Five First Dates (Sassy in the City 2)

“Maddox, don’t swear in front of your sister. That is what is fucked up.”

And she didn’t even see the irony of her words.

“Do you have a problem with me dating someone older?” I asked, because weird or not, my family was important to me.

“No, of course not. I like Savannah. She was always a nice girl.”

“You’re dating Savannah?” Bianca asked, chomping on a carrot from the vegetable tray.

“Does she love you?” my mother demanded.

“Does who love him?” Steve asked, coming into the room. He stole a carrot out of Bianca’s hand and popped it in his mouth.

“Hey!” she said, punching him in the arm.

Great. This was getting dicey. “Mom, when are we getting the cake? I’ve been off sugar and it looks amazing to me.”

“Cake, cake, cake!” Bianca said, fist-pumping.

“I’m not ready for the cake, you heathens.”

“Who is in love?” Steve asked, grabbing another beer out of the cooler on the floor. “What did I miss?”

“I’m in love with cake,” I said.

My mother just turned and walked away. She clearly didn’t trust herself not to say something. I breathed a sigh of relief. Close call. I didn’t want to tell Steve until Savannah gave me the green light and I didn’t want to tell him in front of my family. I wanted a man-to-man talk. In a public place. Like a bar, where he had a beer.

“You need a life if you’re in love with baked goods.” But he gave me a look that indicated he knew full well we weren’t talking about cake.

My phone chimed in my pocket and I pulled it out. I thought maybe it would be a text from Savannah. Or I was hoping it would be a text from Savannah.

It was actually a message from her friend Isla.

Can you call me? Baby daddy showed up and Savannah is meeting him. I’m worried about it.

That made me frown. “Hey, I have to make a call,” I said to the room at large.

I walked into the dining room no one ever used and called her. “Hey, I got your message. What does he want?” I wasn’t sure how I was going to feel if he wanted partial custody of Sully. I felt very attached to that little guy.

“He has paperwork he wants her to sign that terminates his parental rights. I don’t really understand why he wants to meet her in person to do that. Maybe to try to explain away how much of a prick he is.” Isla sounded bitter.

I agreed with her assessment of a man who wouldn’t even attempt to see his child at any point. “I don’t understand that either. Where is she meeting him? The lawyer’s office?” That wouldn’t be dangerous in any way.

“The coffee shop. I’m watching Sully.”

“Why are you worried?

She has told me nothing about him or their relationship.” Which was disconcerting now that I thought about it. We were spending a lot of time together. Why hadn’t she confided in me what was up with her ex?

“I guess he was fine until the pregnancy. He lost his shit and punched a hole in the wall when she told him. As far as I know, she hasn’t seen him since that day.”

That did not make me happy. I felt my fists clench. Of all fucking days for me to be gone. It also really bothered me she hadn’t shared any of that with me. “Has she been in touch with you since she left? What time is she meeting him?”

“I haven’t heard from her but she really just left.”

“Keep me posted. Thanks for letting me know. I hate that I’m not there.”

There was a pause, then Isla spoke again in a low voice. “I hope you’re serious about her, Maddox.”