Deep down, he understood there was no way it could fill an April-sized hold in his heart.
By the time he stopped at his apartment, showered, changed, and made it to Ben and Sarah’s, she was already plating dinner from her slow cooker.
“Is that an All-Clad Gourmet?” He strode to the machine to check it out. He’d gone with a more traditional Crock-Pot, but he was already thinking of hitting up Williams-Sonoma for one of these babies.
“It is.” Sarah looked at him like he’d lost his marbles and they were rolling all over the ground. “I bought it for myself for my birthday this year.”
He ran his fingertip along the sleek edge of the nonstick aluminum insert. “Mine’s been cooking way too slow, even on high. I’d like one with a little more oomph on the high setting.”
“I like this one because it has the browning function.” Sarah filled a plate and handed it over to him. “Braised lamb shanks.”
“Oooh.” He leaned in and inhaled the delicious scent of thyme and Cabernet Sauvignon.
“I thought about going full Ninja, since it’s got the air fryer included, too.” He glanced at Ben, who was cutting the crusts off a small stack of sandwiches. “What’s with the peanut butter and jelly?”
“They’re our backup after the kids try the lamb and decree it inedible.” Sarah spooned a heaping of lamb onto another plate.
Jack set his plate aside to help Ben cut the crusts.
“Where’d you learn to do that?” Ben asked as Jack made a heart out of the crust he’d just hacked off.
Harmony had taught him. He should FaceTime the kids soon, since he promised he would. He’d figured he needed a bit of time to get used to being gone before he reached out.
Scratch that.
He’d been a chicken. Didn’t want the kids to shoot him down because they’d rather hang out at the frog sanctuary.
“It’s a long story,” he mumbled.
“I’ve got time,” Sarah said. He would bet she had all the time in the world.
Jack chuckled, forming another heart out of Ben’s crust. “My friend taught me.”
Sarah pulled at her bottom lip. “That’s a good friend.”
Yes, yes, she was. Since they already knew he’d fallen ass over slow cooker for April, he might as well tell them about her kids. So he did. He told them all about Harmony and Rohan and Lola. Frog sanctuaries and crayons and songs.
He stuck around to help clean up, dry the dishes with Ben and Sarah, while their kids got out all the pent-up energy in the backyard pool. Maybe he should borrow a pair of trunks and join them. Truth was, he still wasn’t ready to go back to the quiet of his apartment.
The front door alarm chimed, alerting that someone had opened it.
Sarah glanced to Ben. “Are you expecting someone?”
Ben shook his head.
“Jack?” a woman’s voice called from the foyer, and he swore it sounded like Kitty. Maybe he really had lost his marbles.
Sarah looked at him. “Areyouexpecting someone?”
“Jack!” the voice that sounded like Kitty said again. “Come out, come out, wherever you are!”
“Kitty, you cannot just barge into the house of someone you don’t know. We don’t even know if he’s here.” Was that Simone?
The actual doorbell rang this time.
“Oh, for goodness’ sake, we’re all going to end up in jail.” That sounded like…Yelena. “Thanks, Kitty.”
“Get back out here.” Rachel? What was his sister doing here?
