I shake my head as I extract a wooden spoon and chef’s knife from the drawer and place them on the chopping board. “He didn’t show up all week. Apparently, he has a viral infection that is contagious, so he canceled all of his face-to-face client meetings and worked from home.”
He harrumphs. “A likely story. At least it keeps him away from you.”
I know he’s worried about retaliation. “I’m not going to let him do anything to me. Try not to worry,” I say as I place chicken breasts into the oven dish.
“Give me something to do,” he says as the guys carry his TV inside.
“You can chop these.” I hand him the knife, the yellow squash, and a zucchini.
“Have you thought any more about my suggestion?” he asks, while removing another knife from the drawer and handing it to me.
I get to work on chopping the red onion, bell peppers, broccoli, garlic, and tomatoes while we talk. “I’ll do it,” I confirm as we work side by side. “Learning self-defense is a no-brainer, and Jimmy assured me he had no issue with you teaching me in the gym.”
“Cool.” He smiles warmly at me, and I get lost in his gorgeous face for a couple seconds.
“Mom.” Stella stalks toward us, and I quickly drag my gaze from Vander. “Ridge is bored, so I’m going to take him downstairs to the boxing club to show him around. Jimmy said I could.”
“Good idea, but be back in thirty minutes to help set the table for dinner.”
“Aye, aye, captain.” She salutes me before grabbing Ridge into a chokehold and wrangling him out the door.
Vander laughs. “Stella is a spitfire. The guys in school are nuts about her. They are all vying for her attention.”
I groan. “Please don’t tell me that.” Stella has been the strongest of my kids since the separation, but that doesn’t mean she’s not feeling the emotional upheaval. She is just better at hiding it, which concerns me. I would rather she let it all out, but I suspect she’s trying to put a brave face on for me. West is crazy emotional and super angry all the time. Ridge is sad at times when he’s not distracted by school or sports or his friends.
Curtis took Ridge to his apartment in Denver last Friday night and kept him until Saturday evening. That is part of the interim agreement we have in place until we hash out the full details of the divorce. However, he is already breaking it. He texted me yesterday to say he couldn’t take him tonight, but he’d take him Saturday night instead. He just expects I have no plans and it’s okay to treat his son badly to accommodate his girlfriend. Not that he mentioned her, but I’m pretty sure she is the reason he switched the nights around.
“You don’t need to worry about Stella, Kendall.” Vander swipes some tomatoes from my board when he is finished cutting up his vegetables. “She knows how to handle herself. She might be a bit wild, but she’s smart. Besides, West has them all terrified. If anyone even thought of doing her wrong, they have to answer to us.”
That comforts me. I often wonder if I’d had a big brother would he have warned Curtis to treat me right or cautioned me against going out with him? “I’m glad Stella has people who care about her welfare.”
“You do too.” He looks over his shoulder, checking the coast is clear before he leans his face into mine. “Please say you’ll come over tomorrow night. We really need to talk. Curtis has Ridge, and I used my injury to bail on the party West and Stella will be attending at Shep’s house.”
“I’ll make you a deal.”
He props one hip against the counter and smiles at me. “Let’s hear it.”
“If you come with me to the retirement home tomorrow, I’ll come over here after.”
“What’s happening at the retirement home?”
I smother a giggle. “We’re throwing the old folks a Christmas party, and one of the volunteers had to bow out at the last minute.”
He shrugs. “Sure. I can do that if you promise you’re mine for the night.”
His wolfish grin does twisty things to my insides, and his eyes heat with dark promise. I want to give in to the amazing chemistry we share, but I’m not ready to rush into anything yet. I have loved having Vander stay with us, but it’s been torturous too because I had to keep it strictly PG, and the temptation was almost too much to bear. “We can spend time together, but Iwillbe going home.” I subtly squeeze my thighs as my core throbs, and the devil in my ear screams at me for being a coward. “I’m coming over to talk, Vander. Nothing else.”
“Okay.” His impish grin pins me in place.
“Vander.” My tone contains censure.
“What?” His grin widens as he holds his hands in the air. “We’re only going to talk. It’s not like you’re hot for my body and afraid to admit it or anything.”
Before I can retaliate, West pops his head in the door and the moment is over.
* * *
“You have got to be kidding me,” Vander huffs, slanting narrowed eyes in my direction. “When you asked me to help, you failed to mention it would involve this!” He holds up the red and white Santa Claus costume and scowls at it.
