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“Yeah.” I dipped my chin. “I can do that.”
She peered over her shoulder at her mom.
“I can keep trying if you want—” Tina started.
“No.” She shook her head and smiled. “We’ll be here all night and miss the party.”
“So, you want Kyle to try, then?”
“Sure.” She shrugged. “If he wants.”
With a shake of her head, Tina stood. “Have at it.”
I grabbed a stool from the kitchen and set it in the middle of the great room.
“Sit here.”
Without a word, Callie pulled herself up onto the stool, and I got to work. I hadn’t done this in over ten years, but it was just like riding a bike. Her long light-brown hair was still damp from the pool, making it easier to control, and less than ten minutes later, I was wrapping a hair tie around the ends.
She ran her hand down the braid. “Mom, he did it.”
“Did you doubt me?”
Callie chuckled. “Maybe for a minute.”
Well, at least she was honest.
Chapter Fifteen
TINA
This whole afternoonhad been perplexing, but I’d missed this—having someone here, helping with the things I wasn’t good at. Like braiding hair. I was surprised that Callie wasn’t upset by the similarity between Levi and Kyle in that respect. But maybe she was just that excited to have her hair braided. In the last couple of years, I’d rarely managed to do it and make it look decent.
I smiled at Callie, who was talking animatedly with another young girl. We’d only been at this end of the summer bash for about thirty minutes, and already she’d found another child around her age to hang out with.
“I seeour girls have hit it off,” Ashley said as she stepped up next to me.
Ashley was one of Kyle’s sisters, and she ran the catering side of The Dock. I’d seen her around with her fiancé, but I didn’t remember them having a child.
“Our girls?” I parroted.
“Yeah.” Ashley nodded to the blonde still chatting with my daughter. “Jackson and I are in the process of adopting Sophia.”
That had my curiosity piqued, but I wasn’t sure there was a polite way to ask what the story there was.
So I left it alone. Our conversation stayed light, focusing mostly on her wedding plans. She was discussing her flower choices when we were interrupted by the girls.
“Can we get our faces painted?” Sophia asked.
“I don’t see why not.” Ashley raised a brow at me, looking for confirmation.
“Yeah. It’s fine.”
Water bottles in hand, we followed the girls to the table set up for face painting. Out of habit, I scanned the area for Teddy. He had taken off to the bouncy house the minute we’d arrived, and Kyle had waved a hand at me and run after him.
My child’s loud laughter drew my attention as we approached the table. Not far from us, Kyle was chasing Teddy and Brendan around the open grassy area. The boys were taking turns giggling in delight at the game.
“It’s nice to see Kyle smiling again.” Ashley sighed.
