James laughs. “How long are you back in town?” he asks, setting the glasses of sweet tea with lemon wedges on the coffee table. “Come sit down.”
“Just a few months. Then I’m off to Colombia for my next teaching job.” I walk slowly over to the sofa where James is sitting. I gingerly lower myself so I don’t jostle Noah and wake him up.
“You always said you wanted to see the world. Good on you for doing it, Caro.” James puts his feet up on the edge of the coffee table. “How was Germany?”
My last two year assignment had been in Munich and while I had loved the freedom and the ability to bounce around Europe on the weekends, the upscale international school hadn’t been my favorite of my teaching gigs so far.
“Germany was great, but a little…stiff for me. You know I’m a free spirit. That’s why I’m trying South America next.”
“And where were you before Germany?”
I reach forward to grab my glass. “South Korea. The kids were adorable. I loved them. The food, too. It was an incredible experience. I’m glad to be home for a bit, though. I missed my family and friends. I just spent a week in Florida with my mom and my sister.”
“Where are you staying while you’re here?”
“With Fiona and Frannie. They have a house now.” They are identical twins in a group of triplets, with their sister, Finley, being fraternal. We’ve been friends since grade school.
James nods. “I run into them sometimes. We love to go to Raw. They’re both pastry chefs there now, but obviously, you know that.”
“They have three bedrooms and they’re being very cool to let me crash while I’m here. But you know me—I travel light.”
It’s been years since I had more possessions than what can fit into a couple of large suitcases. The last time I owned furniture was in college. There are some random boxes stored at my mom’s house, but other than some jewelry I travel with, I’m not huge on having stuff.
“So you’ll be a beach bum for the next few months?”
That makes me laugh. Noah reacts by jerking in his sleep. “Oops,” I whisper. “Can’t wake the baby.”
“He’s actually a dream baby. He’ll fall right back asleep, trust me.”
“No wonder you look so chill and well rested. Unlike your next-door neighbor.”
“You saw him?”
“Yes, looking surly and forlorn in his doorway, walking an older woman out. What’s his story?”
“That’s Grayson Ross. Remember him?”
“Grayson Ross? No way. Of course I remember him. Every girl in middle school had a massive crush on the high school star quarterback, me included.” I sip my sweet tea and muse on how we all primped and dressed to impress at thirteen for the older guy who was never going to give us the time of day. We sat in those stands every Friday night and cheered him on with heart eyes.
“Middle school girls and me.” James sips his tea. “He’s been living in New York since college and just moved back.”
“With a wife and a baby?”
“Just a baby.” James reaches out. “Here, I’ll take Noah so you can relax.”
“No, I’m fine,” I protest. “You get him all the time—don’t be greedy.” I’m enjoying the weight of him on my arm. “So where is the baby’s mom?”
I was curious before, but now I’mreallycurious.
Grayson might have looked exhausted and cranky as hell, but he’s still hot. Maybe even more so.
“From what I hear from my mother, who apparently heard from Grayson’s mother at the hair salon, he had a one-night stand who had the baby dropped off at his office and then disappeared.”
My jaw drops. “What? Holy shit, that’sawful.”
James shakes his head. “I know. I can’t even imagine. I guess for whatever reason, she just couldn’t handle being a single mom. Grayson hasn’t said much to me or Cas about it, but he’s clearly in over his head. He moved down here so his family could help out. His old nanny has been watching little Evelyn.”
“That’s why I recognized that woman. She was the triplets’ nanny, too. She made the best chocolate chip cookies on earth. I loved going to their house after school.”
