Total pages in book: 45
Estimated words: 41725 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 209(@200wpm)___ 167(@250wpm)___ 139(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 41725 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 209(@200wpm)___ 167(@250wpm)___ 139(@300wpm)
Jacey turned her brilliant smile to Brody and me.
Liza inspected Brody from head to toe. She lifted her chin several inches. “I’ve heard a lot about you from the girls, Brody. But I hadn’t heard about your… relationship.” She glanced at me. “Quite the surprise.”
Brody’s cheeks turned a mottled kind of red, but he didn’t smile… or rise to her bait. “Nice to meet you finally, Liza. The girls have talked about you for years also. They love you very much.” He cleared his throat and hefted his backpack higher on his shoulder. “Well. Enjoy your day, everyone.”
“Stay,” I blurted, not wanting to part with him. “At least for pancakes.”
Liza smiled widely. “Yes, do stay. There’s plenty of room. And Grant makes the best pancakes.”
The red streaked down Brody’s neck, and his fingers tightened on his backpack strap. “I know he does. But, uh… I have work to do, so I’ll leave you to catch up.” His eyes flicked from Liza to me and then to the girls. “You all have fun.”
“We will,” Liza assured him. “Oh! Brody, before you go, could you help with my luggage? The cab driver helped me bring it into the front hall, but it’s going to require someone young and strong to bring it upstairs. It’ll be nothing for a kid like you.” Her smile sharpened. “I’d appreciate it.”
Brody’s face turned beet red in an instant at the “kid” comment and then lost all color just as quickly. He glanced at me. “Upstairs? Where upstairs?”
I shook my head once. “You can’t stay here, Liza. We don’t have room. I can help you find a short-term rental, or I can ask Gwen if she has space—”
“But, Dad.” Cleo frowned. “Can’t Mom stay in Brody’s old room?”
“No,” I said, anger making the word come out more firmly than necessary. There was a tension in the air between Liza and Brody that I didn’t understand. I wasn’t quite sure what had caused it or how to interpret it, but it had blanketed Brody’s sunshine, and that was unacceptable.
“Grant, I’d really prefer to stay with my family,” Liza said, cuddling Mia closer, and I nearly bit my tongue against a sharp retort.
Brody gave Cleo a reassuring smile. “You’re right, sweetie. That’s a great idea. Your mom can have my room.” He looked at me. “I can just stay at Fen’s for a while.”
“Perfect,” Liza began.
“It is not perfect,” I growled. I turned to pin Brody with a glare. “You’re not staying at Fen’s. You’re staying here in your home. With me. In our room. Because we’re married, remember? That’s not up for debate.”
Brody’s eyes widened, but his cheeks turned the rosy, sunset-pink color that meant everything was okay on my personal horizon. “Okay, then. I’ll… see you later.”
In two steps, I grabbed him again and kissed him wildly, heedless of everything around us. “Please be careful,” I murmured against his lips. “Text me later. Okay?”
He nodded and walked unsteadily out the door.
When I turned back to the table, the three girls were grinning—Mia had clapped her hand over her mouth to stifle a giggle—and even Liza watched me intently, a little frown between her eyes.
I wanted to talk to her, but there was no time. The girls hungrily demanded pancakes and bacon, and after I’d cleaned up, Liza and Cleo were already pulling out supplies for robot cookies. By the time the oddly shaped robot cookies were cooling on wire racks, several hours had passed… and so had the bulk of my anger. When the girls moved out to the backyard so Mia could show off her soccer skills, Liza and I sat companionably on the patio to watch them.
“They look happy,” Liza said with a wistful smile. “Really happy.”
“They are,” I agreed with a surge of pride. “They love their new school. Jacey has already gotten a role in the fall play, which is her dream come true. Cleo was bored to tears at the old school and would have placed out of their math offerings by eighth grade. Mia probably would have been fine staying behind, but it’s easier with them all in the same place.”
“You don’t have to sell me on it, babe,” she said with a chuckle. “I trust you to make decisions like that. It’s clear you’ve done a great job with them.”
“I couldn’t have done it alone,” I reminded her. “Not without sacrificing my dedication to my patients. Gwen helped out at first, and then Brody came into our lives…”
“Ah, yes. Brody,” she said wryly.
“Our girls are thriving, thanks to him,” I said sharply. “I’m not sure why you’re being so antagonistic towards him—”
“Don’t you?” After a moment, she shook her head. “No, I suppose you don’t. I forgot who I was dealing with for a second there.”
I frowned, and Liza sighed. “I came back because I had a health scare,” she said. When I leaned forward in my chair, she held up a restraining hand. “Calm down. I’m fine. They thought I had a heart defect, but after a re-scan, they determined it was just a bad scan and assured me I was okay. And before you say anything, I’m already booked in for a checkup here with Dr. Iver.” She lifted a knowing eyebrow at me and let out a laugh when I exhaled and nodded my approval.