The Will (Magdalene #1)(164)
Author: Kristen Ashley

That was sweet.

And so very true.

Jake said nothing.

I didn’t either.

“Right, gotta dash,” she announced. “I left a client in foils and hope like f**k Lindsey got her sorted out like I asked or she’s not going to have any hair left when I get back,” She gave us a finger wave and then jogged gracefully on the toes of her high-heeled boots to her car.

I watched her do this until I couldn’t watch anymore because Jake’s chest was in my vision.

This was it.

Either he was angry or something else.

I held my breath and looked up.

“Got your call when I was in the principal’s office, honey. Couldn’t take it.”

I let out my breath.

He was something else.

That something else being Jake.

“That’s okay,” I replied.

“You ready to talk?” he asked.

Good God.

I so…fucking…loved him.

That was why I said, “No.”

His brows knit even as I saw his frame stiffen.

“It’s important that you don’t share,” I stated. “What’s important to you is important to me so if you don’t wish to share, you don’t have to. However, if you’re not talking about that but instead want to talk about what I’m making for din—”

I didn’t finish.

And I didn’t finish because Jake was kissing me.

There were classrooms facing where we were on the sidewalk so it was likely students and teachers could see us.

This was unseemly.

But I didn’t care.

I kissed him back with everything I had.

This went on for some time before Jake lifted his head nary an inch and stated, “You know I’d make out with you anywhere, anytime for as long as I can get that mouth. But my son needs to be picked up from school. Now, who’s gonna be doin’ that, you or me?”

“Me,” I answered immediately.

And that was when I got Jake’s smile back.

It had only been two days.

But, goodness, how I missed it.

* * * * *

Amber, who had arrived home ten minutes ago after doing her homework at girl Taylor’s, walked into the kitchen and when she did, I looked at her.

When she’d come home, she’d come in from the garage, saw me cooking, gave me a look of surprise, then hope, then something I couldn’t read that was not nearly as good as the former two before she’d mumbled, “Gotta dump my bags,” and rushed to the stairs.

In the last two days it had not been lost on me that in having my drama and carrying it out to its ridiculous and inappropriate fullest, the consequences were not simply mine and Jake’s but also the children’s.

Ethan, when I showed up at his school to pick him up, had simply climbed into the Cayenne, looked at me and declared, “Lunch sucked. I need pizza.”

So that was good.

And Conner had seen me with his father in the principal’s office. He’d shown signs of relief when he did, but he was more interested in what was going on with Sofie than his father and me.

Conner had not returned. Then again, he had a shift at Wayfarer’s and wasn’t due to return for half an hour.

Now, with one look at her, I knew I had to deal with whatever consequences I’d earned with Amber.

“Dinner’s done. And there is no way Ethan can wait for it to be served and your brother isn’t going to be home for a bit,” I told her quietly. “So could you do me a favor and prepare a plate for him, put foil on it and put it in the oven to keep warm?”

Not looking at me, she muttered, “Sure.”

I did not take this as a good sign. She had not been muttering or mumbling since we made our deal weeks ago.

I went to the cupboard to get plates, wondering how to handle this situation.

I stopped wondering when Amber instigated the discussion herself.

She did this by saying, “Don’t screw Dad over.”

I looked to her to see her standing at the other side of the island, her eyes on me, her pretty face slightly pale. I could also see she was struggling.

I did that to her and my heart took a beating in knowing it.

“Sweetheart—” I started.

“I love you, Josie,” she declared and my heart stopped beating altogether when she did. “You’re awesome. We all think you’re the bomb. Me, Con, Eath. We do. You’re cool. You’re cool with us. But the most important of all that is you make Dad happy.”

I held her gaze, loving what she said but hating the look in her eyes.

She kept speaking.

“The last couple of days, Dad wasn’t happy.”

“Amber—”

“That stupid skank Mandy took off on him. Ethan’s stupid mom Sloane took off on both Dad and Ethan. Crazy. Dad’s the best guy there is. But we know. Me and Con, we know the reason they did is because of us.”

“That may not be true,” I told her gently.

“It’s true,” she returned swiftly. “They wanted Dad. They didn’t want us.”

I closed my mouth for I knew from Jake this was not wrong.

It just pained me to know Amber and Conner knew it.

“But we all come together,” she stated.

“I know that, my lovely.”

She didn’t nod. She didn’t give any indication she believed me.

She just repeated, “Don’t screw Dad over, Josie.”

I drew in a breath, pulled up my courage and walked to her.

She didn’t draw away so I lifted my hands, framed her face and moved mine close to hers.

“Your father and I had an unpleasant discussion,” I shared carefully. “I reacted to this badly. I have not had a good deal of experience with relationships, my lovely girl, but that’s no excuse. When I say I reacted to it badly, what I mean is that I overreacted. But I’ve thought things through since then and I love your father, I love you kids, and I’ve learned not to do that again.”

She didn’t touch me, didn’t say anything, but she did keep her gaze steady on mine so I felt it safe to continue.

“Things will not be smooth sailing, Amber. Life is life and we’ll all have issues crop up out there as well as amongst ourselves. But I’m hoping we’re building a foundation where we’ll weather all those storms. The last two days, I learned that I need to stand strong and weather those storms. I’m so sorry I went away. It was the wrong thing to do. The only thing I can promise is that I won’t do it again.”

“Ever?” she asked.