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My phone rings, scaring the hell out of me. If a scream comes out, too, well, that’s my business, and no one else’s.
Katie’s name flashes on the screen, so I answer quickly. “I’m so mad at you! I thought this book was supposed to have a happily ever after!”
Katie pauses for a beat, and then she busts out laughing. “The series does end happily, but you have to read the next two books before you’ll get there.”
I groan. “Next time you recommend a book to me, please give me all the information.”
“But then it would’ve ruined the surprise.”
“I hate that you’re right.” I grin at Katie’s giggles. “Now that I got that off my chest, are you guys done?”
“Yeah, we’re outside the restaurant.”
“Great, I’m down the street a bit. Turn left from the entrance, and you’ll see me.”
“Got it. Be there in a minute.”
I hang up and get out of my car to meet them on the sidewalk. The biggest smile stretches across my face when I see the two of them walking toward me, chattering back and forth. They don’t seem upset, which hopefully means things didn’t go horribly.
Cody sees me first and runs toward me. “I’m starving. Can we get pizza at the arcade?” Little tingles of pride flutter in my belly that he’s asking me first instead of Katie. I raise an eyebrow at her to check, and she nods.
“Sure. As long as it has pepperoni on it, we can get pizza.”
He makes a face. “What other kind would we get?”
“Hawaiian is my favorite,” Katie says.
Cody and I turn to her with matching expressions of disgust. I look down at him. “I don’t think we can hang out with your mom anymore. I do not want to be seen with someone who likes pineapple on their pizza.”
“Yeah, Mom. That’s so gross.”
I can’t quite decipher the expression on Katie’s face as she looks between me and Cody with a smile. “Unfortunately, you’re stuck with me, kid.”
Cody smiles at her, seeming pleased as punch to be stuck with her as his mom. “As long as I don’t have to eat your gross pizza, I’m okay with that.”
I bark out a laugh. “Come on, you two; you’re making me hungry.” I open the car door for Cody so he doesn’t have to walk out into the street, and then I open Katie’s door.
She gives me a little grin when I grab her around the waist and pull her close. “You know I’m fucking ecstatic to be stuck with you,” I murmur in her ear.
“You better be,” she says haughtily before popping a kiss onto my cheek and getting into the car.
There’s not a damn thing in this world that could cast a shadow on my happiness right now. I’m practically glowing with it.
A cacophony of sounds hits us as we walk into the arcade center. Children are squealing with delight; games are blasting their theme songs to entice you to play and then ringing to announce the winners.
The three of us decide to eat something before we play. I haven’t asked how lunch went yet. I want to give them some time to decompress before we rehash everything. If the fact that they’re both starving despite having just eaten is any indication, I’m guessing it didn’t go well.
We sit in the booth the hostess leads us to, Cody and Katie on one side and me on the other. The waitress takes our order: sodas for all three of us and a large pepperoni pizza. As she walks away, an idea pops into my head.
“Crap, I forgot to ask her to add some cheesy breadsticks. I’ll be right back.” I jump from the booth before Katie can say anything. The waitress hasn’t made it very far, so I catch up to her quickly. She gives me a flirty smile as I explain what I want. “I can do that. No problem.”
I nod at her and turn back to the booth. My body freezes when I see Katie and Cody talking to each other. Cody’s laughing at something Katie is saying, and I find myself smiling as if I’m laughing with him. How did I get lucky enough to see this side of them? How the fuck am I going to keep them? I know jack shit about raising a kid. Granted, Cody acts more grown up than most eight-year-olds. Regardless, the likelihood of me fucking this up is high.
Self-doubt washes over me with such force I feel crippled by it. Could I ever be good enough to deserve them? I have no idea, but I’m just selfish enough not to care. I want them, both of them, with everything I have. I’ll do whatever it takes to hold on to them for as long as they’ll let me.
I make my way back to the booth and sit down. “Got them ordered.”
“We never get cheesy bread with pizza.” Cody bounces with the excitement of a kid getting everything he could hope for all in one afternoon.
