The Good Father

Because Ella never said no to her older brother? Because he so seldom asked for anything?

Did that mean that Ella wasn’t opposed to spending the night with him? Because the only other alternative would be for one of them to sleep on the couch.

His blood started to race. And he hadn’t drunk enough beer to blame it on the alcohol.

“No,” Jeff said, dousing Brett’s flames before they’d fully ignited. And then he continued. “I talked to Chloe. She agreed.”

He was on fire. An inferno. Burning out of control.

“I just want you to smooth the way with Ella. Chloe’s afraid of upsetting my sister and...”

Brett was trapped.

“Just like that she wants to sleep with you?”

“We’re husband and wife, man. I don’t have to spell things out for you, do I? It’s not like either of us can get any on the side while we work through our problems.”

He supposed not. But...

“You talked to her about having sex, but not about the issues between you?” Brett took a sip of beer wondering how Jeff and Chloe had pulled that off. And when? They’d been chaperoned the entire weekend.

“Yeah, we—”

“And when did you do this, by the way?” He couldn’t tell a guy he wasn’t allowed to sleep with his wife.

But he absolutely could not spend the night with Ella. No way.

Hell would have to freeze over, and that definitely wasn’t happening. The heat surging through him was proof enough of that one.

“In the boat. When Cody was on Ella’s lap and you were driving.”

The speed boat. Cody had wanted to help him drive, and Ella had sat in the passenger seat with the toddler on her lap hollering with glee the entire time. They’d had all of ten minutes to converse out of earshot of their chaperones.

“So you had a few minutes, and you chose to use them to get in her pants rather than to figure out what was going on between you two.”

He’d have done the same. But he wasn’t any less pissed because of it.

“I want in her pants so that I can get her to tell me what’s going on.” Jeff leaned in to speak softly. “You know how women are. They trust you more, open up more, after you make love.”

Brett nodded. But didn’t want to think about what he knew about women after making love. Because that led to thoughts of making love with Ella.

“Besides, I think I know what this is about,” Jeff said, his congenial self.

If the guy didn’t wipe that grin off his face, Brett might have to go inside. Or better yet, take a walk. A long one. That lasted all night.

Maybe he should just get in his car and go.

Except that he knew his ex-wife well enough to know that she’d pull the plug on the weekend if he did. She wasn’t going to leave Chloe alone with Jeff where things could turn bad. Not without Brett there to help her defuse the situation. Or to call the cops while she saved Cody from harm.

And chances were Chloe wouldn’t agree to stay, either, if Brett bailed.

“You really think one night in bed with her and you’ll have figured out what’s going on with her?”

“I’m fairly confident that’ll be the case. I know my wife, Brett.”

“What do you think it is, then? Her depression?” He’d do what it took to help them.

Jeff knew that.