He caught Elliott’s eye and with a tight smile, he gave a rigid nod. “The place looks great.”
Clare wiped her hands on her yoga pants and nodded. “It’s amazing what a fresh coat of paint will do to a room. Who knew?” Her already pink cheeks darkened as she cleared her throat and gave her best fake smile. “We’re, uh, just about to eat. Would you like to join us?”
It had to be a fake smile—if it was any more brittle, her face would crack. The two kids did little to hide their surprise, but Elliott nodded along as though they’d planned the whole thing together and it was totally normal for Clare to be civil to The Sperm Donor.
What the fuck had come over her? Was this a distress signal? Had she been abducted by aliens?
The only way he could tell she was being polite was the tiny twitch at the corner of her mouth. Otherwise she looked completely relaxed and normal. He’d bet the house that it pained her to ask him, and she was quietly praying he’d say no.
“Thanks, but I gotta get back.”
“Okay.” Clare spun back to the worktop on a sigh, her shoulders softening. “See you next week.”
The Sperm Donor hung around for another awkward beat before leaving. Elliott walked up behind her, placing his lips next to her ear. “Are you ill?”
An almost hysterical, nervous laugh shook her body. “I was trying to be nice.”
“I thought you had temporarily taken leave of your senses.”
“I’m so fucking glad he said no. Where’s my wine?”
As he poured her an extra-large glass of Riesling, the doorbell rang again and Clare stiffened. “Fuck. Shit. Fuckety fuck. Please tell me he’s not back again. I really wasn’t serious about him actually eating a meal with us. Poisoning someone is still considered bad form, right?”
“And it’s illegal.” Elliott laughed and turned to answer the door, but Cat was already pushing past him. “I got it!”
She flung the door open with gusto and a grin. “You came.”
A bashful Theo with a bright red face stood on the doorstep with two bunches of flowers and a gift bag. What the fuck was he doing there?
“You invited me.”
Oh, she had, had she? The plot thickened. From the love hearts popping out of Cat’s head, she hadn’t invited him to give Mason hockey tips.
Danger. Danger, Will Robinson. Elliott couldfeelClare’s scowl without even looking her direction.
Oooooooh boy.
“Yesssss! Best dinner, ever!” Mason fist pumped, his grin wide.
A frown pinched Clare’s face as she walked toward Theo. “Theo. What a lovely surprise.”
The kid’s eyes bugged out. “Su-surprise? Cat said…” His head swung to Cat. “You said!”
“I told you I might invite someone to dinner, Mom.” The Reynold’s eye-rolling gene was strong with this one.
“Come in out of the doorway, rookie. Dinner will be ready in a few.” Elliott ushered him into the house and closed the door behind him and Cat mouthed “Thank you” behind Theo’s back.
“Th-these are for you, Mrs. Reynolds. Thanks for having me.” Theo handed Clare one of the two bouquets and turned to Cat. “And these are for you.”
The flowers definitely helped soften the ground with Clare. While she tried to hide her smile behind the Gerber daisies and roses, Elliott still caught it as she turned back to the counter.
“I’ll grab a vase.” He dug under the sink and as his hand curled around the cool, glass lip of a vase, a loud beeping made him start and crack his head on the edge of the cupboard. “The fuck?”
“Shit! Shit! Shit!”
Rubbing the back of his head, he stood into a plume of acrid smoke quickly filling the kitchen.
“I turned the broiler on to crisp the bacon on top of the chicken. I guess with the revolving door of visitors, I forgot about it.” She rescued the charred chicken from the oven and placed it next to the sink as Cat fanned the smoke with a cloth.
