Summer has arrived

 

Oh, it was good to have somebody to call when you needed a babysitter. Jory still smiled about winning that day on the basketball court. Of course, it was all Dan's doing. He could be a pro when he wanted to.

"Well, I don't want to brag or anything, but I'm pretty good with kids," Kevin had said that day when the game ended. Tony said he'd help out the best he could, but it had been a while since he'd been around babies.

Yeap, it was working out this summer, even if Rachel thought they were networking the neighborhood. So he made sure to include the youngsters with their girlfriends for every cookout. Their circle of friends just grew bigger. But of course, he didn't include Poppy and Joon. And of course not Alfie. 

"You shouldn't be so mean," Rachel said about the matter. Of course, she was friends with everyone. She was a bestie with Bom so her bunch was always included on the once-a-month cookouts. If she had anything to do with it, it would cost a fortune. Luckily, everyone brought meat for the cookout and it was a great potluck with all sorts of glorious sides.

"I could be meaner," he assured her with a smile. She gave him a playful smile as if he better behave. And he did. He kept quiet for the most part while the women chatted and enjoyed all sorts of lemonade. They never had alcohol at any of their functions. 

Usually, Kevin and his girlfriend would help out with the kids. Rachel thought they should pay them. But Jory wouldn't hear of it. "We give them a nice meal. They know we're here if they need us."

True, he didn't think they were like every neighborhood. 

Rafe was unhappy. How could he get out of this funk? He didn't have Lily anymore and she was right there in his face at work.

"Well, maybe you should look for another job," was Cade's suggestion. Naturally, he knew his brother didn't get him. It was as if he had an easy solution for everything. Of course, he was not in the mood to hear any of it.

But Cade was always trying to get him to eat. Get him to get out of his room. How long could this go on?

There was K.C. who wanted to start a band, but it never got any further than his livingroom. True, he did have parents who didn't mind that he set up his keyboard and electric guitar near the bay window so everyone could see. Rafe knew his parents would never go for anything like that. And for a week or so before school was out he made his home there learning riffs on the guitar from his nonresponsive friend. And then his little step-sister Junie came along and ruined everything.

He just didn't know which way to turn these days and it didn't help with that new guy Boone at the bakery. Honestly, Rafe wanted to hate him with a passion, but he was so innocent and always asked for help. Really, Boone was the only one who would listen to his troubles with Lily and of course, Boone was always glad to have Rafe to the rescue with his baking mistakes.

"See, you know so much, just being here and watching Ste," Boone had told him in the middle of another one of his catastrophes with bread. The guy was covered in flour.

"Just what did you do?" Rafe winced at the lengths this guy would go to to learn a recipe. He thought it was pretty simple. You just put the ingredients in the vast mixer and let it do the work.

"I don't really know," Boone was practically weeping. He said he'd spend his paycheck buying eggs and flour. Everything had gone so well in the beginning, he thought..or at least Ste had thought this and then left him on his own too quickly when his wife started having labor pains (even if they were false).

Little by little he realized Boone wasn't after Lily and they talked about a lot of things. Even Junie.

"Aw, that's pretty sweet that you have a fan, like that," Boone told him a week or so later when the master recipe was in-brained in both of them to get the baking done without any complaints. "You need to be sweet to her because if you're going to be somebody's idol, you need to cherish them."

Rafe only laughed. He did not want to start anything with middle schooler Junie. "I wish she was your fan instead of mine." He sighed. Still, he was glad he had someone to talk to in the kitchen while Lily was at her duty at the cash register.

"Has she watched you skateboard?" Boone asked about Junie.

Rafe only winced. He hoped not, but he wouldn't doubt it.