Don’t make the mistake of falling in love with Brad. He’s doing this for his son, nothing else.
I try to push away my best friend’s voice, but I don’t quite manage it, and though I fix a smile on my face, my joy has dissipated. I shift my gaze to Brad. Someone who does not know him would think he’s having the time of his life. Though he’s smiling, his right foot keeps tapping the ground.
Something has been on his mind all morning.
“Welcome to the crew, Mila,” Brooke Foster says, bringing me back to the present.
I smile back. “Thank you.”
She leans in to whisper into my ear. “I know how you feel. I was there not too long ago, but I promise they are a friendly bunch and so very loyal.”
I like Brooke. She’s been through so much, from losing her brother and sister-in-law to raising their son, and yet, she’s managed to fall in love and find happiness. “Thanks, I’ll remember that,” I tell her.
“Remember what?” a throaty voice says.
I recall the green-eyed beauty’s name. Marian Stevens. A friend of Jason and Brooke Cooper.
“None of your business,” Brooke tells her playfully, and Marian pouts.
“You’re no fun.”
The other ladies join in on the teasing, and I find myself relaxing and joining in the conversation. It feels good to socialize and to feel like a normal adult. I hadn’t realized how much fun a party can be. Time flies as we chat and eat. Brooke and Jason keep everyone well fed with endless trays of food going around.
I turn when someone touches my arm. I smile at Brad, but when he speaks, my smile disappears.
“We have to go,” he says.
“But we just got here,” I protest.
“Mila, we’ve been here for two and a half hours.” His voice is tense. Unyielding.
“Okay.”
“I’ll go get Isaac,” Brad says.
“What’s the rush?” Marian asks as she downs a glass of champagne. Her voice is a little slurry, and I stifle a giggle.
“Brad has some things he wants to do at home,” I tell her, covering up for my new husband.
“At times like this, I’m glad I’m single,” Marian says.
However disappointed I feel at being rushed to go home, I can’t agree with Marian. After finding Brad and Isaac, I’d hate to be single again. They’ve filled my life in ways that I never expected. They make me happy, and I can’t imagine life without them.
I spy Brad and Isaac coming out of the house. Isaac doesn’t look happy either. That makes two of us. I bid the ladies goodbye and hurry up to catch up with my boys.
Isaac moans all the way home. Brad tries to placate him, but it doesn’t work, and when we get home, he disappears into his room. Brad looks dejected as he stares at Isaac’s disappearing form.
“We should order pizza for dinner. That will cheer him up,” I say.
Brad frowns and looks at me as if he has never heard of the word pizza. “I don’t think that’s a good idea. The court evaluator might come around, and we don’t want him thinking that we only feed Isaac junk food.”
No one would think that I want to say, but I bite back my words. I don’t understand why Brad is in such a foul mood. “Alright then, I’ll defrost some ground beef, and we can have that with pasta.”
“I’ll cook,” Brad says.
I had hoped we could do it together. I shrug and decide to use the time to call Jessica.
“I was about to call you,” Jessica says when she answers her phone.
My heart lightens when I hear her slightly breathless voice. I love Jessica like a sister. Just hearing her voice is enough to lift my spirits. “We’re in sync.”
Jessica laughs.
“You sound happy today,” I tell her.
“That’s because I’m getting five days off from my normal life. A vacation of sorts.”
“Will David manage the kids all by himself?” I ask.
“My mom is coming to stay with them,” Jessica says.
I’m intrigued. It’s not like her at all to leave her brood. I wrack my mind and can’t come up with one instance where she left them for more than a day. “Where are you going?”
“I’m going to LA,” she shouts.
It takes almost a full minute to understand what Jessica is saying. “You’re coming here?” I shout back and sit bolt upright in bed.
“Yes, isn’t it exciting?” she says.
I don’t know what to say. On the one hand, I’m excited to see her, but on the other, I just don’t know. There’s so much going on with the court evaluator. Plus, Brad is not himself. I really want the two of them to meet under favorable conditions. I want them to like each other.
“Well? I was hoping for a better reaction than that?” Jessica says, sounding hurt.
I let out a laugh. Suddenly I don’t care about all that. I just want to see my best friend. To be with someone whom I love and who loves me back. “Yes!” I shout.