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Will do. But this is the thing. The boys are with their dad this weekend, and Chloe won’t be around either.”
    He bet Chloe had smelled another plot and had foiled their mom’s plans.
    “Fine,” he said. “I’ll be fine.”
    “Of course you will,” Ursula said. Then she walked back into the house.
    Luke stood there, his work forgotten for the moment. Where was Chloe going? And why? Desperate to avoid him, no doubt. And a good thing. It would help him keep his number one rule.
    It took him all day, but Luke finally pulled the last root from the ground. They’d spread from the back of the yard all the way to the house. His arms were dirty and his muscles ached, but by the place of the sun in the sky, it was still midafternoon. He decided to take a shower and have something to eat. He’d completed the tearing down, time to build back up. He’d start with the new privacy fence.
    He’d cleaned up and taken another of Ursula’s sandwiches to the picnic table, more out of habit than anything. He heard car doors slam out in the street—his truck parked in the driveway out front, blocking his view. Seconds after a cream-colored Cadillac streaked into view and away, the gate opened.
    “Luke!” Tommy and Josh said at the same time.
    “Whoa. What are you guys doing here? I thought you were going to the Tiger’s game with your dad tomorrow.”
    “Bettina’s baby hurts her tummy. Daddy gave us the tickets.” Josh fanned out four tickets and then placed them back in his shirt pocket.
    Okay. Obviously some sort of emergency situation. Chloe’s ex hadn’t even stopped long enough to make sure anybody was home.
    “Where’s Grandma’s car? Where’s Mom’s car? Are you babysitting us, Luke? What are we gonna do? Should we play horse? Can you make us a snack? Or we can help you build your fence!” Tommy acted like he’d been mainlining caffeine. Kid had a boatload of energy.
    Josh hadn’t said anything since he’d stashed the Tigers’ tickets in his pocket. He kept quiet, maybe a little too quiet.
    “Snacks in the house, silly,” Luke said to Tommy. He took the boy’s backpack off his shoulders—the thing was bigger than the kid—and turned Tommy gently around and guided him to the kitchen door. To Josh he said, “Your mom will be here later. Grandma went away for the weekend.”
    He needed to call Chloe and give her the scoop. He hoped that whatever her activities she could get out of them and head home soon. He pulled his phone out of his pocket and realized he didn’t know Chloe’s number. He’d have to call Ursula first.
    “You’re babysitting?”
    Josh, at eight, was more perceptive than Tommy. He’d probably sensed Luke keeping his distance. His behavior toward the boys deeply shamed Luke.
    “Nah,” Luke said to the babysitting question. “You’re big enough to watch yourselves, right?”
    Josh nodded solemnly. He seemed a little scared. It was likely these boys, between their mom and grandma, had never been left on their own for more than a minute.
    Luke got Ursula on the phone with one hand while he opened the cookie jar and set it on the table with the other. She didn’t ask him why he needed Chloe’s cell number, and he didn’t say anything about the situation. As Chloe’s line rang, he pulled a liter of Coke out of the fridge. Tommy’s eyes lit up. Josh opened his mouth, then shut it, like he wanted to say something. Too late, Luke figured out they probably got a healthier after-school snack than sugar layered with caffeine layered with sugar.
    “I been thinking,” Luke said. “If you boys are up to it, after your power snack, maybe you could help me put up that fence.” It wasn’t true. The guy that sold him the fence had a couple of people coming out to do the fencing. He just wanted to be nice. Tommy’s sunny smile broke out over his face. He lifted his cookie in the air and did a fist pump. “Yes!”
    “I’ll pay you of course.” Luke looked at Josh, who cautiously