“I need to finish eating,” I lie. I’m not hungry. My stomach has too many butterflies to eat.
“Bring your food over here. You can eat with us.”
“I’m fine where I’m at,” I insist, knowing that getting close to him is not a smart thing to do. It’s safer if I’m on the other side of the room.
“C’mon Meddie. Eat with your momma.”
“You mean my mother who is selling me out?” I laugh.
“I have no idea what you mean,” she says with a smirk. “I’m just really hungry.”
I laugh, I can’t help it. She just seems so happy. “Right.”
“Oh, shush. Go get your food and eat with us. You’re missing the movie.”
“Yeah, Mom, come eat with all of us,” Adam chimes in.
When you’re outvoted, there’s not much you can do. I get my food and walk slowly back to the living room. I try to sit in a chair, but Blue is prepared. He grabs my food from my hand and puts it on the table beside him. He pats the cushion beside him, and I’m left without a choice. If I don’t sit down, I’m going to rock the boat in front of the kids. Feeling weird and nervous, I finally sit. I feel eyes on me, but when I look at Blue he’s laughing and talking to my mom. Laughing…
Maybe I’ve slipped into an alternate universe. I move my gaze around the room, but when I look at my son, he’s studying me. There’s a big smile on his face. I don’t want to give him encouragement, but there’s something on his face that I don’t think I’ve ever seen before. I can’t explain it, but as much as it makes the mom in me happy, it terrifies me, too. He’s getting his hopes up when it comes to me and Blue. I’d like to tell him to stop, but I think I’m in the same boat.
“Quit worrying and eat, Doe.”
“Adam,” I whisper, not sure what else to say.
“Will be okay. I know I’ve been an ass for a while now, but you have to know me well enough to know I’d never hurt your son.”
“Maybe not intentionally,” I allow.
He reaches over and slides the palm of his hand along the side of my neck. “You need to understand something, Doe.”
“What’s that?”
“We’re going to do this. There’s too much riding on it not to.”
“You make it sound so easy,” I grumble.
“It won’t be. It will be really hard and probably painful.”
“If this is your sales pitch, Moonie, it sucks.’
His eyes sparkle as his thumb brushes against my skin. “Anything worthwhile is something you have to work for, baby.” He leans in and kisses my forehead. My eyes close as I let his words and well, him settle over me. He pulls back, and I immediately feel the loss of that small connection. “Now eat, your momma is beating you.”
I look over to Mom, and her plate is almost clean. She’s not eating, though. Nope, not at all.
She’s smiling at me and Blue.
Crap.
Chapter 23
Blue
“This place is huge,” Meadow says looking around the wide-open living room.
She seems to like it, and I don’t know why I’m nervous, but I am. I shouldn’t be. I had this log cabin built to satisfy me. It’s a picture of a home I’ve always wanted. Shining wood walls, ceilings, floors. There is tile in the kitchen and dining area—which is all open. I’m really not a formal dining room kind of guy. The living room is the entire width of the house and over twenty-foot long. I wanted it big enough to hold all my brothers and sisters, along with my parents, comfortably. I’m not sure why since we always have family gatherings at Mom’s. Still, I wanted it that way. At first, I dreamed of having a home big enough, so there was plenty of room for my kids. As I got older and kept longing for a woman that was in my past, I gave up hope of having kids. Seeing Meadow here in my house, knowing she’s carrying my child and watching as Adam, River, and Tommy run in excitedly feels right. It gives me even more resolve to keep working on Meadow. It’s proof I’m on the right path.
“Uncle Blue, we’re going to go down to the pond,” River calls out.
“Okay, be careful and be back here by two if you all want to go out with me.”
“Wait—” Meadow interjects, but she’s talking to the slamming of a door.
“The last I checked I was Adam’s mother. I should be the one to give him permission.”
Damn, looks like I stepped wrong again.
“Doe—”
“And Adam doesn’t know how to swim. I know nothing about this pond. Is it easy to get to? How deep is it? I don’t—”
“Baby, breathe.”
“Blue—”
“First, you’re right. I should have consulted with you. I’m sorry.”