“Then it would be a ducking bear and that’s even better!” Fiona declared.
“What about a ducking skunk!” Annie squealed. “All the animals are ducking.”
“I reckon I might be keen to see something like that,” Ethan said, deadpan. “For science.”
Emmaline practically sliced him with her gaze, but he didn’t mind. There was a glint of something behind her eyes. Something significant he wasn’t in on.
“I’ve never seen a skunk ducking with a bear, and I’ve seen some pretty interesting art,” Patty chimed in.
“I bet you could make an entire book about animals ducking from the magic chicken!” That gem came from Fiona. “He could throw all kinds of things that make them duck.”
Emmaline straight up choked on air.
“How about I draw a skunk with an ice cream cone?” Emmaline offered, turning over the paper to the next page and starting in on skunk feet.
“I’m so glad we came for cookies,” Patty said, all dreamy like.
That made Ethan’s chest feel a bit odd.
In a good way, though.
Like he was witnessing something bloody important.
“After the feet you start around the belly,” Em spoke as she worked, a dab hand at this type of thing.
“Then up around the tail.” She glanced up at Ethan from under her eyelashes, like she dared him to make a comment about tails.
He didn’t because he was a proper gent and there were parents and ankle-biters around.
“And voila,” Em said, finishing the drawing with a flourish.
She was a natural at this. But he understood that making something look so easy took a heap of practice.
“This is a really good time,” Ethan said, giving the counter a quick wipe since the cookies were finished. “You’re great at that.”
“She wanted to be famous with it,” Dad said. “But that didn’t work, so she took the next best thing.”
Em had the look that she’d be arguing with him about it, so he asked quick as a bird—
“What do ya mean?” Ethan asked this as he broke open a cookie for himself and chucked it in his mouth.
“Her ex-husband is Antony Eaton. He’s acelebrityattorney.” Patty just tossed it on out there.
Em stilled and the air around her seemed denser.
“Em’s Tony knows everybody,” Patty said, eyes wide.
“He’s not my Tony, Mom,” Em corrected. “And hedoesn’tknow everyone.”
“Tony Eaton, huh?” Ethan asked. “I’ve met him.” In passing and briefly, but his name was well known in the industry.
Em’s face went completely blank. Shit. He didn’t mean that he was tight with the bloke or anything like that.
“Before Tony she dated a couple of other famous guys,” Patty continued. “Who was the one guy with the blue hair? Do you remember him?”
“Mom.” Em shook her head. The air still dense around her. Her body rigid.
“I even met that guy from the pirate movies—the one with extra-long hair—at her old apartment,” Patty continued. “He stood right next to me in the elevator.”
