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“Hey, no promises.” I hold my palms up and give her my best grin. “But I’ll see what I can do.”
Like fuck I will.
“Good, because I don’t want things ending on a bad note.”
“I don’t see how me slinging my arm around you — since you were my wife at one point in time — could be a bad thing. If he can’t get used to the way we are and the way we co-parent, then that’s on him, not me.”
“You’re not exactly making it easy.” She sighs. “You almost tore his hand off with that five-minute handshake.”
I try not to laugh. “That’s how southern men are supposed to greet each other. I thought he was from Georgia originally, but maybe not. I’m sorry his handshake isn’t what I thought it would be.”
She gives me another stern look. “We need to have that talk, and fast,” she says, exasperated.
“Fine. If we get a chance later.” I nod. Though I doubt it if Kirk is going to be in the way.
It’s not in my nature to be nervous about anything, but this non-divorce business has had me rattled since I first discovered it. And I’ve been making pathetic excuses since I found the paperwork. Something sparked within me, and I can’t explain it, not when she is clearly into this Kirk dude and still technically hitched to me.
My hopes of her being cool about this small little detail are diminishing by the second.
“I’m going to round the kids up for the farm tour at my place,” I say. “We can just walk across the ways.”
“Sounds good.” Eden gives me a small smile and leans into my side. “I can’t believe we have an eleven year old, Brookie.”
Brookie.
Fucking hell. I swallow hard. She hasn’t fucking called me that in years.
My heart accelerates at an abnormal pace and I’m glad her voice has softened. “I can’t believe it either. She’s the best thing we ever did.” I lean against the staircase banister, watching Blake laugh and joke with her friends. The gold glitter theme has nothing on her outfit; gold shiny jeggings, a sparkly gold glittery top which has a million sequins on it, and her new gold cowboy boots she’s been proudly wearing all day. Eden even let her put some glittery eyeshadow on to compliment her outfit.
“She sure is.”
I feel Eden glance up at me and she’s about to say something else. I see something in her eyes, a sparkle, a glisten — something that wasn’t there before. At least, that’s what I think I see. But Kirk clears his throat behind us and Eden straightens out.
“Honey, I have to go,” he says. “I just got an emergency call. I have to head straight into surgery when I get back to Atlanta.”
“Now?” She sounds disappointed.
“Yeah, I’m sorry. I was really looking forward to spending the weekend.”
“Me too.”
“I’ll say goodbye to Blake. It’s been a great day.”
“Okay. If you’re ready now, I’ll walk you out.” She links her hand with his, and seeing her touch him makes me see red.
I clench my hand in my pocket and try to act ‘normal’ as I’m sure the guy thinks I’m a complete asshole. Not that I care in the slightest what he thinks.
“Until next time,” Kirk says, giving me a chin lift. Not brave enough to stick his hand out again.
Can’t wait. “Until then.” I nod back.
“You have an exceptional daughter,” he feels the need to add. “She’s a great kid.”
I know he’s trying to be nice, probably for Eden’s sake, if only I could do the same.
But do I really need Kirk telling me how great my daughter is?
Please.
