Total pages in book: 87
Estimated words: 81831 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 409(@200wpm)___ 327(@250wpm)___ 273(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 81831 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 409(@200wpm)___ 327(@250wpm)___ 273(@300wpm)
But he can’t stay on drugs forever, and he’s only here for a month or so before he’ll be back on the road again—both very good reasons to keep my emotional distance.
And my physical distance, when possible.
Halfway through serving at the banquet, I accept an invitation from my brother Wesley to have dinner at his house tonight. He’s a comically terrible cook, but he’s been lonely since he and his ex broke things off over the holidays. Darcy wanted to move in with him—and bring her troublemaking twin sister along for the ride—but Wes wasn’t ready for that kind of commitment.
He’s bummed, but deep down, he knows it was the right decision. Darcy was sweet, but they had nothing in common aside from having excellent manners, and that isn’t enough to make love last. I’m sure he’ll be back on his feet and in the dating game soon. In the meantime, I’m happy to keep him company and spare myself exposure to Aaron in his strangely attractive invalid form at the same time.
As soon as the last of the dishes are rounded up and loaded into the catering van for Tessa to whisk them back to our office, I wave and shout, “See you tomorrow. Gotta get home to the kiddo.”
Tessa nods, barely glancing up from her checklist as she shouts back, “Say hi to the kiddo and the hottie for me. And please do things to the hottie that I wouldn’t do because I’m on a sex cleanse until I meet a guy who isn’t awful.”
I laugh and head for the bug, refusing to dignify her remark with an actual response. Words would only encourage the teasing. The more I ignore her, the faster the fact that Aaron’s staying with me will become yesterday’s news.
It takes a few minutes to get the windshield clear—it snowed while we were inside—but I’m on the road in a timely fashion and arrive home just after six, only a few minutes after I told Aaron I’d be back.
So why is Ben’s car in the driveway?
I gave Aaron Ben’s number in case there was an emergency, and he wasn’t able to get in touch with me at the banquet, but I don’t have any texts or missed calls from Aaron.
I double check as I slam out of the car and hurry up the stairs inside the garage, but there’s nothing.
Maybe Ben stopped by to drop off something he forgot to put in Chase’s backpack this morning before daycare? Secretly, I hope so. Ben forgetting something every once and a while would make me feel much better about my own lapses in parental focus.
But when I step into the living room, it’s instantly clear something more serious is going on.
Aaron stands on one side of the coffee table, his good hand raised in surrender. Ben glares at him from the other side of the table, his arms crossed over his chest. Between them, Chase is building a skyscraper out of Legos, happily chattering, “And we had cookies, too. Aaron makes good cookies.”
“I didn’t make them,” Aaron says. “I had them delivered from a—”
“Chase already had cookies at school,” Ben cuts in. “Hugh’s mom sent a note to all the parents, saying she was bringing nut-free cookies for his birthday today. I made sure to forward it to Mel. Chase shouldn’t have had more cookies.”
“Oh.” Chase looks up, a worried expression on his face. “I sorry, Daddy.”
“It’s not your fault, buddy,” Ben says with a sweet smile for our son. The smile vanishes as he shifts his attention back to Aaron. “Mr. Boudreaux should have been made aware that we don’t have sugary treats every day, let alone twice a day.”
“It’s my fault,” I cut in, fighting the urge to flinch as both men’s heads snap my direction. “I forgot to tell Aaron healthy snacks only today.” Before Ben can respond, I turn the tables, asking, “What are you doing here?”
“I ran into your sister at the grocery store,” Ben says. “We started talking and she said she’d dropped Chase off at your house with a sitter. Since I hadn’t met this sitter, or heard anything about her, I thought I’d come introduce myself.” He glances back toward Aaron. “Only he wasn’t a her. He was Mr. Boudreaux, a man I’ve never met before. Who only has one arm.”
“He has two arms, Daddy,” Chase says with a giggle, mercifully not seeming to sense the tension in the room now that the cookie business is behind us. “One of them just has an owie. Right, Awin?”
“That’s right, bud,” Aaron says. “But who needs two working arms when you have a Lego master helping you build the Empire State Building? Did you see this, Mel? Chase is building the biggest skyscraper I’ve ever seen.”
“We’re going to put a snake on it!” Chase says, practically vibrating with excitement. “Awin said we could. And a sheep and a goat and all my animal toys.”