“Wow,” Tim says. “Well, you played hard today so you can have whatever you want.”
Lunch is chatty with both of them talking loudly to each other. I use one ear to listen to the stories he tells, wanting to hear about Manning. I wonder where the mother was while he made breakfast. Was she there?
I lean over and grab a fry from Caleb's plate and then grab one from Jaxon, also laughing with them. “Who is going to get dessert?” I ask them, leaning on my arm. “I want a bite of each.”
“No.” Caleb shakes his head. “Not some of mine.”
“You can have a bite of mine,” Jaxon says. “But I’m ordering chocolate.”
“Oh,” I sing-song, “I love chocolate.”
“Me, too,” he says, and his eyes go big. “Dad and I love it. Mom doesn’t.” I smile while swallowing around the lump at the mention of his mother and his father.
“Go wash your hands,” Tim tells them, and they get up and go wash their hands.
“He’s a nice boy,” I say, watching them as they walk to the bathroom.
“He is,” Veronica agrees, drinking the rest of the wine she had in her glass. “I hate his mother,” Veronica says, and I just look at her.
“Don’t start,” Tim says to Veronica.
“Don’t start, my ass. It’s your sister. Who is she going to go tell?” Veronica looks at him, leaning forward on the table with her arms. “Tim says I have to be nice.”
“I just said behave,” he says, leaning to her, and she kisses his lips, and something in me makes my chest hurt.
“I do behave. We all behave.” She rolls her eyes. “She’s a class A bitch. In case you didn’t know, her husband plays for the NHL.” I pick up my glass of water and bring it to my lips. I hope they don’t notice the glass shaking in my hand. “He’s the captain, so if we need anything, she can get it for us. You know us little people are peasants.”
“She is not that bad,” Tim says, laughing.
“Last month, she came to see me to tell me that all snack and cupcakes have to be organic and all that shit.” Veronica looks at him while she talks. “Then she asked me if I could afford it. Me. I’m a fucking doctor. She’s . . .” She throws her hand in the air. “She’s a stay-at-home mom with a nanny, a cleaning lady, and a chef.” My heart sinks as I think about Manning and what he told me. “Don’t even start with me, Timothy,” she says his full name, and I open my mouth, looking at him.
Tim rubs her back. “Okay, okay, enough. It’s not Jaxon’s fault she’s like that.”
“Don’t you think I know that?” she says. “It’s a good thing he’s nice like his father because . . .”
“Shh,” I say, hushing them when I see the boys walking back. “Did you use soap?” I ask, and they both nod.
They get their dessert, and my heart literally is going to burst in my chest when he asks the waitress for two spoons so he can share with me. I look at him with a smile. He really is like his father.
He hangs around with us until Tim gets up and drives him back home with Caleb. I hug Veronica and thank her for lunch, then make a stop at the florist before going home.
I kick off my shoes when I get home, and I spend the night watching some show on Netflix. Then I fall asleep, but this time, my dreams are of Manning and Jaxon. Sunday flies by with the bridesmaids fitting and then dinner. The whole time, I remember the last time I was with them, and when I get home that night, I’m exhausted from spending most of the day trying to block him from my mind.
By the end of Wednesday, I walk into the house, kicking off my heels at the door on the way to my bathroom. A soak in the tub is just what I need. Only when I get out, I order a burger instead of a salad as I walk back to the bedroom and put on my shorts and tank top. I grab the long cashmere sweater, putting it on as I walk to the fridge and take out the white wine.
So far this week, I’ve been in back-to-back meetings with everyone my father wants to switch over to me. I also had about fifty-five million questions about what I do and don’t do. It’s almost as if I’m interviewing for a job each time someone new walks into the room. The cool wine goes down smoothly as I turn on the television and it’s on SportsCenter. Okay, fine, I was watching the hockey game last night. I caved, and just seeing him on the ice gave me butterflies. I lasted three minutes before the butterflies turned to dread, and I changed the channel.