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“Red and blue?” I asked him softly.
He nodded.
“You want bright like Superman?”
He looked at me, his entire face lighting up. He nodded enthusiastically before he realized he’d made eye contact and quickly looked away again.
I scratched my cheek, hiding my smile behind my palm. His shyness was so endearing—so unlike the child who, the night before, had latched onto me and refused to let go until he’d been put to bed.
Brantley briefly met my eyes. “Superman blue and red it is.”
“That was easy,” I said. “Hey, Eli, this red?” I pointed to a scarlet red that stood out.
He peered up toward the can I pointed to and frantically nodded his head.
“Done.” I waved Brantley away when he tried to get it. I pulled two cans off the shelf and dumped them in my cart. “Aaaaand, the blue…” I moved backward, running my hand along the shelf. “This one?”
He turned right around, saw it, and nodded.
“Done.” Another two cans made their way to the cart. They weren’t the biggest, and I’d rather overbuy and know the paint could be used again in the future. I also grabbed a very small can of bright yellow and, ignoring Brantley’s questioning raise of his eyebrow, put that with the cans. “Ellie, your turn.”
Much more animated than her brother, she turned around almost fully in the cart and looked to the other side of the aisle where the pinks and purples were.
“That one.” She pointed to a bubblegum pink color. “And that one.” She pointed her other hand to a much softer lilac that would complement the brighter pink to perfection.
“All right, done.” I grabbed two of each color and put them with Eli’s cans. Turning to Brantley, I held out my hands and said, “Done!”
He muttered something beneath his breath that sounded a lot like, “Damn kids behave for everyone but me.”
I laughed, pushing my cart forward so it was level with his. “I’m pretty sure I read on the internet that’s something you have to accept as a parent.”
He slid his gaze to me. “Yeah? Benjamin Franklin always said you shouldn’t believe everything you read on the internet.”
Opening my mouth, I paused.
Wait.
“Funny,” I said, letting the sarcasm seep into my tone. “I come save your a—butt,” I corrected myself, “And here you are, screwing with me.”
Brantley grinned, bumping my elbow with his. “You sound surprised.”
I narrowed my eyes at him. “Watch yourself, Brantley Cooper. Or I might just leave candy lying around when you least expect it. Exactly where certain tiny humans may find it.”
“You play dirty, Kali Hancock.”
I pushed up the sleeves of my plaid shirt, one by one, and smiled slowly. “Stop teasing me and nobody gets a sugar overdose.”
He skipped in front of me at the register, and with his back to his kids, let an easy smile stretch across his face. “That sounds like a threat.”
“Actually, there’s every chance I’ll forget this conversation tomorrow, but sure. It’s a threat.”
He burst out laughing, putting a divider on the belt. “Your honesty is so refreshing.” He put a rug up on the belt. “But, your warning is duly noted. I’m almost entirely sure that stopping teasing you isn’t on the cards right now because it’s so damn fun, so I’ll take my chances.”
I sighed, and was about to reply, when someone tapped on my shoulder. I jumped and turned, only to look into the familiar eyes of Harvey, the owner.
The corners of his eyes crinkled as he smiled. “Kali. Here on a Sunday?”
“Shh.” I pressed my finger to my mouth. “The People don’t know yet. Can you get me out of here?”
Harvey laughed, taking control of my cart. “Anything for my favorite handywoman. Come over to the customer service desk and I’ll get you sorted out.”
“Thanks, Harvey.” I touched his arm with a smile. Then, turning to Brantley, I grinned. “See you Monday.”
He sighed, but his fight against his smile was so obvious it made me laugh.
I waved goodbye to the twins and followed Harvey to the customer service counter.
“Business or pleasure?” he asked, ringing up the paint.
“Business,” I replied.
“Looks like pleasure to me.”
I rolled my eyes. “You watch too much TV, old man.”
His smile was lopsided as he took both my loyalty card and my debit card. “But I can see the look of a girl with a crush.” He swiped my loyalty card. “He’s handsome, no?”
“You’ve been speaking to Mom, haven’t you?”
“I might have seen her in the grocery store first thing this morning,” he admitted, swiping my debit card. “You seem very comfortable with him.”
I took both cards from his wrinkled hand and shot him the hardest look I was capable of. “No.” I waggled my finger at him the exact same way I had my mom. “Don’t go there. It’s business, Harvey. All right?”
He grinned, revealing his pearly-white, slightly crooked teeth. “Sure thing, sweet girl. Sure thing.”
