Total pages in book: 117
Estimated words: 108362 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 542(@200wpm)___ 433(@250wpm)___ 361(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 108362 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 542(@200wpm)___ 433(@250wpm)___ 361(@300wpm)
He chuckled while pushing a plate with toast, scrambled eggs, and crispy bacon towards me. “No doubt. Eat up. This still your favourite?”
“Pretty basic, but yes.”
“It’s not basic to like what tastes good, Shannon.”
There was an intensity in his gaze that had me fidgeting with the sleeve of my jumper. I wasn’t sure how to respond, so I went with a simple, “If you say so.”
“Dad! You’re here!” Zara exclaimed joyfully as she came into the room with a giant grin on her face.
Jay’s answering grin made my heart melt as he pulled her in for a hug. “You look hungry. I made your favourite.”
Zara took in the plate with a sliced up banana next to almond butter and blackberry jam on toast. She sat down and shoved some toast in her mouth before declaring, “I love your toast the best.”
“Hey,” I complained with a smile, and Zara shook her head. “It’s okay, Mammy, your pancakes are better than Dad’s.”
“I feel like we’re being played against one another here,” Jace commented with a chuckle before shovelling a forkful of eggs into his mouth.
“Maybe,” Zara allowed cheekily and picked up a slice of banana. She folded it into the middle of the slice of toast she was eating before taking a big bite.
While the three of us ate together in companionable silence, my heart filled with longing for the simple act of sharing breakfast as a family. When I glanced up, I found Jace staring at me, a soft look in his eyes like he was having the exact same thought.
By the time he had to take Zara to school he had almost everything tidied up and put away. I tried to remind myself not to get used to it. Jace was on his best behaviour because he wanted me back. If I let him into my affections, all the cooking, cleaning and helpfulness could fall by the wayside.
Jace had done this type of stuff for me early in our relationship, but then his music career had taken off, and he was gone all the time, so he didn’t really have many opportunities to be domestic. It was still nice to remember the old days before all the money and fame and personal loss came along to complicate things.
“I’ll be back later, but Dixon is right outside watching the street,” Jace said. “You notice anything suspicious, let him know, and then call me, okay?”
“Sure,” I agreed, and he stood there, his gaze wandering from my face, down my body, and back up again. He appeared to be having a thought, but in the end, he didn’t share it, only gave me a little secret smile before he headed out to drive Zara to school.
It was almost three-thirty when I realised Jace hadn’t returned to drop Zara home yet. Normally, they would have been back by now. Checking my phone, I found no messages or missed calls, so I went outside to ask Dixon. He sat in his car, eyes scanning the street, and what sounded like a podcast was playing through the speakers. I tapped on his window. He leaned forward to turn off the podcast then rolled it down.
“Shannon?”
“Jace still hasn’t dropped Zara home from school. Was there some kind of a hold up?”
“Right, there was a suspicious looking guy hanging around a little while ago. I got distracted making sure he wasn’t up to anything—he wasn’t, just your run of the mill oddball. Anyhow, I completely forgot to tell you. One of the moms at the school, Laura something or other?”
“Delamare,” I said, not liking where this was heading.
“Right, well, she organised an impromptu football game in the park for some of the kids. Zara wanted to go so Jace took her.”
“Ah, okay, that explains it.”
“Those moms go a little crazy for our guy, right?” Dixon went on, his lips curving in amusement.
“They do?”
He nodded. “Almost trip over themselves to be the one who gets to talk with him during drop off and pick up. It’s kind of entertaining, like watching the human version of a nature show where females fight over the most desirable male.”
It was clear Dixon found it all harmlessly amusing, but personally, I wasn’t so entertained. I had no right to be jealous, but I was. Infuriatingly so. I mean, I got it. Jace was hotter than any of the other dads who dropped their kids off at school, but it bothered me to imagine them all vying for his attention, especially since most of them were married. And especially since he was supposed to be focused on winning me back.
Ugh, I was ridiculous.
“I’ll bet,” I said, and Dixon gave me a little salute as I returned to the house.
About a half an hour later, I was in the kitchen working on dinner when Jace and Zara finally arrived back. Zara looked energised, her cheeks rosy and her uniform covered in mud after the football match. My annoyance over the mothers flirting with Jace vanished when I saw how happy she was. She’d obviously had a great time.