October Kiss - Kristen Ethridge

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up kid trash and throwing it away. Ryan picked up two wadded-up napkins and took them to the trash can. “Just no relatives around here.”

      She paused. Maybe he would survive until the end of the month after all.

      “What day is today?” Poppy ran one hand on either side of her head, threading through her thick, naturally-highlighted hair.

      “Still Sunday.” How was that even possible? There was no way this was the same bright and sunny day it had been when he’d walked out the door earlier.

      She shook her head dejectedly. “Yeah, that’s what I thought.”

      “Look, I get it. Kids are a huge commitment. Even when they’re not yours.”

      Poppy’s head snapped up with precise attention. Her back straightened and her shoulders pushed back. Ryan watched the subtle movements completely transform her features and her body language in just a matter of seconds.

      “I can commit. I can commit. Until the end of the month.”

      “What about…next month—Thanksgiving?” Hey…if they were bargaining…might as well shoot for the moon.

      “This month—Halloween.”

      He knew this was as good as he would get out of Poppy Summerall. He’d take it and be thankful. “Perfect. Deal. Great. Thank you.”

      “I’ll see you tomorrow.” She sounded resigned to the fact. But she’d just confirmed she’d be back here at the house, and that’s all that mattered to Ryan right now.

      “Say, do you think you could do, like, six a.m.?”

      “Don’t push it. But I’m committing.” She gave a little fist-bump motion as she pivoted and headed for the front of the house before the conversation could go any further. She swiftly dodged the toys scattered everywhere as she got away.

      Ryan felt the dryness in his throat abate.

      “Committing,” Poppy reiterated, then disappeared out the door.

      Ryan walked into the kitchen. He had to clean up a huge mess tonight. But at least he didn’t have to deal with the added mess of sourcing another nanny.

      Poppy had declared she was committed to the job.

      Ryan knew he was committed to getting through the Yamoharo Global presentation.

      Now, if he could just get the kids to commit to the idea that Poppy was there to help them all.

      Through the windows that framed the entire back wall of Megan’s house, Poppy could see the glow from the firepit in the backyard. Her sister sat in an Adirondack chair, drinking a mug of tea. A string of fairy lights twinkled off to one side.

      In short, the entire scene looked idyllic, and idyllic was exactly what Poppy needed after the longest Sunday in the history of Sundays.

      If Poppy were to find her zen anywhere in Seattle, Megan’s back patio could be where it was hiding.

      “Hello, Sister.” Poppy greeted Megan formally. After all, she’d been the one who had looped Poppy into this whole mess of insanity.

      Megan bobbed the tea bag in her mug and tucked a lock of stick-straight black hair behind one ear. “How did it go?”

      “Don’t ask.” Poppy sat down and leaned back in the chair. Like all Adirondack chairs, there was no cushion to sink into, but Poppy wasn’t sure she’d ever been more comfortable. It felt good to just sit and let her guard down.

      “Just tell me you didn’t quit already.”

      If only Megan knew how close she’d come. “I didn’t quit.”

      “But you’re going to.” Her dark brown eyes fixed squarely on Poppy’s face.

      Poppy could tell Megan had already resigned herself to the inevitable answer.

      Under normal circumstances, she would have taken great pleasure in giving her big sister the exact opposite response from what she was clearly expecting. But tonight, she felt too tired to play games. A bone-deep weariness had settled in every cell in her body, and the feeling came out even in her voice. “I told him I would stay until Halloween.”

      “He’s a good guy.” Megan leaned back in her chair and delivered the pronouncement with a dash of smug. Even the silver zipper on her blue jacket winked at Poppy as it reflected the glow of the moon above.

      Maybe they were discussing two different Ryan Larsons. Poppy gave her sister a dose of side-eye. “He’s a workaholic.”

      “And he’s cute.”

      Megan hadn’t lost the all-knowing tone of voice.

      “If you like geek-chic.” Poppy tried to throw Megan off this line of questioning.

      “And you do,” she answered, before taking another sip from the mug.

      What was that supposed to even mean in the greater scheme of things?

      “He’s my boss.” Megan knew about Poppy’s dating rules…even if they were more often used as a defense mechanism or a good, old-fashioned excuse.

      “Temporarily,” Megan emphasized with a teasing smile. “Come on. How am I supposed to live vicariously through my single sister’s dating life if you don’t have a dating life?”

      Her sister had been married too long and her brother-in-law had been on a ship too long. The Navy needed to bring Gary home, stat, so her sister could have her own love life without worrying about Poppy’s—or the obvious lack thereof.

      Poppy zipped her jacket halfway against the deep evening fall chill. “Any word from Gary?”

      “We Skyped this morning. I can’t wait until he’s back.” Megan’s smile made Poppy want to blush. Not everyone had a love like her sister and brother-in-law had found.

      “And I’m not leaving until he is.” The sentiment was said to make Megan feel more secure, but it spoke to Poppy at a deeper level. She loved it here in Seattle, and it wasn’t just about being close to her nephews.

      “Thanks, Poppy. The house feels a lot less empty with you here. The kids and I couldn’t do without you.”

      Time to get the conversation back on track. Since Megan seemed to have all the answers tonight, maybe she’d know what to do about the bigger problem. “So, what are we going to do about the fact that Ryan’s kids don’t want me there?”

      Megan took a sip of her tea and then gave her advice with a wave of her hand. “Just be you.”

      Poppy sighed heavily. Megan made it seem so easy. Magical, even. But there was no fairy wand to fix Zoe’s mistrust or Zach’s skepticism. She had been herself today. She’d taken them to one of her favorite places, the Harvest Festival. She’d tried to cook them a special dinner. She’d planned for them to prepare it together, with farm-fresh ingredients.

      All the effort that had gone into her first—and very long—day with the Larson kids had come from somewhere deep inside Poppy.

      And still, just being her hadn’t been good enough.

      “Zach, I didn’t do anything,” Zoe squealed down the hall.

      Weren’t they supposed to be asleep?

      It had to be after midnight. Ryan checked the time at the top of the electronic tablet in his hand. A whirlwind of chaos was thundering toward the master bedroom. So much for finishing up a few things before he turned out the lights himself.

      “Yes, you did.” Whatever Zoe’s side of the story was, her brother didn’t believe a word of it.

      Zoe

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