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After squeezing my way between my truck and the Honda next to me, I blew out a long breath and hauled my purse up onto my shoulder. Judging by the cars here, I was walking into a level of hell I’d promised myself I’d never experience again.
Harvey’s sat just on the brink of town, in the area where nobody could ever truly agree on whether it was in Rock Bay or not. I liked to believe it wasn’t, but that never changed the fact that the only two times I’d ventured in here on a weekend, it had taken me three hours to get out, because everyone had a question they wanted me to answer.
Because, apparently, I knew better than the people who worked there.
I did, but that was beside the point.
I yanked a cart from outside the door and put my purse in the child seat, making sure to keep the straps looped around one wrist. I wasn’t going to make this trip twice this week, and since Eric had the flooring under control, I only needed the paint.
I pushed the cart into the store and blinked as I looked around.
Yep.
Packed.
With a sigh, I ducked my head down and made my way through to the small café where I knew Brantley was waiting for me with the twins. Luckily for me, the café was right by the front door, so I made it there without being intercepted by anyone with a hundred questions for the resident builder.
“Kawi!” Ellie beamed up at me as I slipped into the empty seat.
“Hey, you.” I smiled and chucked her under the chin. “Hey, Eli.”
He sank down in his seat. “Hey,” he mumbled, looking away.
Brantley rolled his eyes. “Thank you for this. I don’t think I can take another debate about the pros and cons of Disney Princesses or flowers and hearts.”
“Well, the entire debate would be rendered void if you simply said no,” I said.
“That, I know. I just couldn’t be bothered with the argument today. Somebody woke up at four-thirty this morning.” His eyes slid to a very sheepish-looking Eli, whose own gaze was now firmly trained on something very interesting on the floor.
I gestured to the giant coffee in Brantley’s hand. “That explains the entire carafe you have in that cup.”
“If only,” he muttered. “I need it.” He brought the cup to his mouth and finished whatever was left of it. “Are you ready to get this done?”
I pointed to my cart. “Ready to buy the paint. We need it for the living room, too, right?”
He nodded. “I’m considering new colors. My cart is just around the corner. Kids, come on.”
Ellie got up and tucked her hand into mine. “Can I showed you my bedwoom?”
I raised my eyebrows. “The colors you want?”
She shook her head emphatically. “The paper.”
“I don’t know,” I said slowly. “Paper isn’t great. You remember how we peeled it all of the walls before? If you get paper, that might happen to your pretty walls.”
Her eyes widened. “Are you sure? I don’t wanna had a peewy woom.”
“Exactly. Wouldn’t you be so sad if that happened?”
She pouted, her bottom lip jutting out really far.
I put my purse back on the child seat and moved her hand from mine to the cart to hold onto.
“Oh, no,” she said, pointing at the seat. “I wanna sit dere.”
Brantley came up next to me. Eli sat on one side of his half-full cart. “Ellie, come here.”
“No, I wanna sit dere,” she repeated, pointing at my seat.
He stared back at her. “Do you want the tiara rug?”
Once again, her eyes widened. “Yeah.”
He pointed at the seat in his cart.
Ellie sighed and held up her arms. Brantley scooped her up and deposited her in the seat next to her brother.
The look he shot me gave away his exhaustion.
Man, someone needed to introduce him to the wonder of shopping online.
“Okay,” I said quietly, meeting Brantley’s eyes. “If anyone tries to stop us, you’re here as my client and I’m working. Got it?”
His eyebrows drew together in a frown. “But, you are?”
“No, I mean officially. Last time I came in here on a weekend, it took me two hours to leave because everyone who recognized me wanted my advice.”
“Ahh. I see. Don’t worry—I don’t have the patience for that today. Shall we go to the paint?”
I nodded and pushed my cart.
He followed suit. “I forgot to text you their choices.”
“To be honest, it sounds like Ellie doesn’t have a clue anyway.”
“I wanna pink and purtle woom wif hearts on the curtains,” she said confidently.
“You gave up on the wallpaper, then, huh?” Brantley asked wearily.
She nodded. “I no want it to peel.”
“Good choice,” he said to her, right before he turned to me and mouthed, “Thank you.”
I grinned, turning down the paint aisle.
“I want wed,” Eli said quietly, playing with Brantley’s watch. “Wed and bwoo.”
