“A ready-made family?” He took a step toward her. “You’re going home? What are you talking about?”
“We’re not going to live here together as one happy little family. This isyourtime with him. I brought him here and spent the night to help him be comfortable. He did really good and I know you’ll be fine so I’m going home. We’ll come up with a time and place for you to hand him back off to me tomorrow.”
The pain was so intense, he wasn’t sure he’d be able to take a deep breath. He’d totally misread the situation andapparently for her, the sexual chemistry between them was only that. Chemistry. She didn’t want him.
He was afraid to speak while his emotions were in turmoil because he didn’t want to say anything that would make it worse. After the positive news from Kevin, a personal conflict between him and Siobhan would be a huge setback. “Sure. Okay.”
Then he turned his back on her, returning to the sink, because it was anythingbutokay.
He listened as Siobhan went to Oliver, who was sitting on the floor, playing with his trucks with Stella curled up next to him.
“Did you like sleeping at Daddy’s house?” he heard her ask, and he squeezed his eyes closed so they couldn’t tear up. “Good. Remember Mommy told you that sometimes you’d sleep at Daddy’s and it would be just you and Daddy?”
“And Stella?”
“And Stella. You’re going to sleep at Daddy’s tonight and then Mommy will get you tomorrow, okay?”
“Okay.”
“I’m going to go upstairs and get my stuff and then I’ll come kiss you goodbye and you can have fun with Daddy and Stella today.”
He must have been okay with that because a moment later, Brian heard Siobhan’s footsteps on the stairs. During the time she was up there, he did his best to reset himself—he’d been wrong about what was between them and because of that, she was going to distance herself.
And he had to let her. He couldn’t make her feel something she didn’t, and trying to would only complicate their tender new balance with Oliver. Their son was number one. Always.
Siobhan left twenty minutes later, after giving Oliver a huge hug and covering his face in kisses. Brian heard the tremor in her voice, despite her obvious effort to sound positive and upbeat for their son. He assumed it was because she was leaving her baby overnight, because when she turned to Brian, her face was blank again.
They agreed on a time and place to meet tomorrow and that was that. He listened until he couldn’t hear her car on the road anymore, and then he emotionally dusted himself off and went into the living room.
“Who wants to go for a walk?”
Chapter Twenty-One
“Are you sure you don’t want to go out?”
Siobhan let her head loll sideways against the back of the couch, so she was facing Robin. “I absolutely don’t want to go out.”
“I know it won’t take your mind off things, but we could go to a sports bar and watch drunk men yell at the television screens.”
“In the mood I’m in, I’d probably start cheering for the other team just to make them angrier.” Plus, it would just make her think of being at Jasper’s with Brian.
“Definitely no sports bars, then. I could grab a bottle of wine and we could throw on some reality dating show and yell at them, instead.”
Siobhan chuckled. “That’s tempting, but no wine for me. I want to be able to drive if…you know.”
If Brian called because Oliver was inconsolable or if there was an emergency. Or if he realized he was in over his head and needed help. If their first solo overnight didn’t go well, Siobhan wanted to be able to get to her son.
Robin sighed. “If you weren’t ready to leave him, you should have stayed tonight, too. Brian wouldn’t have minded.”
“I’m sure he wouldn’t, since we had sex last night.”
She probably should have made sure her friend hadn’t just taken a big drink of water before dropping that little tidbit, but luckily—with some coughing and spluttering—Robin managed not to do a spit take.
“I’m sorry, youwhat?”
After taking a deep breath, Siobhan filled her best friend in on not only the last twenty-four hours, but some of the holes she’d left in the story to date.
“Wait. Seriously. Don’t move.” Robin got up and practically sprinted out of the apartment and across the hall. She returned slightly out of breath, carrying a bottle of open wine and one glass. She poured herself a full glass before settling back on the couch. “What the hell, Siobhan?”
