milk," he volunteered.
