Romy
The minute I open the door to the girls’ house, something seems off.
I ran in here to grab a jacket since it’s a little cooler tonight, and Zander and I were walking along the path with Rhodes in a stroller. We’ve been staying at my parents’ since Rhodes was born, but I’m ready for us to find a place for ourselves. There’s just nothing on the ranch. We might be renting Brooks’s old house until ours is built. But Zander seems to love it at my parents’, so I might have to drag him kicking and screaming. My mom babies Zander more than Rhodes.
As I pluck my old jacket off the hook by the back door, I hear a man’s voice. I freeze mid-step. Who would be here? Is Poppy or Scarlett hooking up with someone, and I don’t know about it?
I pause when I hear footsteps coming down the stairs, and the voice carries. He says something I can’t make out to the person he’s here with.
Oh shit. It’s Nash.
I blink and peek around a corner where he can’t see me to double check. He’s running down the stairs, buttoning up his pants.
Oh my god!
What the hell is Nash doing here—upstairs at that—and now he’s buttoning his pants?
I stay hidden, hoping he doesn’t want to go out the back door. He turns and leaves out the front door.
Footsteps on the stairs sound again, and I rush back to the back door, which I open and shut. I don’t have time to slip out without her hearing the door and knowing someone was here, so maybe I can convince her I just arrived.
“Hello,” Poppy calls.
“Hey. Just me. I forgot my coat.” I have no idea how I’m pulling off my casual voice.
She comes into full view. Her hair looks like a bird’s nest, and her shirt isn’t even buttoned correctly.
“Hey, what happened to you?” I ask.
She looks down at herself. “Oh… I took a nap.”
“Just napping?”
“Yeah.” Her eyes narrow slightly, and she turns toward the front door. I have no idea if Nash drove here or walked since I came in the back door.
“By yourself.” I don’t phrase it as a question.
“Who would I be napping with?” She opens the fridge and takes out a water. “Why are you here again?”
“Just grabbing my jacket. We’re doing s’mores if you want to come.”
“Nah, I’m still pretty tired. I’ve had a headache all day. Might just go back to bed.”
I have no idea how she’s playing this off so easily, but she is. “Oh, well, feel better.”
“Have fun and give Rhodes a kiss for me.”
I rush out the back door and practically run to Zander.
His head is buried in the stroller, cooing at Rhodes. “I think it’s too cold for him.”
I look over Zander’s shoulder. Rhodes is bundled up and has two blankets over him. He’s fast asleep. “He’s fine.” I swat Zander’s arm. “You’re never going to believe this.”
Zander doesn’t grant me any of his attention.
“Hey.”
He finally looks up at me. “Let’s get him home before he freezes.”
