Page 125 of The Trouble with Flings

“You’ll see,” Steve says. “Let’s go.”

Fitz kisses me. “We’ve got this, wild girl. Start picking out where you want to go.”

As he hurries toward the office with the others, Levi and Tara’s daughter, Joey, shouts, “Good luck, Daddy!” Turning to her adorable little sister, she says, “Tell Daddy good luck, Toni!”

Toni shouts, “Luck!”

Not one to be outdone, Hadley hollers, “Good luck, Daddy Dock!” Beside her, Harrison and Hank jump up and down yelling, “Luckduck!”

Daphne, Tara, and Tara’s mother usher the kids toward the green to get ready for the hunt.

Indi and Cait join me and Victory to wait for our guys.

“What do you think they’re doing in there?” Victory asks.

“God only knows what the dads have in store for them,” Indi says.

“Probably payback for all the pranks their kids have played on them over the years,” Cait says.

“Hello, ladies,” Margot says as she sidles up to us with Lenore, Shelley, and Gail.

“Hi,” we all say in unison.

“Want to clue us in to what’s going on in there?” Indi asks.

“You know we can’t do that, sweetheart.” Shelley, a big, beautiful auburn-haired woman with a vibrant personality to match, turns a bright smile on me and says, “How are you holding up? You seem to be handling the chaos well.”

“As a high school principal, I spend my life around chaos,” I remind her. “This isn’t anywhere near the top ten.”

“That reminds me,” Margot says. “Jennifer has agreed to talk with Estelle’s daughter, Erin, about Holden.”

“Oh, how wonderful,” Gail says, her brown-and-gray curls framing her face.

“Poor Erin has been struggling with him for quite a while,” Lenore says. With her blond pixie cut, tailored slacks, long black cardigan over a white blouse, and colorful silk scarf, she exudes an air of elegance, like Margot does.

Margot touches my hand and says, “I spoke to Erin. She can meet you Tuesday at ten thirty. Will that work?”

“I’ll make it work,” I say.

“What’s Holden’s deal?” Indi asks.

“He’s fifteen and furious at the world,” Lenore explains.

“Being a teen is tough,” I say. “There are so many things that can fuel a teenager’s fury, and it’s usually buried beneath layers of an adults-don’t-know-squat attitude.”

“You’ve got that right,” Gail says. “Do you think you can help him?”

“I was a rebellious kid, which makes it a little easier for me to earn their trust and get to the heart of the issues,” I say.

“That’s something many mothers of teens could use help with,” Shelley says.

“You’ve been here for one weekend, and you’re already volunteering to help?” Cait asks.

“Better be careful, or people will start talking,” Indi suggests.

“What do you mean?” I ask. “Am I stepping on someone’s toes?”

“Not at all. She means that people here notice those who help others,” Shelley explains. “It’s a good thing.”