“Sorry,” I said. “I’m busy right now. Cal is taking us into town for ice cream.”
“Yeah!” Matilda cried. “You can come, Daddy!”
My eyes widened.God help me…
“I’d love that.” A smug smile stretched across Jeremy’s face. “Hey, I’ve got an idea. Why don’t you both ride into town with me?”
Oh,yay. It sure would be fun to be trapped in a car with Jeremy as he spouted more lies about how sorry he was. “Do you have a car seat?”
His eyebrow arched. “What for?”
“For Til.”
“It’s a rental.”
“The rental place can install a car seat…”If you remembered to ask… “Cal’s truck has a booster.”
“I’ll ride with you then.”
Callan barked a laugh. “Not bloody likely.”
“I haven’t seenmywife andmydaughter in weeks,” Jeremy snapped.
“Whose fault is that?” Callan replied.
“Listen here, you uneducated piece of—”
“Guys!” I sighed. “Can we not do this in front of Til? Please?”
Callan muttered an apology under his breath, but Jeremy only smiled. He was back commanding the state of play, and he loved it.
He shoved the bouquet at my friend. “Take care of these, will you?”
Callan accepted the flowers with narrowed eyes. He was considering hurling them into the mud, but he crouched low and held them out to Matilda.
“Can you do an extra special job and carry the flowers inside?” he asked. “We’ll put them in some water so you can take them back to your place later.”
Matilda excitedly accepted, clutching the bouquet protectively to her chest and giggling when the petals tickled her nose.
Callan took her hand. “We’ll be back in a minute.” He turned a frown over his shoulder as they left.
“You’re not staying in the house?” Jeremy asked, watching Matilda stomp up the stairs to the front door.
“No, I just… The house is…” A terrifying unknown. “It’s too soon…” Even if it had been three years since Lila was last here.
“Erin, this grief.” He tried to slip a comforting hand around my waist, but again, I stepped out of his reach.
I hugged my cardigan tighter around me. It was all the protection I had now that Callan was inside. “We’re staying in one of the settler cottages,” I said to avoid any more talk of Lila. “Cal and Bronte restored them for renting out. They’re super cozy.”
“We have a beautiful home in Melbourne. You and Til deserve to live there.”
“You’ve changed your mind about moving out?”
“No.”
“That’s a shame…” I muttered.
“Our marriage is worth fighting for. One night doesn’t change how much I love you.”
