Dammit. Why did I bring this up now? “Yeah.” I rub my chin and dart a glance at Brittany, who gives me adon’t look at mestare. I turn back to face Jane. “She says Apple is going to be there all weekend, along with some other family members. She wants you to stay for the whole weekend.”
Her eyes light up with excitement.
That’s like an arrow to my heart too. Does shewantto go live with the Labelles? Has she had enough of my shit parenting?
I feel like a piece of shit crapped out by a dog who’s just eaten a can of cheese whiz.
“Okay,” she says, her eyes shuttered.
“Okay? You mean you want to go for the weekend?” I ask in disbelief. “Evelyn says Apple will be thereallweekend.”
She flinches, then says. “Great. Then I’ll get to spend more time with her.”
It’s my turn to flinch. Jane’s so pissed she would rather spend the weekend with her bratty cousin than with me.
Now I feel like the cheese whiz in the dog shit.
She glances down at the counter. “Can I go upstairs now? I have homework.”
A huge lump has formed in my throat, but I push out, “Yeah. Nanny Faye will be here soon.”
She gets up and rounds the counter, walking behind me in a stiff gait. I stay in place until she’s walked into the hall, then I rest both of my hands on the edge of the bar and hang my head.
“So you screwed up, huh?” Brittany says in a condescending tone.
I look up at her, my hands still balanced on the counter. “Really, Brittany? You’re going to kick me while I’m down?”
“Sorry, Cole, but you know I’ve always been a tough love kind of gal.”
I stand upright and turn to face her, irritation burning in my chest. “And how do you suppose I screwed up?”
“That woman is crazy for you, so I know there’s no way she cheated on you, which is the only reason I can think of that would justify you kicking her out.”
“Oh, come on,” I grunt in frustration. “I didn’t kick her out.”
She puts a hand on her hip and glares up at me. “But you sure did tell her you were done, right?”
I press my lips together.
Brittany groans as she shakes her head. “Cole, what the fuck are you so afraid of?”
I ball my fists at my side. “What the hell are you talking about?”
“You ended things with Holly because you’re scared.”
I glance around the tasting room, checking to see if anyone heard us. The work group is tipsy and toasting the bride-to-be, and a couple of guys at a table on the other side are sipping beers while they watch ESPN on the TV.
“That’s not why I ended things,” I say in defeat, but I realize that it’s partially true. It all felt like it was moving so fast, but if I’m honest, it scares the fuck out of me that she fit so perfectly into our lives. I love having her around and miss her when she’s not here, and it feels so fucking intense that it scares the ever-loving shit out of me, but that’s not the only reason.
“The Labelles know I’m seeing her.”
She looks at me like I’m an idiot. “So?”
“So they’ll use it against me.”
Brittany snorts. “You think you’re the first single man to date while raising a kid?”
“But—”
