Page 34 of But For You

“Just … call me when you get back from your reunion thing next week, and in the meantime, I’ll send all the information for the art auction over to Dylan and Fal.”

“Okay, step back.”

He moved, and I got out and lunged at him. “Thank you.”

He groaned like he was annoyed. “This display of appreciation is so⁠—”

“Needed,” I told him as I hugged him tight.

I parked out front of Sam’s parents’ house, and since he had no idea what I was driving, I was certain Sam wouldn’t know I was there. Aaron had said he’d call him, and so for once, I wasn’t going to try to manage their friendship—or whatever it was called when an ex and the love of your life tried to be friends because the person they both cared about was in the middle.

After walking around the house to the backyard, I went in through the door that opened into the kitchen. The pot roast smelled fantastic, and there were dinner rolls cooling on the stove. Moving through the room, I walked to the swinging door and out into the dining room. I could hear the music from the living room and went to see.

I found Hannah entertaining everyone as she danced with Sam’s sister Jen’s daughters, one a teenager at fourteen, the other twelve. The thing was, Whitney Houston was belting out “It’s Not Right But It’s Okay,” and Hannah was way too familiar with that tune not to sing it along with her. It was on my iPod, which I usually played when I dropped my kids off in the morning or picked them up. The best part though was not that she knew all the words, which she actually didn’t, but that she was the only one keeping the beat as she danced. She was jumping and moving her hands, the cardiovascular workout daunting. She tipped her head back and forth, she waggled her finger, and she stopped when the music did. She could not have been any cuter, and when she sang the chorus, everyone howled. Picking it right back up, she started bouncing again, and her cousins gave up, unable to match her style or energy. When the song ended and everyone clapped, she shrieked with happiness before bolting over to her grandmother and hurling herself into Regina’s arms.

“That was so good, pumpkin,” she cooed over my kid.

“I’m the best dancer in my class.”

“I’m sure you are.” She laughed, still not seeing me.

“I’m sure she is.” Some guy I didn’t know snickered under his breath. “Having two daddies—how could she not be?”

I was in the doorway, standing off to the side, out of view, not really in the room, but even from where I was, I felt the chill in the air.

“What?” Regina’s voice cracked like a whip as she turned to the man. “What did you say?”

“Michael,” the voice of Thomas Kage, Sam’s father, boomed through the space, “your friend—what is the name again?”

“Noah.”

“Yes, Noah—he can’t stay for dinner. Take him out of my house.”

Like a dog. Take him out.

“Uncle Michael.”

He was distracted by my daughter, but it was hard for him to look away from his father.

“Uncle Michael.”

“Yes, B?” he answered, finally giving her his attention.

“Where’s Auntie Bev? I miss her,” she said, inquiring as to the whereabouts of Michael’s glamorous wife.

How or why, I had no idea, but Hannah and her aunt got along famously. It was odd because most children were too messy, too sticky, or too loud for Beverly Kage. She liked everything just so—from her makeup to her nails to the handbag she carried. But all that fell by the wayside when it came to Hannah. She doted on her niece, allowed herself to be hugged, even if something that was on Hannah would rub off on her. The whole thing made Regina rethink her impression from earlier in her son and daughter-in-law’s marriage—that motherhood and Beverly were not suited. Regina had hope when she saw Beverly with my daughter.

“She had a meeting tonight, B, but she’ll be on the plane with you tomorrow.”

“Okay.” She beamed at him.

“Hey,” I heard Sam call as he came through the front door. “Anybody home?”

“Daddy!” Hannah squealed and tore across the room to him, leaping like a spider monkey toward him, arms and legs outstretched.

He caught her effortlessly and lifted her up high so she could do the airplane pose as she giggled like crazy.

“Sam,” Regina called to him as she rose and stalked across the room.