The Mystery of the Missing Socks
The cameras were everywhere, but not even they could help Aiden and Carter find Ryan and Luke’s missing socks. It wasn’t just one missing sock or even a pair of socks (which would have been weird anyway, everyone knows only odd socks go missing), no, it was a whole drawer full of them. Which meant the kids must have hidden them before Carter’s very first day looking after them.
That showed immense forward planning for two erratic six-year-olds. Carter was mildly impressed.
“Maybe Nio was right, and they are evil masterminds,” Aiden said as he scanned the living room as if he were hoping the socks would appear out of nowhere like magic.
“More like adorable masterminds,” Carter said with a laugh. Aiden scowled at him, and Carter tried to stop the amusement bubble up and out of his mouth by biting his bottom lip, but not even that helped.
Aiden placed his hands on his hips and the scowl deepened—as if that would wipe the smile off Carter’s face. Honestly, seeing a grown man driven to near insanity because of missing socks was making his day. This story would win the craziest Manny SOS story competition he and the other mannies had going on for sure.
“This is my house, I decorated it, I bought the furniture. How can they hide every single one of their socks without me finding them?” He picked up a book and flicked through the pages.
“Yes, they’ll definitely be in…” Carter peered at the cover. “A biography about Johnny Marr.”
Aiden slammed the book shut. It was definitely safe to say that the mystery of the missing socks was driving Aiden up the wall. They’d looked in every room, in every cupboard, under the sofa, in the washing machine, and now Aiden was about to dig up the lawn, sure the boys had buried them like a dog with a bone.
Carter followed Aiden into the garden, watched him unlock the shed and check for spiderwebs before he stretched over a box of old toys and pulled out the spade.
It was a good view, Aiden’s arse was firm encased in worn denim jeans, so he was not complaining in the slightest as he sat down on the two-seated swing chair, getting comfortable.
“What if you find a body instead of socks?” he teased.
Aiden cocked his head to the side and leaned on the spade as it pressed a few inches into the ground. He looked genuinely worried. Silly man.
“Dammit, you’re right. I wouldn’t put it past my wonderful, genius children.” He strode over to the swing and flopped down next to Carter, their thighs pressing so close a shiver ran down Carter’s spine.
“Sometimes it’s best not to know.” Carter patted Aiden’s knee.
“Bodies or socks.” He gave a short sharp nod that made Carter want to laugh again or hug him until squeezed the stuffing out of him.
The swing swayed under their combined weight and Aiden shifted restlessly next to him.
It was difficult to keep his hands to himself when Aiden was so adorable—and hilarious in equal measures. Could he get away with another pat on the knee? Or the arm? Damned cameras.
He sighed. Aiden wriggled again.
“What are you doing? Do you have ants in your pants?” Carter raised an eyebrow at him and poked him in the arm.
“Do these cushions seem uneven to you?”
“A little. It’s probably from when the kids had a pillow fight.”
“They didn’t. Absolutely not.” Aiden’s eyes widened and he jumped up and grabbed hold of Carter’s wrist, pulling him along. He stumbled into Aiden’s chest and grabbed hold of his biceps to steady himself. If he held on a little too long, who was to know?
“What are you doing?” Carter asked as Aiden’s stare bore holes into the cushions they’d just been sitting on.
Aiden slipped around Carter and yanked a cushion off the swing and pulled open the zipper.
“God dammit,” he muttered as he tilted the cushion to Carter, multicoloured socks bursting from under the foam.
Carter didn’t even try to stop the laughter this time. They’d been using that swing chair for weeks, they’d both sat on it countless times. No wonder the kids had looked at them so smugly. They were so clever. And so busted.
“Well, you solved the mystery of the missing socks. And there are no dead bodies.”
“Yet,” Aiden said, then shouted, “Ryan! Luke!”
Cover Art: TA Moore
Publisher: Rogue Firebird Press
Release Date: 21st October 22
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Book Blurb:
They say it takes a village to raise a child. How about a TV crew?
Single dad Aiden is in a bind. His childminder can’t have the kids for the holidays, and there is no one else to take them. He has no family to help, his ex is a deadbeat, and holiday club is full. He’s running out of options, or the options are running from his twin terrors. He’s not sure which.
Can a trashy reality TV show save his bacon? It’s his worst nightmare, but it could also solve his problems.
Carter, manny and reality star for hit TV show Manny SOS, can’t complain about his life. He has a teenage son he’s raising with his best friend, and he’s successful. He’s got everything—apart from love.
His new TV family should be just another job, but it’s never that simple. Between skinned knees, Aiden and the kids, frog Armageddon, and sneaky trips away from the camera, he’s fallen so hard he may have concussion.
Now he just has to convince Aiden that their secret romance is worth being in the spotlight.
Buy Links:
Andi Lee lives in the UK, close enough to Birmingham city to be considered a ‘Brummie,’ but far enough away to enjoy the Staffordshire countryside. She enjoys writing in many different genres as long as they contain a large dose of cute guys falling in love. She’s a sucker for a happy ending.
When she’s not writing, she enjoys making junk journals and also jewelry out of polymer clay and resin. She has kept pet rats on and off for twenty years, and she fell in love with her first ferret when she found him on her way to work one day. Years later she happened to find another ferret on her thirty-first birthday. He was the best present she ever received. She is now owned by a small but fierce ferret called Oona.
Website:
Andileewrites.com
TikTok: @andileewrites
@andileewrites
Twitter @Andileewrites
Andi Lee (@AndiLeeWrites) / Twitter
IG: @andileewrites
https://www.instagram.com/andileewrites
Facebook page: andileewrites
(2) Andi Lee Writes | Facebook
Facebook group: Andi Lee’s Mischief
(2) Andi Lee’s Mischief | Facebook
Have a chance to win one of three copies of Manny SOS eBook
My favorite pair of socks has sheep on them.
Mine have corgis…
[…] Blog Post incl Exclusive Scene & Giveaway: Andi Lee – Manny SOS (Book One) […]
i never wear socks