Total pages in book: 122
Estimated words: 115288 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 576(@200wpm)___ 461(@250wpm)___ 384(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 115288 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 576(@200wpm)___ 461(@250wpm)___ 384(@300wpm)
“We’re just friends, and I had Ella with me when we went to the zoo last week,” I remind London. I laughed off the whole family-of-four thing with the girl working the ticket booth at the time, but I hadn’t really considered how it might look from the outside. Not that it matters.
“Someone want to fill me in on this Gavin guy?” Declan asks, glancing between me and London.
The tension is clear, mostly because this isn’t the first time London has mentioned this.
“Harley used to nanny for him when his daughter, Peyton, was a baby. He lost his wife during childbirth and was on his own and needed help,” Avery explains then glances at me. “You were with the family for what, a year and a half?”
“About that. Then they moved upstate to Boulder.” I swirl a carrot stick in ranch dip. “They moved back to the area not long before we hosted the last birthday party. Peyton really needed some stability and a familiar face, so we went for lunch and to the zoo.”
“And you watched her for him when he had that meeting,” London says. Obviously she’s keeping a running tally of how often I see them.
“That was an emergency situation, though.” And now I sound defensive.
“Is he remarried or does he have a girlfriend?” Declan pops an olive into his mouth.
“He’s not remarried.” He wouldn’t be asking for my help if he was.
“But he has a girlfriend?” Declan prompts. It’s a leading question and I don’t bite.
“I don’t know. I’ve never asked.” I cross my arms. This feels a lot like I’m getting the third degree.
Declan raises a brow. “How old is this guy? Is he in his forties or fifties or something?”
“He has a nine-year-old,” I point out.
“Lots of people have kids later in life. A fifty-year-old with a nine-year-old isn’t unheard of. I’ll be in my mid-forties by the time Ella is ten, which means we should probably get on giving her a brother or a sister.” Jackson winks at London.
London rolls her eyes. “Can I just get her weaned before you go trying to knock me up again, please?”
“You know patience isn’t my strong suit.” Jackson turns back to me. “So? How old is this guy?”
I blow out a breath, aware I’m not getting out of this conversation easily. “He’s in his mid-thirties.”
He glances at Declan, and they both share a raised eyebrow and a chuckle, before he turns back to me. “And you really think the only reason he’s making plans with you is for the benefit of his daughter? How often have you seen this guy since you stopped being his nanny?”
“The first time I saw him and Peyton since they moved away was last month at the birthday party.”
“And why’d they move again?”
“You mean back to Colorado Springs?”
“Yeah. What was the motivation to come back?” Jackson asks.
“His dad wants to retire, and their landscape company has grown so much that he’s taking over the design and project management side of things.”
“Okay. Have you stayed in touch over the years?” He flips a pen between his fingers.
“No. The first time I spoke to him since he moved away to Boulder was at the birthday party.”
“Hmm.” He sets the pen down. “That’s interesting.”
“Why is that interesting?”
“Because it raises even more questions, and Jackson finds all interpersonal relationships interesting,” Declan jumps in. “And, if I was Chad, I don’t know how excited I’d be about this established guy moving in on my girlfriend, but maybe that’s just me.”
“We’re just friends,” I argue.
“If you say so.”
I want to toss glitter in Declan’s face to make his smile disappear.
“Men and women can be friends. Look at you and Avery. You were friends and roommates for years.” As soon as I say it, I know it’s a weak argument. Declan’s smile grows wider.
“Exactly. And look how well that turned out,” he says as he rubs Avery’s belly.
Darn it.
“Yeah, well, Avery hangs out with Mark and Jerome, and neither of them have made a move on her or led her to believe they had feelings for her.”
Declan rolls his eyes. “That’s because they already knew I was in love with Avery. But if you say you’re just friends and that he wants to spend time with you because of his daughter, that’s cool. Just don’t be surprised if Chad gets jealous is all.”
* * *
The conversation with Declan stays with me for the rest of the day. Gavin hasn’t done or said anything that would make me think he was interested in more than friendship with me and stability for Peyton. That was always his primary concern and a big part of the reason he ended up moving. Besides, he probably still sees me as twenty-year-old Harley.
I arrive home at five and tidy up before Chad comes over, even though he isn’t due for a couple of hours. Allen and Andrea aren’t available tonight. Andrea is a teacher, and she’s too swamped with lesson planning. She sent me a bunch of sad face emojis and promised we’d have a girls’ night soon with Belinda. Since it’ll just be the two of us, we’re probably better off ordering in. I should be able to finish my assignment before he gets here, but if he has the draft thing, going out doesn’t seem like the best plan. Besides, the pub isn’t nearly as fun without friends. Usually Chad will get sucked into whatever game is televised at the bar, and I’ll end up scheduling posts for Spark House social media.