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I put Maddi behind me, then move Courtney aside. I take the oven mitts from her. I pull the pan out of the oven and set it on top of the stove, then hit the vent for the fan to help clear the air.
“You’re right. I don’t think they are supposed to be black like that,” Maddi mumbles.
I chuckle while Courtney giggles.
“I think you’re right, sweetheart.” Courtney giggles harder, and I smile down at her as I look at the salmon she was cooking.
They’re black and burned to a crisp. There is no salvaging it.
“Looks like I’m going to be ordering pizza after all,” I say.
Courtney looks up and grins at me.
Yes, I’m falling head over heels in love with her. Or maybe I’ve already fallen.
“Sorry, the directions said to bake the salmon steaks, then to turn on the broiler to brown the top. I wasn’t watching and lost track of time.” She bites her lip, then looks down at the fish. “The green beans, couscous, and salad are still okay. Do you have some kind of meat we can defrost and cook?”
“The only thing we have in the freezer is ice cream and popsicles,” Maddi informs us, then smiles. “We could have the apple pie you brought and ice cream for dinner?”
“Nice try, kid.” I shake my head at her, and she shrugs as if to say it was worth a shot.
“I can run to the store and pick up a rotisserie chicken,” Courtney suggests, getting the garbage can and tossing the fish away.
“I’ll run to the store and take that out on my way,” I say, taking the bag out of the trash. “Do we need anything else?”
“Not that I know of,” Courtney says. She looks at Maddi, who shakes her head.
“All right. I’ll be back in just a few.” I kiss Courtney on the lips, then I kiss the top of Maddi’s head. I grab my wallet off the end of the counter and head out the door. When I make it downstairs, I toss the garbage bag into the trash and then head for the store.
It takes me less than thirty minutes to make it through the store and get back home, but the moment I walk through the door I know something is off from the tension that seems to have filled the air.
The problem is sitting at the island, with what looks like a glass of wine in front of her. My body goes rigid.
“Hey, Lucas.” Eva smiles at me with red lips. Her hair is done up, and the dress she’s wearing barely covers her breasts and her crotch.
I don’t acknowledge her. I look into the kitchen and see Courtney standing so close to Maddi you’d think she was attempting to fuse herself to her side.
“You girls okay?” I ask in a low tone.
Courtney nods and attempts to smile, but I can tell it’s forced.
I look at Eva. “What are you doing here?”
“I wanted to come see Maddi.” I look at the wine in front of her. “Your girlfriend offered me a glass.” She smiles.
“Hey, Lucas.” I turn and see Heather coming out of the bathroom. She’s wearing something similar to the outfit that Eva has on.
“Heather.” My jaw clenches. I don’t even want to know what these two have been up to while I’ve been gone.
“I should take Merida out before we have dinner,” Courtney says, cutting through the silence.
“I’ll go with you.” Maddi looks up at Courtney.
“I came to see you, Madeline,” Eva says.
I know it’s bullshit. She knew Courtney, Maddi, and I were having dinner tonight. She decided to stop by to stir up drama.
“You should stay and visit with your mom, sweetheart. I’ll be right back,” Courtney says softly.
I see Eva bristle. I follow Courtney to the door and watch her put the leash on Merida’s collar. I open the door and step out with her, closing the door behind me.
“I’m sorry, baby. When you get back, they won’t be here.”
“It’s okay,” she says, not looking at me.
I wonder if Eva said something awful to her.
“Baby?” I wrap my hand around her jaw and lift until her eyes meet mine. “When you get back, they won’t be here,” I repeat.
I watch her chest rise and fall as she takes a deep breath.
“Okay.”
“Okay.” I press a kiss to her lips. “Don’t stay gone too long.”
“So I shouldn’t get in a cab and go home? Or kidnap Maddi and run away with her?”
“Unless you’re taking me with you, no.” I rub my thumb across her bottom lip. “Come back soon.”
She nods, and I kiss her once more. Then I let her go and watch her disappear down the steps. When she’s gone, I pull in a breath to get my anger in check. I open the door to the apartment. Maddi is nowhere in sight, and her bedroom door is closed—letting me know she’s hiding. Heather and Eva are both sitting at the island.
