He balked at the mud splattered on her boots. There was no way he’d want her messing up his designer Moleskine jeans. “Princess!” He crouched down, but my heart twisted in a pained knot when he didn’t let her snuggle too close. “You’re covered in mud.”
“Yeah! See boots?” She popped her leg out and wiggled it around. “Cal got for me!”
Jeremy’s expression remained flat. “Wasn’t that nice of him?”
Her attention zeroed in on the bouquet, and she sidled closer to him with an even sweeter smile. “For Matilda?”
“These flowers are for your beautiful mother,” he said gently, “but I do have a surprise for you.” Patting the breast pocket of his sports coat, he wiggled his eyebrows.
She squealed. “What…got…” Her little fingers scrambled in his pocket until a silver bracelet popped out, pink crystal baubles and charms clinking as she twirled it in the air. Her mouth rounded into a big O. “Matildalikeit.”
“Princess, you’re supposed to say, ‘I like it,’” Jeremy corrected her.
With her big brown eyes on him, she nodded very slowly. “Matilda like it lots.”
I ducked my head to hide my grin. Another grammar lesson failed. Jeremy would complain about it later, but I refused to take her back to the speech therapist. She was so little. She’d grow out of this phase when she was good and ready.
Jeremy balanced the flowers in his lap. “Hold still, and we’ll pop on your bracelet so you can show it off.”
Of course, Matilda couldn’t wait. She was too excited and wriggled everywhere. Somehow, he clipped on the bracelet, and she thrust out her arm, grinning from ear to ear as she spun it around her wrist to show me the unicorn charms.
I said, “It’s a pretty bracelet.” Completely inappropriate for a toddler, but shedidlove it. “What do you say to Daddy?”
Matilda threw her arms around Jeremy’s neck and kissed his cheek.
“Good enough,” I laughed.
Jeremy ruffled Matilda’s hair and rose to his feet in one smooth motion. “Hello, Erin…” he said. “I’ve missed you.”
He tried to misdirect me by holding out the flowers when he leaned over to kiss me, but his lips landed on nothing but air. A scurry back, and I was safely wedged beside Callan. Jeremy’s dark eyes flickered with hurt. His usual confidence was shaken for a heartbeat.
“I’m surprised you figured out where to find me,” I said.
Jeremy’s smile was simpering. “Your crude message about the use of farm equipment on my genitals narrowed the possibilities.”
Callan snorted a laugh. At least someone appreciated my humor.
Jeremy narrowed a sharp look at him. “I can’t say I’m at all surprised you were the one who offered Erin a place to stay,Cal.” He held out his hand.
Callan stared at him in disbelief. “You can’t seriously expect me to shake your hand.”
“I assumed people in the country are still taught some form of etiquette,” Jeremy replied.
“And I assumed people who recite wedding vows honor them,” Callan spat back. “But I guess I was just raised differently—being from the country and all that.”
Jeremy’s outstretched hand clenched into a fist before it dropped by his side. Callan noticed. He cocked his head, willing my ex to take the first swing. I’d seen enough brawls between the boys growing up to know Jeremy’s next visit would be to the emergency room if that happened, and my closest friend and my soon-to-be ex-husband rolling around in the mud, punching the shit out of each other, wasn’t something Matilda needed to see.
“Jeremy,” I said, my strained voice snapping both men’s attention to me. “What are you doing here?”
“You stopped taking my calls.”
I had. Proud, I lifted my chin. “You can direct anything you want to say to me through my lawyer.”
“Erin…” His tone lowered to a velvety murmur that wouldn’t work on me anymore. “I flew down to be with you as soon as I could so we could have this conversation in person.”
Like hell he had. “It’s been three weeks,” I said.
“Patients…” he apologized weakly. “But there are things we both need to say.” His eyes flicked to the man standing behind me. “Alone.”
