“I’m good, but . . . Mom?” She paused. “You won’t make me see him, right?”
“Not until you’re ready,” I promised.
“I want to think about it.”
“Take as much time as you want.”
She nodded, relieved.
I was glad if one of us got to be relieved it was her, but what had I gotten myself into? Even if I did find Leland’s current wife, how did I go about approaching her? Send her a welcome letter to the douche bag’s exes club? More like a congratulations. I wondered if she even knew about me or Chloe. I supposed I would have to try and find out. Chloe deserved at least one parent who kept their word.
I set my phone on the table in the nook and focused on Henry, who was shirtless, eating spaghetti for lunch. This kid loved anything with tomato sauce. While I smiled at Henry and his saucy grin, I thought about the direct message Miles just received on Instagram from Penelope. He had never told me whether to respond to those. I felt this one deserved his attention. She wondered why he wasn’t returning her calls. And she was coming to the states next month along with some of their other mates and they were hoping to come here for a few days. They all missed him terribly. Especially her.
“Mmm,” Henry shoved as many noodles as he could in his mouth. Several dropped down his bare chest. After he was done eating, I would be giving him a bath and mopping the floor. Miles’s housekeeper only came once a week, which was not near enough to keep up with the cutest tornadoever. I think that was hard for Miles. He seemed to live a very ordered, freakishly clean life.
Speaking of the clean freak, he came strolling down the stairs looking like the weight of the world had been lifted off him. I also noted how impeccably dressed he was. He worked all day from home, yet there he was, looking like a million dollars in slacks and a pressed black button-up.
“You look happy,” I commented.
He smiled at me before grimacing at the noodles on the floor and the sauce dripping on the table and in Henry’s hair.
“Don’t worry, I’ll clean him and the kitchen up.”
Miles’s brow furrowed. “I apologize. My reaction was not a judgment against you. I’m just used to . . . well . . .”
“Life how you like it,” I helped him out.
“Yes,” he conceded. “But,” he grinned between me and Henry, “there are many aspects I like about my new arrangement.”
I tucked some hair behind my ear. “Henry is adorable.”
“So is his Nanny, especially when she blushes.” He headed for the fridge.
I took a drink of my water, trying to get the blush out of my cheeks. “How’s the book coming?” I changed the subject.
He popped his head out of the fridge. “Incredible.”
“That good, huh? Does that mean I get to read part of it soon?”
“Soon, love. I promise.” He held up one of his preprepared meals. “It’s back to the grind for me.”
“Do you have couple of minutes?”
He tensed but immediately recognized his reaction and took a deep breath. “Yes,” he said, strained.
“It can wait.”
He set his food on the counter. “Please, what would you like to discuss?”
“Chloe wants to invite you to her soccer game during dinner tonight, so I wanted to give you a heads-up so that if you don’t want to or can’t make it, you can think of a good excuse so she’s not let down.”
His brows knitted together. “I would never deceive her or you.”
“I’m not saying you would,” I stammered. “It’s just she’s in a vulnerable state right now after I told her about her father.”
“I can relate to that. But please believe me, I am a lot of things, but I always tell the truth. And I would love to come.”
“Thank you,” I whispered.
