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Tristan’s voice broke through the moment. “Pancakes, pease.”
“You got it, buddy.” Mark grabbed one, testing the heat, and then cut it up like a pro. He set the pieces on Tristan’s tray.
The conversation was tabled for now.
* * *
On Monday Hayleecame over for lunch after her classes. I’d told her bits and pieces about the last few days, including the funeral and the behavior of Rob’s parents. I’d omitted the part about Mark paying them off or the DNA test.
“Wow. You’ve been through hell. With Rob’s death and the settlement with his parents, do you think you’ll move back soon?”
“I think maybe in a couple of weeks.”
Funny. I’d had the same conversation with both my PI and my attorney this morning. Both agreed that I would need to sell the house, which was on record belonging to Rob. They’d also agreed I ought to move to another suburb where the people wouldn’t know me as the dirty cop’s wife. Since that had been my intention all along, it wasn’t a hardship.
Then both had suggested I change back to my maiden name. But if I did that, did I change Tristan’s last name, too? I didn’t want to have a different name from him.
Thanksgiving was coming up on Thursday. Haylee and Josh were staying in town since she had a big paper due the following week. They’d invited me to have dinner with them. I was happy to join them since Mark was traveling to Florida to be with his parents on a trip he’d planned months ago and my mom was spending the holiday with my sister.
“I find myself already missing our girl’s time.”
Haylee smiled. “Me, too, but Josh bought property down in Charlotte. And Brian purchased the lot next door. I swear I overheard them on the phone the other night discussing plans for a treehouse on the property line.”
I laughed, thinking the childhood friends were probably giddy with excitement over living next door to one another again. “Mark mentioned you might be moving down there at some point. That Josh was relocating headquarters from New York?”
“Yep. The best part is that Nigel, his assistant, wants to make the move, too. He and his partner, David, are looking for a quieter life, which makes me happy. Everyone else who works directly for Josh will simply move into the other building in New York to consolidate the two offices. They’re also being offered relocation to North Carolina if they want.”
“That’s great. Where is the property located? How many acres?”
“Fifteen acres, but we’ll only build on three. Just like with this building, Josh wants to control how close the neighbors can get. The place is south of the city, but I’m not sure exactly where. The land still needs to be cleared. It’s exciting to build a house from scratch, and it’ll probably take the next two years to get everything done.”
“I can’t wait to have you both down there.”
“Me, too. So you’ve been talking to Mark, huh?”
“Sure. We’re friends.” Although I could use someone to confide in about my feelings, the wife of Mark’s best friend was not the right person.
“That’s good. I bet he’ll miss you guys. He raves about your cooking, and I think you and Tristan have had him spending more time in this building than he ever used to.”
Speaking of which. “Have you ever been to his house?”
She shook her head. “No. Josh doesn’t go over there, either, as far as I know.”
Well, at least I wasn’t the only one.
* * *
“I missed you.”Mark slid into bed with me in the middle of the night. It was the Monday after Thanksgiving, and he’d just returned from his trip to Florida and his parents’ house. It was hard to believe we were already heading into December.
“Mm. I missed you, too.”
His hands froze when they made contact with my naked skin. “This is a nice surprise.”
“I wore it for you.” I might not have sexy lingerie, but this appeared to get directly to the point.
“Officially my favorite outfit,” he chuckled.
I met his eager lips, sliding my tongue in his mouth and enjoying his intake of breath at my aggressiveness. His reaction fueled my confidence, especially when I pushed him onto his back and straddled his lap. It was a vulnerable position for me since I’d be on display for him.
