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“Why?”
“Because,” he says with a shrug.
“Sem, you need to be fingerprinted and background-checked to volunteer today. You can’t just show up to something like this.”
“Did all of that weeks ago.”
My eyebrows rise with that bit of information. “Seriously?”
“Yeah, heard August mention it. Thought I’d help out.”
Even if he’s truly only here to stare at me, my heart warms at that. Has Sem ever spent a day with kids in his life?
I slide a disposable tablecloth across the table and lean toward Sem, “You do know there will be kids here? Little kids…”
“So?”
“So…do you even like kids?”
“What’s not to like. They’re wild, aren’t they? Crazy little fuckers.”
“You cannot swear like that here,” I say, and then my lips twitch. “And if you do happen to let one slip out, keep it down. Lisa will lose it if she thinks you’re a bad influence.”
He pretends to zip his lips and then moves to help me set up another table.
Hey, we need all the help we can get. As long as Lisa approved him, there’s nothing I can say to get him to go away. And maybe the kids will like him. He is a little wild. Kids seem to be drawn to people like him.
“Okay, just remember…these kids…the things they’ve been through are mostly horrific. We’re here just to have fun and let them be kids, yeah?”
“I can do fun,” Sem says, looking offended. The large gash on his face is healing, and I reach up and tilt his face toward me.
“Looks better. How’s your side?”
“Fine.”
I arch an eyebrow at him. “I’ll be checking that later.”
“Whatever you want,” he replies and then moves across the grass to help Lisa set up a few of the games. She’s a forty-year-old woman with a husband and kids but blushes like a schoolgirl when Sem talks to her. It makes me a little jealous if I’m honest. He should save all that charm for me.
“You’re not surprised to see him here, are you?” August says in my ear, making me jump a mile, and I press a hand to my chest.
“Jesus. Warn a guy.”
August laughs and then cocks his head toward Sem, who’s bent over to grab a stack of water bottles.
Look at that ass.
“Think he’ll be okay with the kids?”
“I have no idea. I hope so.” August turns to face me fully, and my eyes widen, “August, what happened to your face.”
A dark purple bruise covers his right cheek. “Don’t want to talk about it.”
I tilt my head in frustration and place my hands on my hips. “Emery?”
“He’s just a little shit. It’s fine.”
“I’ll sic Sem on him. How about that? We can teach him a lesson.”
