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“He’s just being nice. And my reference will do him some good for his court case.”
Theo’s brows drew together in a V. “His court case? He’d probably just seduce you if that was his game.” At Ashley’s blush, he chuckled. “Okay, so he’s already scored a home run there. Awesome!” He raised his hand for a high-five that she refused to reciprocate. These boys. “Then he wouldn’t be getting extra credit with your kid, would he? That would be mighty devious and O’Malley hasn’t got a devious bone in his body.”
She agreed, and that scared her even more. Because if Dex truly was interested in her for more than a good time and a few kind words to a stone-faced judge, then how was she supposed to deal with that?
Looking over to her giggling daughter, she wondered how either of them would ever recover.
Matt the Butterfly Guy, as Dex had labeled him, set the little kids up with a crafty activity, painting egg cartons so that they looked like caterpillars. The older kids worked on creating a butterfly feeder with Willa leading the way (she had very specific ideas about how it was supposed to go). It was fun to watch her be more outgoing and social, especially with more mature kids who could so easily give her a hard time. But Franky, Lauren, and Jason listened to her like every word out of her mouth was important.
Addison Callaghan, wife of Ford, mother of Max, and another gorgeous example of WAG-dom, sat down beside Ashley and offered her a gummy bear.
“They’re not funny ones, are they?”
Addison laughed. “Not unless you think the sour faces my Max pulls when he eats them are funny. No, I wouldn’t bring edibles to a kids’ event.”
“Sorry, I’m just never sure what people think is okay.”
“Don’t worry. I’m not offended.” She smiled warmly. “So how are you enjoying dating a younger hunk?”
“I—well, we’re just friends.”
Addison held up her hands. “Oh, God, sorry! I thought you two … Because he—never mind.”
“He’s volunteering at the animal shelter where I work and he heard that Willa missed out on an earlier tour, so he invited us to this one. It’s really …” She trailed off, realizing how absurd her protest sounded. After everything she’d learned about Dex’s organization of this event, it was rather absurd to be sitting on the throne as Queen of the Nile.
“Nothing?” Addison mused with a quirked brow.
“I’m not fooling anyone, am I?” She spared a glance in Dex’s direction. He was having a very deep conversation with Amelie, one of Remy and Harper’s little girls. He looked so adorable, giving her all his attention. “What were you going to say? Why you thought we were together?”
“Oh, he asked for some recommendations for lingerie from my collection. He said you were a fan.”
Dex was shopping for lingerie? “I am. It’s so gorgeous and sexy. I feel like a different woman when I’m wearing it.”
“That’s the idea!” Addison stood suddenly. “Would you help me find the restroom?”
“Uh, sure.”
Ashley followed her out and after a couple of corners, they found the ladies’ room. Addison scanned the space, under the stall doors, then closed the door behind them.
“So, not to go all high school?—”
“You just asked me to go to the restroom with you and locked the door.”
That gorgeous smile reminded Ashley that Addison was still a highly-paid full-figured lingerie supermodel in between running her own business and raising a family.
“Dex likes you.”
So everyone kept telling her. “I like him, too. But I have more than my needs to consider. He’s younger than me, for a start, and I don’t want to place a bet on him and have my hand go bust.”
“Believe me, I get that. Ford’s six years younger than me.”
“I didn’t know that.” She’d never have guessed it, either.
“Yep, I just turned forty.”
“Get out! You look much younger. Not that it matters what age you are—sorry, I’m making a mess of this.” Ashley was ten years younger and would never look as good as this woman at thirty, never mind forty.
Addison rubbed Ashley’s arm. “What I’m trying to say with my humblebrag is that age doesn’t really matter when both of you are committed. Ford was ruthless in chasing me down. It was flattering but I had to wonder if I was just a challenge to him, and once conquered, he’d lose interest. Is that what you’re worried about?”
