‘You’re being ridiculous. I barely know her and you’re jumping to conclusions, mapping my future out without letting me have a say.’
‘Where did you meet her?’
‘Does it matter?’ He didn’t appreciate being quizzed in his own house but he also wanted to keep the peace. That was the thing when you had kids with someone. You could split up, divorce, hate one another bitterly, but you’d forever be linked to them through your offspring. He’d chosen a long time ago to make things as easy as possible, so he’d take the grilling on the chin and try not to get annoyed.
‘She might hate kids, for all you know.’
He rolled he eyes and took a deep breath. ‘I don’t think so.’ She’d bonded easily with Ruby especially, but he didn’t need to share. He was pretty sure Prue would do some digging with the kids tomorrow when she had them for the day.
Jacob came running in to the kitchen – as a four-year-old, he rarely walked anywhere – and went straight to the pantry.
‘You hungry?’ Dylan took charge and pulled out a tub of crackers. He arranged a portion on a plate and cut up some pieces of the farmhouse cheddar he’d bought at the Christmas market. Just doing so reminded him of Cleo standing next to him giggling when he tried the fiery cheese that made his eyes water.
‘There you go.’ He handed Jacob the plate of cheese and crackers to take over to the table. ‘Careful,’ he said when the contents almost ended up on the floor as the plate tilted. Ruby appeared and they tucked in. ‘Slow down. Anyone would think neither of you had eaten in a month!’
When his own stomach growled in protest, Dylan took out a cranberry-quince chutney and chopped some more of the cheddar. ‘Would you like some?’ he asked Prue. She looked so deflated, he couldn’t bear to be unkind. And every time he looked at her he felt guilty about wanting Cleo, prepared to give up on the dream of the traditional American family that was once again within his grasp.
‘That’d be lovely.’
He made up two plates with a few crackers on each and a generous dollop of the chutney alongside the cheese, and as they ate, Jacob surprised them both by climbing up onto Prue’s lap. He was a cuddly boy but usually didn’t let anything get in the way of him and his food. Dylan suspected it was his son’s way of saying he missed his mommy and Dylan felt his heart contract at the thought of taking anything away from his children. He watched Prue hug her son and not bat an eyelid at the crumbs falling from his crackers onto her designer jeans and grey turtleneck sweater. This was a Prue Dylan barely recognised, a Prue who was trying so hard to be the wife and mom he’d wanted her to be once upon a time.
When they’d finished, Dylan put the plates in the dishwasher. ‘That’ll do until dinner, guys. No more rummaging in the pantry,’ he told Jacob. He washed up the sharp knife and the cheese board, put away the cracker box, but before he had a chance to wipe down the table, Prue beat him to it, and intercepted sticky fingers too.
‘Daddy…’ Ruby appeared at his side as Jacob giggled away on his mom’s lap when she tipped him back and then flipped him upright again, over and over, the way he’d loved ever since he was a baby.
‘Yes, Ruby.’
‘Is Mommy moving back home?’
Dylan shot his ex-wife a look but over the other side of the kitchen she and Jacob were involved in their own game that muted the conversation with his daughter.
‘What makes you think that?’ He kept his voice low.
Ruby shrugged. ‘She’s here a lot, that’s all.’
Dylan crouched down so he was eye-level with Ruby. ‘And how would you feel about that?’ He wasn’t sure he wanted to know the answer.
‘It’d be kind of cool.’
Dylan touched a finger to the end of her nose and she smiled up at him. ‘We both love you so much, but it may not be the best thing.’
‘Okay.’ She shrugged. ‘But please can I still ask her to stay for dinner?’
At six years old, her maturity astounded him at times. He hugged her close and planted a kiss on her forehead.
This time, Prue had heard the question. ‘I don’t want to put you to any trouble,’ she said from across the room.
Dylan stood up. ‘It’s no bother and the kids would love it. We’re having meatloaf so there’s plenty and you’re welcome to stay.’ Sometimes it didn’t matter what he wanted, this was about his kids, so he’d have to put aside his feelings about Cleo for now.
‘Well, thank you.’ Prue pulled both kids to her and hugged them tight. ‘I’d love to stay.’
‘I need to take a shower.’ Dylan was anxious to get out of the room, get some breathing space. ‘Then I’ll get dinner going.’
‘No need,’ Prue declared. ‘The kids and I can take charge, can’t we?’
‘Yay!’ Ruby ran and grabbed her apron, pulled it over her head and Dylan tied the bow at the back for her.
‘Do you have an apron I can borrow?’ asked Prue.
