Page 62 of The Irresistible Distraction

“I’m a big fan of your son,” Brody drawls, for that’s really all it can be called, a deep-voiced, pissing-in-the-sand, not-from-Texas-but-going-to-fake-it drawl. “Also a big fan of your ex-wife.” Brody’s smile is broad but doesn’t reach his eyes. Neither dimple makes an appearance. “Truthfully, I’m a big fan of the entire life you must have had here.”

“A fan?” Jesse’s tone is disbelieving.

“Absolutely. Can’t find a smidge of fault in your taste or your progeny.”

I shake my head, a gesture all three boys ignore. This is starting to go off the rails, has maybe already jumped the tracks, and my primary objective is to get us out of this parking lot before anyone drives by and sees (and then gossips about this for the next millennium).

Brody continues to look at Jesse, and only Jesse, not letting go of my ex’s hand as he says, “Brody Huntington-Branca. Lawyer, philanthropist, and more recently, chess tutor to your son. Current next-door neighbor and hopefully soon-to-be more officially, broadly acknowledged boyfriend of Sophie.”

I know Sebastian can likely see me, and it makes me the worst hypocrite, but I give in to temptation and roll my eyes. Does every man devolve into a dog with a bone when there’s a similarly aged penis nearby?

“Allow me to more properly introduce myself. I am Dr. Jesse Jeffrey Williams, incoming head of emergency services at Lake Arrowhead Hospital, father of Sebastian, and I am, uh, also hoping to be the soon-to-be boyfriend of Sophie.”

My eyebrows rise, despite my best efforts to maintain a bored poker face. Because I really, really need this to not be happening in the Keep Calm and Toast On parking lot.

“What?” I hold out a hand before either of the nitwits decides to repeat themselves. I point at Brody, detaching myself from his hand, missing the warmth of his touch right away but walking a step away as I face him. “I will deal with you later.” I turn, instead, to the father of my child, my first love and childhood sweetheart. “You aren’t engaged to Mackenzie?”

I hear a small intake of breath at my side, but I don’t turn to study Brody, because I’m too in my own world to worry about or try to process my maybe-boyfriend’s reaction on top of mine.

“Can we talk privately?”

“It feels like that ship has sailed.”

“To the Bahamas,” Brody says, a little trace of the humor back.

“I’d have picked Fiji,” Sebastian says, smiling tentatively at Brody, which (of course) makes Jesse’s face drop further, until it looks like his eyebrows have almost disappeared, merging with his narrowed eyes.

It takes less than a minute for us to agree to head back separately, in our own cars.

“Can I ride with Dad?”

Next to me, Brody’s hand twitches a little as I nod. “I’ll follow in a few minutes.”

Yes, Brody and my son have gotten shockingly close over the past week.

But this is Sebastian’s father.

Of course my son wants to spend a little more time with Jesse.

“I brought my key,” Jesse declares, very unnecessarily, as he closes the door on Sebastian’s side. It’s said for Brody to hear, but Brody’s got his stoic attorney face going, meaning nothing so crass could possibly garner any outward reaction.

I stay standing near Brody even after Jesse and Sebastian’s car has pulled away.

Even though I’m not thrilled with Brody’s actions just now, that’s not what I lead with. Until very recently, Brody has gone out of his way to make sure both Seba and I are taken care of. “I’m sorry.”

“Why?”

“Because it’s likely not the ending you imagined when you planned out this otherwise lovely weekend of chess and history and cupcakes.”

“‘Sorry’ implies a certain guilt or responsibility. Is it your fault your ex-husband apparently wants to get back together? Or that he’s borderline stalking you?”

My brows furrow at the oddly flat and dispassionate voice Brody uses here. There’s nothing inherently rude in his tone; it’s odd only when it’s juxtaposed against his normal, ever-present, effervescent warmth. “Jesse and I are location sharing because⁠—”

“I get it. I recommend it to clients all the time, especially when they’re friendly enough to maintain amicable relationships. Sharing location eases coordination of pick-ups and drop-offs. Sometimes I even suggest the divorced parties schedule weekly calls between just the parents, so everyone’s on the same page. You have to prioritize your role as a parent because it’s the only way a kid survives. The number of times I’ve given an iteration of that speech is very nonzero.” The words are reasonable, but his tone has far more bite than usual.

“Then why do you sound—” I search for the extra right word, because cold doesn’t really seem to encompass it. Brody is always warm and inviting, he’s the charming rogue you read about in books and see in movies, the guy who has a natural ebullience everyone else aspires to. “Annoyed?”

“I’m working through a few things.” His hands clench and unclench at his sides. There is a long pause before he continues. “Feeling . . . feelings.”