A quick glance around told him Dr. Murphy’s black SUV still wasn’t here. They were late. Diana said she’d have her dad here by five. It was almost six. He sighed, running the back of his forearm across his forehead. After three days of texting, and a lot of patience on his part, he and Diana had come up with a way to make absolutely sure that the two families would run into each other.
From there, it was up to his mom and Doc Murphy. He was pretty sure he knew what was going to happen. He was pretty sure his mother was in love with Graham Murphy. And she was missing him.
Because Nick was being a prick.
What the hell was wrong with him? Or, as Diana put it, what gave him the right to stop his mom from being happy? All the bullshit excuses were just that: bullshit.
Graham was the best thing that had happened to his mom—and their family—in a long time. He kept his cool, rolled with whatever life threw at him, and he looked at his mom like she was the only woman in the world.
Had that bothered him? Hell yes, it had, in the beginning.
But that’s how any man who deserved her should look at her. When Diana finally came clean about the level of hell she’d put her father through, Nick had a whole new level of respect for the man. His daughter was messed up, but Doc Murphy would never give up on her. Ever. He loved her, no conditions, no leaving—no matter what.
His mom deserved that. Someone who would always love her.
It was all thanks to Grams. While he’d been stuffing himself on éclairs, she’d been setting him straight. He might be young, but he wasn’t stupid. Grams might use fortune-cookie speak sometimes, all vague declarations and philosophical mumbo jumbo, but other times she was a freaking genius. Like the tea party.
Bottom line, life was hard. But going it alone was harder.
Having Jack at home only proved how much love his mom had to give. Were his mom and Jack getting close? Yes. And he was glad. The little dude needed a mom. And there was no better one in the world.
And then there was Di. He’d texted her after the bonfire—told her Lane was a dick and she could do better and since their parents were hooking up she needed to get used to him being a pain-in-the-ass big brother. She’d texted back “Fuck off.” Then texted “Okay. Cool. I’m good with that.”
“Hey, man.” Owen sat on the blanket. “Hey, Jack-man.” He high-fived the toddler and chuckled. “Love the shades.”
Nick bought Jack a pair of plastic aviators so they could match, and Jack wore them constantly. “He looks cool. Like his big brother.”
“They here yet?” Owen asked.
Nick shook his head. His sister, Owen, and Aunt Charity were all on board with the whole Mom and Graham thing. Now all they had to do was get his mom and Graham here, and hopefully they’d take it from there.
“But Di knows this is where to be?” Owen asked.
“I told her. We always camp in front of the flagpoles.” They came to the same spot, year after year. Granddad said it was the best view. Nick leaned back on his elbows, trying to relax. It wasn’t working. “She’ll get him here.”
If Diana wanted something, nothing was going to stop her. She wanted this. Her dad was in love with his mom; she knew it. According to her, he was sad and missed being with her—and the family—a lot.
Besides, as Diana liked to point out, as soon as they got their folks together, she went from being an only child to having two brothers and a sister. Which, Nick had to admit, was cool. Diana was messed up, but that was who she was. She was going to be a hell of a complicated sister, but she’d fit right in.
If this was what his mother wanted.
Honor arrived, a lemon freeze in each hand. “Here ya go.” She offered one to Owen and Nick swiped the other. “Hey, that was to share with Jack.”
“I’ll share with him,” Nick said, spooning some of the tart sweetness into Jack’s mouth.
Jack’s lips tightened with a loud smack. His hands waved and his little face screwed up into a ridiculous expression, making them all burst out laughing. Jack laughed, too.
“What did I miss?” Mom joined them, sitting between Owen and Jack. “What’s so funny, Jack-man?”
Jack grinned a sticky grin and clapped his hands.
Nick, still laughing, held up the lemon freeze.
“You did not feed him that?” his mother asked, digging in her monster purse for a wipe. “Nickie, that’s too tart for him.”
“He liked it,” Nick managed.
“You’re terrible.” She shook her head, but she was smiling.