“You did before.”
I laid it on thick without even meaning to. Total diva. “So, I hear. Anything special I should know about before I screw this day up, too?”
“I hate this attitude. Where the hell is this coming from?”
I stood, taking great care not to meet his eyes. “Doesn’t matter. I’m going to get your lunch ready. Do you want the bacon? Bacon sandwiches?”
“Sure, but don’t you want to save it for the girls?”
“No, they’re not eating that.”
“You can’t make them eat muffins every morning.”
I wiped up more grease that I’d seen glisten from the stove light. Jesus. How much grease did a pound of bacon have? “They don’t eat muffins every day. They eat pancakes, eggs, cinnamon toast, cereal, breakfast burrito’s with eggs, cheese, and spinach, and—.”
Paxton sopped up more gravy, placing a slice of bacon on top. “I get it. Whatever. Can you just lose this attitude before I get home tonight?”
“I’m not taking them to anything today. They can do piano in the morning, but that’s it.”
“You have no say in that, but I talked to them last night. They only want to do a couple things. I get that, but they have to finish out tee-ball. There’s only two more games.”
I refrained from saying a word about it being more for him and his male companion egos. I didn’t say much of anything. I shrugged my shoulders and cleaned up more grease.
Paxton ate his breakfast of heart attack and looked over his stocks on his phone. I packed his lunch and pushed it to the counter. Nothing healthy. Not even a bottle of water like I had been tossing in there. His carbonated cola would go better with his meal. I secretly hoped it made him sick. It would serve him right.
As soon as he finished the last bite, he pushed it away and strolled toward me. I crossed my arms and looked around him, but only for a second. Paxton pinched my chin and made me look up to him. I did, but I didn’t uncross my arms. Even my eyes held a standoffish stance. At him, yet through him.
“That’s enough. You’re acting like bitch, and I won’t have it,” he warned just above a whisper.
I blew out a puff of smart-ass air and rolled my eyes. That time I did look at him. Straight at him with daggers, poking his eyes out. My lips met his without thinking about it, and I kissed him. One quick peck before stepping back.
“Your lunch is ready,” I said with a nod toward the green and white lunch box, arms still crossed.
The rest of the day went as planned. Almost. The girls and I were just about to go float in the pool when my phone rang.
“Yes, how may I be at service to you?” I said, smartly while using my professional voice.
“Jesus, Gabriella. Are we still doing this? I’m at a jobsite that I can’t leave. I’ve got concrete coming any minute now. I need you to bring me over some Rolaids or something. I’ve got heartburn like crazy.”
I smiled when I heard the thump. I knew Paxton was beating his chest with a fist, trying to rid the burn. “Why? You’re just going to eat bacon again for lunch.”
“I don’t think I will. Can you bring me one of those wrap things that you made me the other day?”
“Oh, you mean the one with the honey-mustard that you hated.”
“I didn’t hate it. Shut the fuck up and bring me something for this heartburn. I’ll send the address to your GPS.”
My eyes shifted to the fight brewing in the kitchen over a blue spatula. “Okay, I’ve got to go break up a cat-fight. I’ll be there in a little bit.”
“Why are they fighting now?”
“Who knows? Rowan has a blue spatula and Ophelia is trying to trade her for a green one.”
“Why?”
I dropped my phone for half a second and whistled. Two fingers between my teeth. “Knock it off,” I said, yelling over the petty argument. That didn’t help. They looked up with big eyes for half a second. Ophelia snatched the blue one right out of her hand and Rowan screamed.
“Ugh. I gotta go, Pax. I’ll be there in a little bit.” I hung up without another word and threw myself between two screaming girls. Ophelia put both her hands behind her back when I held out an open hand.
“I was on the chair to get the blue one first. Rowan didn’t get a go first. I thought of it. That’s why she can’t get it. Cause I said it first.”
“Give them both to me. What do you want it for?”
“I had it first,” Rowan squealed.
“That’s it. Enough of this constant bickering. Go to your room. Go to your room,” I said with a stern look back and forth from one to the other.