“We go Del?” Wyatt asked hopefully as he peeled his crusts off and ate them.
“Not today, Wyatt,” Justin told him. “Del is busy today.”
Wyatt nodded solemnly, and Harper shot Justin a narrow look.
Justin took the opportunity to check his messages:
Hey. Everything okay in there? Missed you guys at breakfast.
His heart clenched as he typed out his response:
We’re ok. Have fun with Abigail. Ttyl.
They lingered as long as they could over their picnic, and then headed back to the house. It was lunch time, and Scarlett was due for a nap. Justin hoped that Wyatt would want one too, and that maybe Harper would stay in the room with them with a book or something. The less Uncle Steve saw of the kids, the less likely they’d do something to trigger his temper.
Deflect, deflect, deflect.