“Ready for us.”
My smile is tremendous. “I really want to kiss you right now.”
“Then maybe you should.”
I give her the kiss that I’ve wanted to give her for two months. The kiss a man gives his girlfriend.
I hear a noise from Evie and open my eyes, still kissing her mom. Evie looks at me with a huge grin and puts up her hand for a high-five.
~ ~ ~
“What now?” Emma says during the cab ride home.
“Well, I’d like to take you to dinner.”
“How about you take me to Becca’s wedding next Saturday?” she says. “You did save her, after all. I know she’d be honored to have you there.”
“I’ll be happy to be your plus-one. But I’m not waiting a week to see you. I have to work tomorrow, so how about Monday?”
“That works for me. I bet you’re excited to see Leo.”
My face splits in two just thinking about it. “I am. This is the longest we’ve ever been apart.”
Her face falls. “Is your ex-wife still there?”
I damn near forgot all about Amanda. “She’s returning to California tomorrow.”
“So she’ll be there with you tonight,” she says, looking out the window.
I put my finger under her chin and make her look at me again. “She’ll be at my house. But she most definitely won’t be with me.”
It looks like she’s pouting. It’s immature of me, but I love that she’s jealous. “It’ll be okay.”
“I know. I’m sorry. I’m just not used to this.”
“Used to what?”
“You know, having a … a …”
“Boyfriend?” I say, laughing.
“Yeah, that. It’s been a long time.”
I lean in and whisper, “It’s been a long time since I’ve had a girlfriend. And I’m really looking forward to it. Oh, the things I plan to do with you.”
“We’re home!” Evie announces. I’m sure she’s eager to tell her grandmother everything.
I help them get their bags up to the house. But before I leave, I tell Emma, “If you’re still awake, meet me in the window at eight o’clock.”
“It’s a date.”
“I think I like the sound of that,” I say. “Us dating.”
“I like it, too.”
“Can I kiss my girlfriend goodbye?”
She smiles her answer.
I’m pretty polite, considering the circumstances, but I still give her a kiss that reminds her she’s mine.
~ ~ ~
“Daddy!” Leo says, running over to jump into my arms.
“You’ve gotten bigger, buddy. I missed you.” After I finish showering him with kisses, I notice Bria in the corner.
“Did you miss me, too?” she asks.
I laugh. “Always.”
She sits on the couch with us and says out of Leo’s earshot, “Someone had to make sure Momzilla didn’t corrupt you-know-who.”
I look at her curiously. “You mean, this isn’t the first time you’ve come over this week?”
Bonnie joins us. “Your lovely sister has stopped by almost every day.”
“I didn’t want the little guy to get lonely.”
“How did it go?” I ask. “You know, with Amanda?”
“Did someone say my name?”
I look to the kitchen where Amanda is standing at the counter with a glass of red wine. I check the time. It’s not even noon yet. “A bit early for happy hour, isn’t it?”
“It’s always happy hour when you’re on vacation,” she says. “Want to join me? It’s probably after five where you came from.”
“I’m good,” I say. “I just want to hang with Leo.” I slip off the couch onto the floor while Leo gets out his Legos. “What are we building today? A spaceship? A race car?”
Leo points to the box. “Fire twuck.”
Bonnie ruffles his hair. “He’s wanted to build it every day. He really missed you.”
Amanda brings her wine into the living room and sits down. “What does he build when he misses me?”
Bria laughs. “Lego doesn’t sell sets of stone-cold bit—”
“Bria!” I scold, nodding at Leo.
“Oh, right. Sometimes I forget he’s always listening. What I meant to say is that Lego doesn’t make sets of passive-aggressive, narcissistic, self-serving, evil female parental units.”
Amanda huffs. “You really are a gem, aren’t you, Brianna?”
“I try. When do you go back to California?”
“Tomorrow.” She gives me a look. “I was hoping we could talk before I go.”
I pull Leo onto my lap and help him fit Lego pieces together. “Later. I’m busy right now.”
Amanda goes back into the kitchen, refilling her wine glass before going upstairs.
“She’s done a lot of that this week,” Bonnie says.
“A lot of what?” I ask.
She mimics drinking.
“Seriously?”
She nods.
Bria snaps a Lego into place. “She was slurring her words when I was here yesterday afternoon.”
“Afternoon?” I look at her in surprise. Amanda was not a big drinker when we were together.
Bonnie says quietly, “I’ve found more than a few empty bottles buried in the trash. I’m afraid she might have a problem.”
I look down at Leo, concerned that he’s been with her all week. Was he alone with her when she was drunk?
As if reading my mind, Bonnie says, “Don’t worry, I stayed close.”
I put my hand on hers. “I don’t know what I’d do without you.”
“Hey, what am I? Chopped liver?” Bria asks.
“You, too,” I say. “I don’t know what I’d do without both of you.”
An hour later, when I’ve completely worn Leo out, I take him up and put him down for a nap. I look out the window before drawing his curtains. I wonder what Emma is doing right now. It’s only been a few hours, but I miss her already. I resist the urge to text her. I don’t want to start our relationship by being overbearing and needy. But the truth is, I do need her. I glance at Evie’s window. I need her, too.
I take my suitcase to my bedroom to unpack. When I walk through the doorway, I see Amanda reading a book in bed. In my bed. “What are you doing?”
She puts down the book and looks at me like I’m crazy. “I’m reading, Brett. What does it look like?”
“Yes, but why are you here?” I look around and see her things scattered about. “Did you sleep here this week? We said you were going to sleep in Leo’s room.”
“No, you said that. What’s the big deal? You were traipsing halfway across the world with what’s-her-name.”
“Emma,” I say through my teeth. “Her name is Emma.”
Looking at Amanda, I realize what I hadn’t before. She’s dressed like she’s going for a night out. Is she really going out, now that I’m home? Or is she wearing the enticing outfit just for me?
She sits up on the side of the bed and takes a drink of wine.
“Don’t you think you should slow down?” I ask, nodding to the glass. “It’s not even dinner time yet.”
“Are you trying to tell me what to do?”
“I really don’t care what you do, Amanda. Except when it affects my son.”
“Don’t you mean our son?”
“Have you been drinking around him?”
She puts down her glass. “Don’t get all righteous on me. Like you don’t drink around him.”
“I don’t drink by myself in the middle of the day,” I say.
Her expression softens as she looks up at me. “I guess I was nervous about seeing you again.”
“Why would you be nervous?”
She runs a finger from her neck to her cleavage. “Leo and I have bonded this week. I was hoping you and I could bond, too.”
“Bond?” I shake my head. “You mean fuck?”
She gets up and comes over to me, placing a han
d seductively on my chest. “We were good together once. We can be again.”
I step back. “You pushed me so far away over the past two years, there is no turning back. Not to mention you’ve ignored Leo.”
“I was depressed,” she says, stepping forward and taking my hand. “I’m not anymore.”
She tries to kiss me, but I move my head aside, avoiding her lips. I look over at the wine, thinking about what Bonnie and Bria said and pry my hand away from hers. “I think you’re still depressed. You need to see someone. Work your shit out.”
“I don’t have any shit to work out,” she says. “I just want my family back. I can transfer back to New York and we can be together.”
“Funny how that never occurred to you until Emma came into my life.”
She makes a rude noise. “Her again?”
“Yes, her. I’m with Emma now, and you and I will never be together again. I love her, Amanda. You’ll always be Leo’s mom, but we’ll never be a family.”
“You love her?” she says in disgust. “Are you kidding? We’ve only been divorced a few months.”
“But you haven’t been my wife for two years.” I pick up some of her things and shove them into her arms. “Get out of my bedroom. I don’t want you here.”
She stomps her way to the door and then turns around. “You have no idea what you’re missing. Plenty of men want me in their beds. They’ve wanted me for years.”
“Years? Is that why you quit sleeping with me? So you could fuck other men?”
“Why do you think I moved to California?” she says smugly.
“Wow,” I say with a shake of my head. I sit on the bed and laugh. “Thank you, Amanda. Up until today, I actually felt sorry for you. I thought that somehow becoming a mom had messed up your hormones or something. I even bought into the post-partum depression thing for a long time. But you’ve opened my eyes. The alcohol. The other men.” I glance at a picture of Leo on my nightstand. “I’ll never keep you from seeing him, but you are no longer welcome as an overnight guest in this house. I’m calling you a cab and making you a hotel reservation. You can come back tomorrow to say goodbye to Leo.”
Her mouth hangs open in surprise. “You’re kicking me out? But I live here.”
I pick up another piece of her clothing and walk it over to her. “You lived here, Amanda. Past tense. The townhouse belongs to me now, or did you forget that part of our divorce agreement? Go back to California and whoever’s bed you’ve been sleeping in.”
Anger emanates from her and she shoves me. “You think you’re so special. You think you’re some kind of hero. You’re not. You’re just a public fucking servant who can’t even make enough money to keep a woman happy. You want your pitiful little teacher? Fine. She can have you. I promise you there are men lined up to get into my bed. Men who like to buy me nice things.”
“My ex—the whore. How proud you must be.”
She pushes me aside and makes a beeline for the wine. “Fuck off, Brett,” she says, throwing the wine in my face before getting her suitcase from the closet.
I dry off with my T-shirt as she packs her clothes and makeup.
She zips up her suitcase and heads for the door. “And tell your sister and the nanny to fuck off, too. You think you’re so much better than everyone. You can all go to hell.”
She storms down the stairs, and I hear the front door slam.
When I walk into the living room, Bonnie and Bria stare at my wine-soaked shirt and try not to laugh.
I smile wryly. “If I were a betting man, I’d say we won’t be seeing much of her anymore.”
“She wasn’t here for Leo,” Bonnie says. “She was here for you. That woman barely paid him any mind. She was on the phone half the time. And the other half she was drinking and watching television. She went out several nights, only to stumble home in the wee hours of the morning. One night she didn’t tell me she was leaving. I found Leo playing by himself on the kitchen floor. It’s like she forgot she was responsible for him.”
I shake my head in disbelief. Bonnie was right. She doesn’t want Leo. “Thank you for being here and watching over him.”
“You know I love that boy like a grandson.”
“I know, and I’m grateful.”
Bonnie thumbs at Bria, who is practically bouncing up and down on the couch. “Your sister has been very patient, but she’s about ready to burst out of her skin. Go on, honey. Tell him.”
Bria smiles. She smiles big.
“Oh my God, you got it?”
She jumps off the couch and into my arms. “I got it!”
I hug her hard. “Why didn’t you tell me earlier?”
“You needed time with Leo. I didn’t want to interfere with that.”
We sit on the barstools at the kitchen counter. “Tell me everything.”
“I don’t know much yet. I only got the offer last night. We’ll practice in New York for two months and then in late October, we go on tour. Three months, forty cities.”
I look at her, amazed at what she’s accomplished. “My sister, the backup singer for White Poison. I’m so proud of you, Bria.”
“We should celebrate,” Bonnie says. “When you’re over your jet lag.”
“That’s a date. But tonight, I need to go to bed and sleep for ten hours straight. Oh, that reminds me. Bonnie, can I borrow your bedroom window at eight o’clock?”
“Borrow my what?” she asks in confusion.
I laugh. “It’s a long story, but it started in a storage closet.”
Chapter Thirty-two
Emma
My alarm goes off. It takes me a minute to figure out where I am and what’s going on. Then I look at the texts on my phone and smile.
Brett: I know we said eight, but I couldn’t wait.
Brett: Are you there? It’s your boyfriend. Do you have any idea how good it feels to say that?
Brett: You’re probably asleep, which is what I should be doing. I wanted to see you one more time before bed. I won’t be able to concentrate at work tomorrow, thinking about seeing you Monday night.
I smile. I almost thought the whole thing was a dream, but he’s my boyfriend now. That really happened. And I’m not freaking out about it.
Me: I’m here. Sorry. I fell asleep, but I set my alarm so I wouldn’t miss our talk.
Brett: You set your alarm? Man, you must really dig me.
I laugh out loud.
Brett: Come to the window.
I do what he asks, but I don’t see him in his living room window. I look at Leo’s. He’s not there either. Then I see him.
Me: What are you doing in Bonnie’s room?
Brett: I wanted some privacy.
I remember who he needs privacy from. I strain to look into his living room to try and see his ex.
Me: How’d it go when you got home?
Brett: Pretty great. Leo was happy to see me. My sister was here.
Does he know that wasn’t what I was asking?
Me: That’s nice. How about Amanda?
Brett: She left.
Me: I thought she was staying until tomorrow.
Brett: She tried to seduce me. We got into a fight. I told her I was most definitely with you and she and I would never be together. I offered to get her a hotel for the night. She threw red wine on me, then she left with all her stuff. I don’t think she’s coming back anytime soon.
Once my brain gets around the part where she tried to seduce him, I’m deliriously happy that he rejected her and said he was with me.
Brett: Emma, are you smiling? I think I can see it from here.
I look over and could swear he winks at me.
Me: She threw wine at you? That’s awful.
Brett: I miss you. Is that weird?
Me: Not so much.
Brett: You miss me too?
Me: Maybe.
Brett: I’ll take maybe. Would you consider taking your shirt off?
My jaw drops when I read his text. I look up and see h
im laughing.
Me: I thought you were serious.
Brett: I was. Sort of. I mean I really really want to see you naked. But I’m not willing to risk every Joe Schmo on the street seeing you too.
Me: How about a rain check?
Brett: Now you’re talking.
Me: Monday night?
Brett: I won’t be able to think of anything else when I’m at work. Maybe you could send me a nudie picture to get me through.
I look up at him to see him laughing again. Who knew he had such a sense of humor? Suddenly I’m anxious to know everything about him.
Brett: You’re so easy.
Me: Nobody’s called me that since high school.
Brett: A joke? I knew you were funny.
I try to support my weight on the windowsill, wanting to continue texting, but I can barely keep my eyes open.
Brett: I don’t want to keep you. We both need sleep. Put your hand on the window.
Me: Why?
Brett: Just do it.
I press my palm against the window. Then I see why he wanted me to do it. He presses his palm against his window. We may be fifty feet away, but I swear I can feel him.
We gaze at each other for a long time. I feel a sense of loss when he takes his hand away.
Brett: Goodnight, Emma.
Me: Goodnight.
We put our phones down, but neither of us walks away. Not until my eyelids grow so heavy, I have to sit down or risk falling. I’ve never wanted to stay awake more than I do right now. I touch the window one last time, then wave at him.
The Men On Fire: A Complete Romance Series (3-Book Box Set) Page 80
