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CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO

“So how is it having three boyfriends?” Jamille looks at me over the top of her coffee cup with a grin and a sparkle in her eye.

“They’re not my boyfriends,” I tell her. She raises a brow. “We’re not using labels,” I say, but I feel my cheeks heat slightly at the thought of the three men.

“Yea, yea, all that new age shit where labels don’t exist.”

“You’re barely older than me and you’re not older than Chase and Nathan,” I remind her.

She only smiles wilder and tilts her head to the side slightly as she continues to study me. “You look happy if that counts for anything, a lot more free.”

I don’t deny it, because she’s right, I’m a lot happier than I was before I decided to give the guys a chance. Everything about them, it’s just… God, how to describe it? It’s everything with them. The way they make my body heat, but also how they take care of not only me, but also the kids. They’re always calling and checking on us, making sure we have everything we need.

“They’re amazing,” I admit before taking a sip of my own coffee.

“Do tell me more.” Jamille leans closer, her eyes wide as she waits.

I shrug even though it’s more than I want to admit. “I’ve never had luck in the past as far as dating goes, you know. I’ve had shouting matches in the middle of the park with men. I’ve bleached the clothes of cheaters and thrown them out in the apartment complex parking lot. Other times… I was the cheater.” Jamille raises a curious brow at that. “I wish I could say that was the worse, but I figure going to jail for nearly killing one of my exes who thought hitting me was a good idea may be the worse.” The black eye that I’d sported for a week proved that I was only defending myself when I’d hit my ex in the head with one of the loose bricks in the parking lot.

It’d done serious damage, enough to keep him down while the cops were called, but nothing permanent.

“Yeah?” There’s a more serious note to Jamille’s voice and I notice the stiffening of her shoulders.

“You never speak about your own dating life,” I say, switching the topic and wondering if she wants to talk about the tension that’s suddenly appeared in her.

She bites her bottom lip as she looks down at her coffee cup. Finally, she lets out a sigh and when her brown eyes meet mine, I’ve never seen them more serious. “Well, Aiden’s father is completely out of the picture…” She pauses for a moment. “He’s in jail and, as far as I’m concerned, forever and a day would be too short of a sentence for that asshole.” she shudders. “I don’t want him anywhere near me or my son.”

Shit.

I’m not sure what to say to that as I stare back at her, not used to the usually happy woman looking so… down.

“Otherwise, I’m too busy for any relationships,” she confesses, moving away from the topic of her ex. I know there’s more to the story from the tight set of her shoulders, but I don’t push. “I have the shop,” she gestures to the shop around us, bustling with customers. “And I have the new one that’s almost ready. Aiden’s a handful alone, so nothing more than a couple of one night stands for this mama.”

I nod in understanding. “You know if you ever need me to watch Aiden so you can go out for a night on the town it’s no problem. After all, you were the one to encourage me to get out of my little bubble and take a chance with the guys,” I remind her.

She nods, pushing a hand through her dark hair. “Yeah, I know… I just, I’ve brought men into Aiden’s life before and they’ve never been the right match. My son has no problem telling me if he doesn’t like someone and I could never date anyone he doesn’t like, but I guess I’m open if I suddenly meet the one.” She rolls her eyes. “But I doubt it’ll be happening anytime soon and I’m okay with that. All I need is sex and I can get that with any semi-cute guy at the club.”

I shake my head as she wiggles her eyebrows, turning the moment into something less serious.

“Well, I’ll be on the lookout for you.”

“Yeah? Tell Chase if he has any hot cop buddies that he wants to hook a sister up with then let me know.” She lets out a laugh and I shake my head.

After I leave from having breakfast with Jamille, I head to the store and restock up on groceries, keeping it simple with sandwich stuff and noodles. I’ve tried a couple of recipes from the little cookbook and they’ve all ended with Tanner picking at the food on his plate before looking up at me with those puppy dog eyes that end with us ordering pizza.

By the time I return home, a couple of hours have already gone by, and I frown wondering how in the hell I took so long when I didn’t pick up much.

“Let me help,” Emmet’s soft voice makes me jump and I place a hand over my heart that feels like it’s about to beat out of my chest as I look over my shoulder at him.

There’s an apologetic smile on his face as he reaches over into the trunk to grab a bag and I look over to find Chase jogging across the yards. I’m not surprised when he grabs a handful of bags.

I look in the trunk, going to grab a couple of bags myself when I realize that they got them all.

“Sweetheart, can you come unlock the door?” Chase’s voice carries through the yard and I slam the trunk closed.

I jog up to the door and unlock it, letting the two of them in as I try not to dwell on Chase’s endearment. It’s not the first time he’s said it, but it still makes my cheeks hurt and my heart pound faster.

I follow them into the house, watching as they start to unload everything. I sit in one of the chairs, enjoying the feeling of being taken care of way too much.