I have to throw in my smug card. “I partly own this place. I’m sure I can ensure you don’t get in trouble if you want to grab lunch as two people trying to figure out life together.”
Summer looks away, but her light demeanor remains. “Not today. I really do want to work to ensure I finish on time to let the babysitter go.”
“Want me to do that? Rumor has it if I add pick-up duty to my roster, then I might move up from a six to a seven on the baby scale.”
Summer chuckles. “Get out of here. And no, I’ll do it.”
All the complications between us seem to fade away for these few moments. “Hey, Summer, I was…” My thumb draws a line from my mouth to my stubbled chin as I hesitate to ask, but I take the plunge anyhow. “Maybe we can do that pumpkin patch thing this weekend. It would be good to get out of Lake Spark for a day. Just you, Bo, and me.”
“That could be…” She stops herself from protesting.
But another issue dawns on me. “You, uhm… you’re not afraid to get in a car with me, are you?” Last time she ended up in the hospital.
She glances away then back. “No, Nash. I’m not. The accident was literally that.”
“We had been arguing before,” I remind her.
“Yeah, because you ended things.” That’s a cold splash of water, but then her entire face softens. “Everything happens for a reason, even if we don’t want it that way.”
I swallow, accepting her answer, even if I’m not entirely free of my guilt. “I just wanted to check. I mean, I would understand if you are.”
Summer’s eyes grow into large circles, clearly now humorously annoyed. “Can we close this topic? You had an idea for this weekend.”
I relax a little. “Yeah, a getaway.”
“A good idea. For all of us, the three of us.” Summer nods and leaves me be.
The three of us. She didn’t mean anything by it. Just a simple answer.
But it tugs somewhere inside of me.
Stepping into someone’s shoes. Or getting a renewed chance.
Fuck.
I’m going to throw every ghost cookie, no matter how perfectly delicious, into the garbage. I have enough reminders as it is.
13
SUMMER
Change.
That’s what the fall season is a sign of.
My head rests on the back of the seat while Nash drives his SUV. I have to smile to myself because I doubt he intended for this car to become one with a sleeping baby in the back. I’m really not sure why he is sliding into the whole uncle role so easily, but he is.
Nash glances in the rearview mirror. “That kid is like a mystical baby creature or something. He’s never really fussy, is he?”
I scoff a laugh. “He is. When he was born, the first month was hell. Didn’t really want to sleep. Now looking back, I’m kind of grateful that he didn’t. It meant Zac had more waking moments with Bo.”
Way to go, Summer. Just cut the air in half again.
“I’m sorry I keep bringing up your brother.” I observe Nash who stays focused on the road.
“It’s okay. You don’t need to be closed off about it. He is ultimately Bo’s father.”
I hum a sound in agreement. “That I know you support. I just don’t want us to be reminded of the conflict inside of us.”
