“That is a perfectly reasonable response. So you stay away.”
Caroline suddenly grins. “I don’t travel because of her—that’s my own passion and desire—but it’s a bonus not to live in the same country. For right now, anyway.” Then she stands up. “We’d better go in or I’ll be late. Thanks for listening, Cas.”
“I’m sorry we share this in common, but it does make me feel less alone in my own grief, and I hope you feel the same way.”
“I do.”
When I stand up, I reach out and brush her hair back off of her cheek tenderly. I give her a soft, barely there kiss because it feels right and natural. Then I pull her into my arms and hug her. She hugs me back, hard.
“Noah is a very lucky little boy,” she murmurs into my chest. “You and James are great parents.”
That makes my chest tighten. “I love that little guy with all my heart. I can suffer the heat and bugs to give him a life surrounded by friends and family.”
“You still haven’t told me how you wound up in the US.”
“Ah, we’ll have to save that for another day. It’s nothing exciting and we don’t want you to be late.”
She pulls back and eyes me. “I feel like there is an exciting story there. A sordid tale of lust and greed and betrayal.”
I laugh. “Not even close. My father’s sister married an American man, and I came to visit them in Philadelphia and wound up staying.”
She wrinkles her nose. “You need to polish that story up because that isn’t exciting at all.”
“It only became exciting when I met James, who is the love of my life.”
“God, that’s so adorable.” She puts her hand in mine and swings them back and forth as we walk up the steps. “And baby makes three.”
“Yes.”
But as we hold hands like a couple of kids or an actual couple, I feel a strange tug in my chest.
This is way more complicated than I ever expected it to be.
And I’m not sure if that’s what any of us need in our lives.
CHAPTER29
James
“Can I hold Noah?”Grayson asks. “I feel a little weird not having a baby in my arms right now. Is this how women feel without a purse?”
Cas lifts his eyebrows. “I have no idea how women feel about their purses.” But he passes our son over to Grayson.
I laugh. I’m holding Evelyn on our couch, bouncing her up and down on my thighs and making faces at her. She’s been chuckling and grinning, drool rolling down her round chin. She’s a very adorable baby, even when she’s making Grayson’s notorious frown.
Grayson settles Noah into his arms in the cradle position. “Hey there, little man,” he coos, pacing back and forth in front of the couch. “Look at how tiny you are compared to Evie.”
We’re in our apartment because Grayson said he needed to speak to us. I don’t know what that means, but it definitely feels important. Grayson looks like he’s been up half the night, which can’t be because of Evelyn because it’s Thursday and I know for a fact he has the night nanny there Tuesday through Saturday. Given that my parents take Noah on Saturday nights, it’s allowed us our foursome fun in our place the last couple of Saturdays.
“It sucks that Caro is gone this weekend,” I say, my thoughts now on sliding my tongue up between her smooth thighs and burying it deep inside her pussy.
“She’s having a girls’ weekend with the twins,” Cas says. “She’s entitled to do whatever she wants with her weekend.”
I frown at my husband. I wonder if he realizes how sharp his comment sounds. He’s been acting a little off since he got home yesterday after taking Caro to Charleston. It doesn’t seem like he’s upset or anything—he’s just…pensive.
He’s clearly working something out in his head and I know Cas well enough to know that it’s best to let him get where he’s going on his own instead of trying to pry.
“Of course she’s entitled to do whatever she wants with her weekend,” I say. “I’m just going to miss our time with her, that’s all. She’s only here for a few more weeks.”
