Babysitting the Player

Chapter 6

I turn and see Johnny walking down the yard in a gray long sleeve shirt and black sweatpants.

Be nice. Don't give him a reason to flip out in front of everyone, he'll find that on his own.

"Hey, you." I fake a smile and hug him.

"Hey, babe. You wanna introduce me to them?" he asks as he gestures to Bryce's family.

"This is Bryce and his mom, Maggie. And this is Layla. This is my boyfriend, Johnny."

"It's nice to meet you." Maggie smiles and extends her hand out to him. "We just moved in next door."

Johnny doesn't reach to shake her hand and I have to try not to gag.

"So you guys are the new neighbors she's been hanging out with." He looks them up and down

"I guess." Maggie smiles as she retracts her hand.

"That's right." Bryce nods and I swear he stands up straighter now than he did before Johnny got here.

"Who wants to make the first s'more?" Mom asks, sensing things going down a bad path.

Thank God.

"Layla, you want to make the first one?" I ask her. "I can help you toast it."

She looks to Maggie who nods with a smile.

Layla nods so I grab a bag of marshmallows from the basket and rip it open.

"Could you pass me a skewer?" I ask Bryce.

"I got it." Johnny snaps and grabs one and something tells me he shouldn't be trusted with sharp objects right now.

I quickly accept the skewer from him and guide Layla's hand as she slides the marshmallow on so she doesn't poke herself.

"Do you like it toasted a lot or just a little bit?" I ask Layla.

"A lot. On fire."

"You like it on fire?" I laugh.

"She does, she's crazy." Bryce shakes his head.

"Then on fire, it shall be." I wrap my hands around Layla's and we hold the marshmallow in the flames.

"Is your grandma coming down?" Johnny asks.

I shake my head. "She's got bingo tonight and then she's grabbing a bite with friends."

"It's on fire, mommy." Layla laughs.

"Good job. Take it out now and blow it out." Maggie smiles.

We pull our skewer back and Bryce holds Layla's hair so it won't touch the flame as she blows her marshmallow out. I'm pretty sure she killed the flame with her spit and not with her breath.

"Grab a graham cracker," I say.

"I got one." Bryce hands one that he broke in half to Layla and I hold her skewer.

"Put the chocolate on one." Maggie hands Layla a piece of a chocolate bar.

Her face lights up at the mention of chocolate.

"Now put the cracker with the chocolate under the marshmallow and the other on top of the marshmallow."

She does as I say and I put my right hand over hers as I use the crackers to slide the marshmallow off the skewer.

"There you go." I smile and hand her the s'more.

"What do you say?" Maggie grins.

"Thank you," Layla mumbles through her first bite.