I swallow down the anxiety threatening to make me bolt. The idea of giving someone else a chance to hurt me again has me wanting to push him away. But in his eyes, I see only adoration and decide that this will be the time I give him what he wants.
“One dinner,” I whisper, barely believing the words coming out of my mouth.
“One dinner.”
“Nothing more.”
“Not yet.”
“Okay.”
His eyes widen with my agreement. “I’ll pick you up Friday at seven.”
“Okay.”
“You’re being way too agreeable now. What’s the catch?”
I giggle softly and close my eyes as his thumb runs along my skin. “No catch.”
“Keep the password to my phone. Check it any time.” He slides down, crouching down in front of me, his hands wrapped tightly around mine. “I have nothing to hide.”
I nod.
“The offer is never off the table. One day you’ll learn to trust me. I promise.”
He guides me up by my hands, takes his phone and keys, stuffing them into his jacket pocket.
“Where are you taking me?”
“Lunch.”
“You’re pushing your luck.”
“This is business. St. Pats’ business.” He winks.
He never lets go of my hand and as much as it scares me, I don’t want him to.
Chapter Seventeen
It’s nine o’clock at night when I finally drag myself up the walkway toward my childhood bungalow, hoping Jade is asleep because every limb in my body is more exhausted than it felt when she was a newborn. Working out with Chelsea before my class was not the best decision.
My phone rings as I step through the door. Jade runs over, hugs me and then steals the phone out of my jacket pocket.
“Jade,” I sigh.
My mom is laying on the couch, her eyes closed, the television on some Disney show I’m sure is teaching my daughter how to be sassier than already comes naturally to her.
“Daddy!” she screams so loud, my mom’s eyes pop open.
“Oh, I’m sorry. I must have dozed off.” She moves to sit up.
“Mom, go to bed, I’ll take care of her tonight. Thank you.”
I really can’t expect her to manage Jade for much longer. It’s not her job to raise a child all over again. We came here to help her, not the other way around.
“No. I’ve got my second wind now.” She half smiles.
Jade skips around the house with my phone pressed to her ear. “School’s good,” she says, her voice holding the excitement only her daddy receives. Each call like an unexpected surprise.
“The bastard?” my mom asks in a near whisper, pulling the blanket off her legs.
“Yeah.”
She rolls her eyes and stands up, collecting Jade’s dishes.
“No, Mom, I got it.” I take them from her hands and head to the kitchen where Jade is rounding the center island like it’s a racetrack.
Once I’ve set the dishes in the sink, I place my hands on her shoulders to stop her and point to the table. She frowns but sits down.
“Can we FaceTime?” I hear her ask.
Pete must accept because she hangs up and then dials him right back with FaceTime. I glance over, and his face is displayed on my phone, his backdrop the usual one—his office.
“Daddy, are you at work?” Jade props her head in her hand and positions the phone.
“Yeah, it’s only seven o’clock here,” his deep voice answers with amusement in his tone. Like it’s normal for people to work past seven when they started at six in the morning.
“You look tired,” Jade says.
I pretend to wash the dishes and load the dishwasher while the two talk, glancing at the screen every once in a while. He can’t see me over Jade’s head taking up the entire camera area, thank goodness. Looking at Pete, I can’t help but wonder what he’d think if I told him about my upcoming date with Reed. I’m sure he’d be surprised I ran into him, let alone that he’s been actively pursuing me, but I don’t think he’d care in a jealous sort of way.
“Guess what, Bug?”
“What Daddy?”
I clench the dish in my hand at hearing him use my term of affection toward her. Actually, my mom’s that kind of stuck while she was growing up.
“I’m coming to Chicago,” he announces.
“You are?”
“Well, I heard this special little girl was having a birthday.”
“Me!” Jade points to herself.
I hate the way my intelligent daughter pretends to be a baby when she’s speaking with her dad. Like he won’t love her as much if she shows how smart and opinionated she is.
“Yeah, I wouldn’t miss my little bug’s birthday.”
Gah. Bile rises up my throat but I manage to suppress my eye roll.
“I’m going to be eight.” That was not an ‘I’m proud to be eight,’ that was a ‘just in case you forgot, I’m turning eight.’ On her fifth birthday, Pete thought she was four. Good times were had by all in the Keebler family that day, let me tell you.
“I know. I’m staying at Grandma and Grandpa’s, how about you stay over there with us?”
He’s kidding, right? On her birthday, he’s going to try to take her away from me?
“Jade sweetie, let me talk to your dad after you’re finished.” I manage to keep my voice level when I really want to rip the phone from her grasp and unleash a series of vulgarities at my ex-husband.
“Okay.”
“Is that your mom you’re talking to?” I smile to myself, knowing his worst fear is it’s my mom.
“Yep,” she says, moving the phone to show me at the sink.
“Hey, Vic,” he says.
I wave, my hand full of soap. “Hey.”
“Can you bring the ocean with you?” Jade quickly hijacks the conversation. Not that I blame her. She waits weeks for his calls sometimes.
“I can bring you some sand and water.”
Fat chance.
“Then I can take it to show and tell. My friend, Henry, has never seen the ocean.”
“Never seen the ocean? What kind of sheltered life is this kid living?” He chuckles like that’s actually funny.
“What does sheltered mean?”
“It means he hasn’t seen everything yet.” My mom walks by, tapping Jade’s hip so she’ll slide over and sit properly on the chair.
“I want to show Henry everything. Can he come with me to Los Angeles?” Jade bounces up and down on the chair and whines.
“Of course he can, but I’m not sure his parents would agree.”
“Henry doesn’t have parents.” The sadness I hear in her voice every time she has to tell someone that is ever present.
“He doesn’t. Who takes care of him?” Pete asks.
My mom joins me at the sink, and we share a look of mutual disgust that my ex-husband is rarely present in Jade’s life but wants to play dad of the year when he is.
“His grandma and grandpa, oh and he’s got a big brother.”
“I’m glad he has his grandparents.” I overhear the shuffling of paperwork. “Because I’m not sure a big brother would be much help.”