Yeah, her current mood made sense. “I’m sorry, Naomi.”
Tears pooled in her eyes, and Josh placed his hand on her arm. Despite what she’d done, he hated her relationship ended the way it had.
A tear broke free and slipped down her cheek. Naomi brushed it away before she spoke. “I’ve spent a lot of time thinking about my decision and decided I was wrong. Your personal life aside, you’ve been a great dad since the day Adalynn was born, and when you’re together, I know you put her first. There is no reason whatsoever for us not to share joint custody of Adalynn.”
About time you got your head out of your ass. “Where are you staying now?” he asked instead of offering up the thoughts in his head. He knew she’d sold her townhouse after moving in with Reggie. It took time to find a new apartment or house.
“For the moment, at the Sherbrooke Copley Square. My parents offered me their guest bedroom until I find something, but my job is here. I can’t move to Vermont even if it is only temporary.”
He’d forgotten her parents had bought an old Victorian in Vermont two summers ago and opened a bed-and-breakfast, a lifelong dream of theirs. “Use my condo in the city.” The Sherbrooke Copley Square might be the nicest hotel in Boston, but he didn’t want his daughter calling it home for any length of time.
“Are you sure?”
“After lunch, pick up Adalynn and meet me there.”
Her face said she wanted to accept the offer, but her mouth said something else. “You’re sure Courtney won’t mind that your ex-girlfriend is using your condo?”
“No. She’ll understand.”
Whether she minded or not was the least of his worries. With the custody issue off the table, he no longer needed to get married. Thanks to the weather, they’d already changed the date of the wedding. It’d be easy enough to push it back several months and then at some point call off their engagement entirely, two things he didn’t want happening.
Courtney slammed her closet door closed with a bit more force than necessary. After spending a good portion of the day searching for a photographer, florist, and either a band or DJ for their wedding and not finding three all available when she wanted them, her frustration level was around a nine. The fact she was waiting for Addie’s DJ friend as well as a possible photographer to return calls was the only thing keeping it from a ten. She hoped Josh’s day had gone better than hers.
She’d expected him to be here when she got home. His mom and siblings were expected in less than half an hour. Before they arrived, she’d like at least a short recap of his meeting with Naomi. If he didn’t get here soon, there wouldn’t be time. And she couldn’t imagine waiting until their company left to find out what his ex-girlfriend had wanted.
After pulling on a sweater, she added her dress to the dry cleaner bag. Courtney didn’t know what Scarlett Basto would be wearing tonight, but she wouldn’t look like she’d just left the office. From the little she’d read about the woman, it was more likely Josh’s mom would be dressed for a night at a dance club.
Before she left the room, Courtney grabbed her phone and turned off the lights.
Where are you? She typed the message as she walked toward the kitchen.
She’d prefer to have Josh here when his family arrived, especially his mom. She’d met Evan, and from what the brothers had told her, she got the impression Shannon was a lot like them. If there was any truth to Scarlett’s reputation, she was nothing like her children. Frequently, the media referred to her as someone others in Hollywood hated to work with because of her ridiculous over-the-top demands.
She got a response almost right away.
Just parked in the garage.
He’d have to give her the extra-condensed version of his meeting, but at least she wouldn’t have to welcome his family alone.
“Sorry I’m running so late.” Josh walked in carrying several takeout bags. They’d talked about going out for dinner with his family. Josh felt it was a better idea to stay here. Since they both had obligations today, they’d decided to go the takeout route tonight.
“Did you leave Boston later than you planned?” Rush hour traffic out of the city sometimes started as early as three. Depending on when he left, he might have run right into it.
“Yeah. After I saw Naomi, I took care of a few errands. I should’ve known better.”
She glanced at her watch. Unless their guests were late, they didn’t have much time. “Give me the abridged version for now. What did she want?”
Josh tossed something he’d pulled from a bag into the refrigerator and turned back toward her. “To explain why she filed for sole custody and to tell me she changed her mind. We’re going back to the way things were before she got the lawyers involved.” The happiness radiating off him nearly blinded her.
Joy washed over her, and she threw her arms around him. “That’s awesome.” As quickly as the joy came, it receded. A combination of dread and curiosity took its place. “What made her change her mind?” They weren’t married yet. If just the idea of him getting married was enough, she could have changed her mind weeks ago.
“Finding out her fiancé was screwing a coworker. It’s a long story. I’ll tell you later.”
Dread overshadowed her curiosity. “It had nothing to do with you getting married?” She dropped her arms by her sides and took a step back.
As if connected to a light switch, his happiness went off, and he shook his head. “No. Looks like you’re off the hook.”
Off the hook. What a way to put it.
“Did you have any luck setting everything up for the weekend after Valentine’s Day?” he asked.
“Not yet. I’m waiting for a few people to call me back.” This might be the first time a lack of success turned out to be a positive thing.
He shoved his hands in his pockets and blew out a deep breath. “Okay. Then we could push the wedding back several months and then in a month or two call it off altogether.”
A fist closed around her throat. She only had herself to blame for being in this position. If she’d kept this a strictly business agreement, her heart wouldn’t be tearing in half. “You’re not known for your commitment, so nobody would be surprised if it happened.” She somehow managed to get the words out.
“Or we could—” The doorbell rang, and Josh closed his eyes. “Damn it.”
My sentiments exactly. She wanted to finish this conversation, not entertain his family while still pretending they’d soon be married. “I got it.”
He grabbed her arm before she took more than a step. “They can wait a minute.” Whoever stood at the door disagreed, because the doorbell chimed again before he continued.
“We’ve got all night to talk, Josh.”
He didn’t stop her when she pulled her arm away.
If a bell curve for mothers existed, Scarlett Basto and Marilyn Belmont would be at the opposite tails, something Courtney realized the moment she opened the door. As she expected, Josh’s mom wasn’t dressed as if she’d recently left the office. For her first meeting with her son’s fiancée, the woman opted for white pants, a skintight leopard print bodysuit with a plunging neckline, and heeled boots that ended just below the knee. The woman looked like she should be going on stage as a dancer at a concert, not spending a quiet night with her adult children. As if to support Courtney’s original opinion, Shannon was wearing jeans and a pink sweater.