“I’m really sorry, Theo.” Chelsea sniffed as she pulled Bandit’s leash to bring the dog back in. “I’ll clean it up. I was trying to get dinner ready, so you didn’t have to. You’ve been cooking for me most nights. I thought it was time I helped out.”
“Hey, it’s fine.” He kneaded her shoulder. “I make dinner every night, anyway. It’s no more work for an extra person.”
“It is when you have to clean up my mess.”
“If you want to help, why don’t you pick up the blankets in the living room?”
Jordan jumped up and skipped over to him. “We made a fort, Daddy.”
A smile automatically rose to his face at the image of Chelsea and Jordan draping blankets over cushions and tables.
“It sounds like a ton of fun, peanut, but now it’s time for dinner, so we have to pick up. Go help your mom, please.”
“Okay.”
After picking up the kittens and putting them back in the large laundry basket she’d used to corral them, Chelsea followed their daughter.
It took some doing, but Theo managed to scrape off much of the blackened coating on the chicken. Luckily, Chelsea had put on a thick coat of whatever she’d used for batter. Adding some canned vegetables and tater tots to the meal, it would be salvageable.
“This got some animal fur on it.” Chelsea held up the handmade quilt he usually had on the back of the couch. “I can wash it if you want.”
“Put it on top of the washing machine. I’ll do it later.” Laundry wasn’t one of Chelsea’s skills either.
“It’s beautiful. Where’d you get it?”
Heat rose up his neck, and he fussed about in the fridge to keep her from seeing. “My mom sent it.”
“She made it?”
Placing the platter on the table, he indicated she should sit. “Yeah. She sent it as a wedding gift.”
“But—” Confusion filled the air.
After cutting Jordan’s chicken and instructing her to leave the dog alone, he said, “I got it a few days after you left.”
Chelsea picked at her meal. Because the chicken was burnt or due to the melancholy that always seemed to linger since she’d been back?
“What do your parents think of me?” Her voice was barely more than a whisper.
“It doesn’t matter.”
“They hate me, don’t they?”
He couldn’t tell her no. They hated the situation he’d been put in with a newborn and the pain he’d gone through with Chelsea leaving. Being so far away, contact with them was sporadic, but they loved to video chat with Jordan a few times a month. They hadn’t done it recently. Truthfully, he’d avoided it, since there was no way Jordan wouldn’t spill the beans about her mother being back.
Except his parents didn’t know the real story. He had to call and tell them soon. Angie had said she would refrain from saying anything to her father until Theo gave the word. He was hoping he could give them good news. Like he and Chelsea were back together, and all was wonderful. But it wasn’t. Yet.
As always, Jordan kept the topic of conversation going with her chatter. Mostly about the dog, the kittens, and the blanket fort.
“It sounds like you had a great day, peanut.” When he glanced at Chelsea, she didn’t look as pleased.
After cleaning up and allowing Jordan one TV show, he lured Chelsea into the kitchen.
“Is everything all right? Was it too much for you today?”
Her eyes grew large. “No, I love being with Jordan. But I wanted to have dinner ready, and I guess I’m not good at that. Plus…” Her gaze strayed to the back porch.
He tilted his head and remained silent, waiting for her to continue. She bit her lip, strode through the door, bent down, then came back in. One of his sneakers was in her hand.
