“Jesus,” he bit out, swiping his face.
I laughed.
“What time’s Donovan picking you up?” Gabby asked.
I checked the kitchen clock on the wall. “Five minutes ago. He should be here anytime now.” I looked at my kids in turn. “Are you guys good? Any questions for me?”
“I’m okay,” Gabby assured me. “I’m gonna take a break from Dad though.”
“That’s your choice.” I smiled, my eyes veering to DJ. “How about you, Son?”
“I’ll play it by ear,” he said decidedly. “But I don’t think I’ll be taking his calls anytime soon.”
“Again, your choice,” I told him. “But remember, if it gets too much, come to me. We can talk about anything. You both know that, right?”
A text came through on DJ’s phone, and he picked it up, his mind already elsewhere. “Yeah. We know.”
Gabby gestured toward the couch. “Can I finish my movie now?”
I took my phone from my purse to check my messages in case Donovan had texted me and replied, “Of course, baby.” Glancing at the clock again, I could see it was almost ten past seven, and Donovan hadn’t tried to contact me either.
A heavy feeling slid through me, and a dark voice in the back of my mind whispered,He’s not coming.
I knew I was being stupid; Donovan would never stand me up. That would be the biggest asshole move in the history of asshole moves and pretty unforgivable in my book. I was being paranoid; surely he’d be here any second?
My stare seemed to be glued to the clock as I watched the minute hand move to fifteen past the hour, then twenty, and then thirty, all the while becoming painfully aware of my kids’ furtive glances toward each other and pitying looks.
Over the following hour, my face became more heated and my embarrassment more acute. I kept reaching for my phone, checking for messages. Then I wondered if something had cropped up, but surely, he would have called me?
With every second that ticked by, my stomach sank a little more. I sat there in front of my children, all dressed up, feeling humiliated for almost an hour before I finally threw away the last ounce of pride I possessed and typed out a message to Donovan.
Hey. You’re late. Are we still going out?
I stareddown at my phone, willing it to ring, but it didn’t. I checked the message I’d just sent and noticed that it never delivered, which meant Donovan had either switched his phone off or he’d blocked me.
Either way, it spoke volumes. I wasn’t an idiot; I’d been around the block a time or two, so I knew that no man ever ghosted a woman he was interested in, and he certainly didn’t stand her up without even a message of explanation.
Donovan’s lack of communication told me everything I needed to know, and it made the pit of my stomach churn because, just for a while there, he’d made me feel special.
My cell suddenly pealed and my heart leaped. I made a grab for the phone, my hopes soaring until I looked at the caller display and they quickly sank again.
It was Tristan.
I connected the call while sliding down from the stool and making my way into the hallway, murmuring, “Hi.”
“Gabby just messaged me,” my friend snapped. “I’m on my way over, and I’m bringingMagic Mike OneandMagic MikeTwowith me. If Mike, Dallas, The Kid, and Big Dick Richie can’t make you smile again, I’ll stand there and goddamned strip for you myself, and I’m telling ya, girl, Jagger’s got nothing on my moves.”
I half giggled half sobbed down the phone.
“Don’t you cry over a pig who’s not worth it,” Tristan rasped, his tone full of fire.
“I’m crying because you’re fucking amazing.”
“Ditto,” my friend replied fiercely. “See you in ten.”
I ended the call and a soft hand slipped into mine. “Love you, Momma,” Gabby whispered.
Smiling, I looked down at my daughter. “I love you too. Thanks for looking out for me.”
