Author: Kristan Higgins

“Yeah. I’m actually really good. The house is listed, and now that it’s spruced up a bit, I’m hoping to get an offer.”

Ethan nodded. He was quiet for a long minute. “How’s your father?”

Parker paused. “I don’t know. We’ve had a few tortured conversations in which neither of us says much. According to James, he’s fine.”

“Have you been to see him yet?”

“No. It’s a long drive. About four hours from here, maybe more.”

“Nicky was asking about him. Wanted to know if he could visit.”

Parker paused. “I’d have to check the place first.”

“Your call. But he’s curious.” Ethan stood up. “Okay, I’m gonna hit the hay,” he said. “I was alone in the car with your son for eight hours today. I’m whipped. Your son can talk, Miss Welles.”

It was their habit to refer to Nicky as “your son” whenever discussing his, ah, less-than-stellar moments. Your son put my phone in the washing machine today or Your son sang “Wheels on the Bus” for thirty-nine straight minutes. “Like he doesn’t get that from your side of the family,” Parker said with a smile. “He’s Marie’s grandson.”

“And Althea’s, let’s not forget. You guys have a good visit, by the way?”

“We really did. It was different. Nice.”

“Glad to hear it. See you in the morning.”

As Parker washed up, she could hear Ethan talking to Lucy. She went into Nicky’s room, and the sight of his little form there in bed filled her with such a rush of love that her knees went weak. Beauty was snuggled at his side, her muzzle on his hip. “Good girl, Beauty,” Parker whispered. She wondered if Beauty sensed that Nicky was hers. The dog hadn’t let Ethan near her, slinking behind something when he approached. But she already loved Nick, thank goodness.

Three weeks was too long. She made a mental note never to be away from her son that long again until he was, oh, maybe forty-five or so.

Nice that he’d be a big brother. She’d known it would come, that announcement, and the familiar pang of envy bounced around in her heart with her genuine happiness.

She lay down next to her little guy, stroked his silky hair. The band of worry and loneliness that had been tight around her heart loosened as she listened to his breathing. He was back with her, and all was right with the world.

Even so, she wondered how James was doing tonight. He’d seemed pretty chipper when he left, his duffel bag in hand. Hadn’t seemed melancholy at all, whereas she…well. This was a dopey train of thought to pursue.

She got under the covers and snuggled closer. Nicky didn’t stir. The kid could sleep through a monsoon and not wake up; had in fact slept through a pretty fair hurricane last year and then had been quite confused as to why so many leaves and branches were on the ground the next morning. She kissed his neck, breathing in the smell of baby shampoo and boy.

They were back together, mother and child. She shouldn’t want more.

* * *

THE NEXT MORNING, Ethan made breakfast as Nicky explained how many tricks he was going to teach Beauty. “She could jump through my hula hoop. She could catch mice for Apollo. She could jump off the diving board! She can swim with me in the pool all winter long!”

Ethan and Parker exchanged a look. “Well, we won’t be living in a house with a pool anymore, remember, honey?” Parker said.

Nicky’s face fell. “Oh. Yeah.” He looked around the kitchen. “Is this our house now?”

“Nope. This is just for a couple weeks. A little vacation. Then we’ll go back to Rhode Island and live near Daddy and Lucy.”

“We’ll move in with you, Daddy,” Nicky said as Ethan put a plate of scrambled eggs and toast in front of him.

Parker gave Ethan a look that said, Help me out here, pal. He got the message. “You and Mommy are going to have your own house, and you’ll spend half the time there, and half the time with me. Just like always, Nick.”

“I want to live with Beauty all the time.”

“Well, Beauty can meet Fat Mikey, and maybe they’ll be friends.” Ethan grinned at Parker; the enormous cat would be more apt to eat Beauty than befriend her, but there was always hope.

“They will be,” Nicky pronounced. “They’ll be best friends. Except Beauty’s scared of you, Daddy. You have to be nicer to her.”

At that moment, a knock came on the door, and Parker’s heart seemed to roll over in her chest. “Come on in,” she called.

“Morning,” James said as he came down the hall.

At the sound of his voice, Beauty left Nicky’s side and streaked over to him, wagging her tail and whining happily, putting her paws against his leg, the better to get an ear scratch.

“Hey, Beauty.” James knelt to pet the waggly little dog, then stood up. “Ethan. Good to see you again.” The men shook hands. “How was your trip?”

“It was great, thanks for asking. How are you?”

“No complaints.” James’s gaze dropped to Nicky. “Hi.”

Nicky stared back solemnly.

“Honey, you remember James, right?” Parker asked. “Mr. Cahill? Grandpa’s friend?”

“Yes,” Nicky said suspiciously. “I remember.”

“Can you also remember your manners?” she prodded.

“Hi, Mr. Cahill.”

“Did you have fun on your vacation?” James asked, rather solemnly.

Nick nodded.

Not his usual chatty self. Of course. Maybe her son sensed something. Ethan did, apparently, as he was gazing steadily at Parker.

James cleared his throat. “Well, I figured I’d get to work on the stairs to the dock.”

“Oh, okay. Um, would you like some coffee?” She was abruptly aware of the little tableau she, Nicky and Ethan made.

“No, thanks. I got some at the diner.”

“Want some help, James?” Ethan asked.

James glanced at Parker. “No, no, that’s fine. But thank you.”

“Parker says you’ve been great,” Ethan added as Nick climbed into his lap. He dropped a kiss on Nicky’s head.

“Yes. You’ve really been…um, great,” she blurted. Lordy, this was uncomfortable.

“Well. My pleasure.” He paused. “I can come back later, if that would be better.”

“No, no. It’s fine. Whenever you want, James,” she said.

“Do you have a nail gun?” Nicky asked.

James looked at Nicky. “Yes.”

“Can I use it?”

“No,” she and Ethan said at the same time.

“They’re the bosses,” James said. “Okay, I’ll get to work.” With that, he went out the back door, and a few seconds later, the screeching sound of wood being pried up could be heard.

“I wanna help. I wanna use the nail gun,” Nicky declared.

“No, Nicky. It’s not for kids,” Ethan said. “Why don’t you work on teaching Beauty a trick? Maybe in your room, so you can surprise us?”

“Okay.” Nicky scrambled off Ethan’s lap and ran down the hall. “Come on, Beauty!” he bellowed, and Beauty trotted obediently after him. “Come see Apollo. Do you love Apollo? Mom, can I let Apollo out of his case?”

“No,” Parker said. “It’s locked, and it’s gonna stay that way.”

“He wants to come out,” Nicky argued.

“He’s not coming out,” she said. Nicky grumbled but dropped it. Seemed as if he’d gotten a little more willful than she remembered.

“So,” Ethan said.

“So.” She took a bite of toast. Didn’t look at Ethan.

Right from the birth of their son, Parker and Ethan had agreed to share information that might affect Nick. Dating was one of those topics; when Ethan and Lucy had taken up with each other, he’d come to her and made sure she was okay with it. Things like vacations and work schedules, family events, any kind of change that might impact Nick had always been discussed.

The subject of Parker having a boyfriend had never come up. She sensed it was about to.

“Are you and James seeing each other?” he asked quietly.

Bingo.

“Not really,” she whispered. She was actually more afraid that James would hear; Nick was chanting the word Jump over and over in his room. “We, um…we had…” Jump. Jump. “He was staying here.” Jump. Jump. Jump, Beauty, jump. “It made more sense, with all the work we had to do. We hung out a little bit. But it’s done now.” Ouch. Saying the words out loud…it hurt. She cleared her throat. “I didn’t want Nicky to be overloaded.”

Ethan sighed, then looked at the ceiling and scratched his chin. He was quiet for a minute. “James always struck me as a decent guy.”

“Yeah, no, he is. Very decent.” She paused. “I didn’t always think so, but I do now.” Jump. Jump. Jump, Beauty.

“So?”

“So nothing. We had a little summer fling, at the recommendation of your wife, I might add, and it was fun. It’s also finished.”

“Why wouldn’t you want it to be more than a fling?”

She took a sharp breath, an unexpected flare of anger arrowing through her. “Well, Ethan, I guess because Nicky’s got a lot on his plate right now. Grandpa in prison, new house, new school, new stepmother, new sibling on the way. His mother having a boyfriend doesn’t seem fair.”

Ethan didn’t say anything for a minute. “You have a point. It’s a lot. But I’d hate for you to think that your job was to just serve Nicky. If you were in a relationship, he’d adjust, and happily, if it was the right person. I mean, do you think he’s less happy because Lucy and I are married?”

“No. He’s probably happier. He adores her. But that’s different. He’s known her his whole life.”

“He’s known James his whole life, too.”

Heck. That was true. And she was tremendously hung up on James; that was also true.

But a real relationship? She had no idea what James had planned for the future. She could ask, of course. Or wait and see, maybe. That seemed safer.

Ethan cleared his plate. “Well, it’s obviously up to you. Just don’t martyr yourself on the altar of motherhood.”

Her mouth dropped open. “Ethan Mirabelli! Bite me.” She flipped him the bird.

He grinned. “I’d rather hug you. I should hit the road, anyway.”

“Good, because you’re a pain in the ass. Get out of here.” She hugged him, then smacked him on the side of the head. “Tell your parents I miss them and I’ll be home in a couple weeks.”

“Tell them yourself.”

“You’re a cruel man.”

He grinned, then went down the hall to say goodbye to their boy.

CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT

JAMES WAS BEING watched. For the second day in a row, Nicky Mirabelli was staring him down, sitting at the top of the hill that led down to the dock, idly digging a hole with a gardening spade. Parker was planting flowers, and Nick was allegedly helping. More than that, he was staring at James. Occasionally, he’d announce a fact: I can swim a mile. I can eat five pancakes. I’m stronger than you.

It was making James nervous. He’d never felt comfortable around kids, not that he got much chance. The natural, automatic affection that flowed effortlessly from both Parker and Ethan toward their kid…he couldn’t imagine that. Maybe it happened when it was your kid. Maybe he wasn’t the kid type. That seemed more likely.

“I can use the nail gun,” Nicky said now. “My mother said so.”

“Really?” James said. “Well, if she tells me that herself, I’ll show you how.”