“It’s not a race.” Mia shakes her head, picking up her burger and taking a bite.

“But I want ice cream.”

“Sweetheart, we all have to eat before we get dessert,” I tell her, and she sighs.

With a smile, I pick up my burger and take a bite. Even cold, it’s still good.

“Are you guys okay?” Cece asks, and she must surprise even Mia with her presence, judging by the way she jumps. When I look at her, I can tell she’s been crying but has taken time to fix her makeup, which is a good thing, because her girls are already on edge.

“We’re going to get ice cream!” Ruby tells her mom.

“You are?” Cece looks at Mia.

“Talon bribed the girls so they would eat,” Mia admits.

Cece looks at me, and her eyes soften. “That sounds like fun.” She smooths her hand over the crown of Ruby’s head before leaning down and kissing her hair. “I gotta work, but I’ll see you girls in the morning for breakfast.” She walks around the table to Kate and Lola, giving them each a kiss.

“See you when you get home,” Mia states, the warning clear in her tone. The two of them hold a silent conversation as they stare at each other before Cece glances around the table, ordering softly to her girls that they be good, before she disappears.

After the girls finish eating, I follow Mia to one of the frozen yogurt places in town, and we eat outside. The mood is light, even with the events of tonight fresh on the girls’ minds. When we finish our ice cream, I leave Mia at the door to her car with a promise from her to call me after she gets the girls tucked into bed, and I kiss her cheek.

I get in my truck and start the engine, my brother’s words from earlier tonight ringing in my ears. I’m not looking forward to whatever drama is about to unfold, but I know without a doubt that I’d deal with anything if at the end I have Mia at my side.

CHAPTER 7

Mia

WITH A TIRED sigh, I close the door to Lola and Kate’s room. Getting them to bed tonight was a little harder than it’s been, and the call they had with their dad didn’t seem to help things. I didn’t listen to their conversation, because I was getting Ruby to sleep, but by the time I got to their room to tuck them in, both girls had questions about their parents’ marriage that made me uncomfortable. I’m not sure what their father told them, but I could tell by their questions that it had something to do with their parents divorcing and the house they grew up in.

I grab my cell from my room where I had it charging and take it with me downstairs, where I plan on waiting for Cece to get home. It’s obvious to me that something has happened and she has once again left me in the dark. I don’t want to be mad at her, but I am so over her not being honest until it’s too late. When I reach the kitchen, I go to the fridge and grab a Diet Coke then take a seat at the island. I crack it open and take a sip then tap the screen of my phone, finding a text from Talon waiting for me. I don’t read it; instead, I dial his number and put my phone to my ear.

“Hey,” he answers on the first ring.

“Hey.”

“Did you get the girls to bed?” he asks quietly, and I soak in the way just the sound of his voice makes me feel.

“I did.”

“That bad, huh?” he prompts, and I wonder how he knows. “What time does your sister get off?”

“I think eleven.” I glance at the clock, seeing it’s 8:30, which means I still have a few hours before she’s home, and I’m already tired.

“Are you waiting up for her?”

“Yeah, she has some explaining to do. I’m not sure what tonight was about, but when I put the girls to bed, they were asking about their parents getting divorced and where they would live when that happened.” I rub the spot between my eyes that is starting to throb. “I didn’t know what to tell them, because Cece hasn’t talked to me. So I’m pretty sure I didn’t make them feel any better, which sucks, because now they’re trying to sleep with that on their minds.”

“You think maybe she asked him for a divorce?”

I shrug then remember he can’t see me. “I don’t know. The last time we spoke about it, she didn’t have money for the divorce papers, and he was refusing to put up the cash.”

“Maybe he wants her back.”

“Maybe, but then why have a woman at your house when your kids are there? To me, that is a clear statement that you’re moving on.”

“You’re not wrong about that,” he says, sounding annoyed, and I smile. “You still good with coming to my place tomorrow for dinner?”

My pulse flutters at the reminder that I will be alone with him in his home tomorrow evening. “I’m still good, but I think I should drive myself to your house. That way, if something comes up, I’ll be able to leave without you being inconvenienced.”

“If something comes up? You already working on a way to ditch me?” I hear the smile in his voice.

I can’t help but laugh. “I’m not going to ditch you.”

“I’m also not going to be inconvenienced if I have to take you home, but I get it. So if it makes you feel better, I’ll text you my address.”

“Thanks.” I smile. “And let me know what you want me to bring.”

“Yourself, but you can let me know what you drink so I can pick it up when I hit the store in the afternoon. I got some beer and whiskey, but no wine or anything like that.”

“After drinking with Cece the other night, I’m taking a break from any kind of alcohol for a while,” I say, and he laughs. “I’ll be good with soda or tea.”

“Got it.” He goes quiet, and then I hear the shuffle of fabric and what sounds like him lying down.

“Are you going to bed?”

“Yeah, I gotta get up early to meet my uncle and my brothers at the house so we can come up with a game plan to get done in time for our deadline.”

“Let me know when you’re ready for me to wield a broom.”

“So damn sweet,” he says roughly, the deep sound making my stomach muscles bunch. “Gotta let you know, babe, if you were in front of me, I’d have a really hard time not kissing you.”

With my toes curled and my chest warm, I clear my throat. “Go to sleep, and I’ll see you tomorrow.”

“Try to get some rest yourself, and if you need me, my cell is on.”

“Night, Talon.”

“Night, baby.”

I hang up and close my eyes, trying to remind myself that I don’t really know him, so I shouldn’t trust the way I feel. But that doesn’t change the fact that I like him. Actions always speak louder than words, and in the short time I’ve known him, he has shown me the kind of man he is. A man who would step in to save a stranger, a man who has a deep love for his father and mother, a man who was concerned enough for me to show up when he found out I didn’t go to work. And a guy who tried to make three little girls smile when he saw how worried they were.

So yeah, I don’t know that I should trust the way I feel, but for once, I’m not going to think too much about it. I’m going to just see what happens, and if I end up hurt, it won’t be the first time. My phone ringing pulls me from my thoughts, and I open my eyes and sigh when I see my mom is calling. I want to answer, because I miss her, but I know she’s going to ask me questions I have no answers to, and given what happened tonight, that is even clearer.