Page 122 of Creeping Beautiful

Adam looked at me, confused. “What plans?”

I just shrugged.

We all went into the front room and peeked through the closed curtains at what was happening out in our driveway. Indie was still holding Maggie as Nathan messed with a car seat in the back cab of his truck.

I looked at Donovan. There were two of him. “Where did he get a car seat?”

Donovan didn’t answer.

And then Indie handed Maggie—our Maggie—over to Nathan so he could buckle her in the seat.

Adam stepped away from the curtain and started pacing the room, raking his fingers through his hair. He kept saying, “What the fuck is she doing? Why is she doing this? Something is wrong. Something is very wrong here.”

Donovan stepped back as well. But I could not take my eyes off Nathan and Maggie.

I felt sick. There was this feeling in my gut. This gross feeling that I had missed something here. Things were happening and I couldn’t make sense of them.

Donovan was talking. “Just… remain calm. We’ll figure it out.”

And then Indie was whooshing through the door with a big, bright smile on her face and both hands in the air like she was surrendering. “Just listen to me, you guys. God. You’re all a bunch of stupid men. I planned this so we could all have a day together. Just us. Like the old days. Remember them? How much fun we had? I’ve been stuck in this house for two years. I’m twenty. My childhood is over. And I want to have a day with you! All of you!”

Donovan was not buying one bit of this. “So let me get this straight. To celebrate the fact that you’re no longer a teenager, you just handed your child off to a stranger?”

But he was swaying back and forth a little as he talked. Or maybe that was me?

“He’s not a stranger, Donovan. Stop being stupid. He’s her father.”

Adam was shaking his head. “We are her fathers.”

Indie laughed. “You’re jealous.” She looked at all of us in turn. “That’s what this is about. Nathan St. James is the gentlest person I know.”

Adam snorted. “Oh, for fuck’s sake. You are the worst judge of character—”

“Fuck you, Adam!” She was all up in his face, pointing her finger. “You’re ruining my birthday!”

I stepped between them and looked at Adam. I had to place my hands on his shoulders to steady myself. “He’s gone now. It’s done. So… just… let’s try to have a nice day.”

I looked over at Donovan and he was nodding. “It’s done, Adam.” But then he looked at Indie. “What time is he bringing her home?” His voice was what I like to call ‘doctor professional’. Better known as emotionally detached. But his words were somehow… wrong.

“They’ll be back at four.”

All three of us looked at the grandfather clock in the hallway. I thought it said ten forty-five. But I wasn’t sure.

Adam said, “Five hours and fifteen minutes. He better not be late or I will hunt him down—”

“He won’t be late. He’s meeting a contractor over at the cottage at four thirty.”

This seemed to pacify everyone. At least, momentarily.

Indie took advantage of the momentary calm and walked up to Adam and slipped her arms around his middle. She gazed up into his eyes with a look I’d never seen on her face before.

Donovan and I traded glances. I thought this was a new look for him too.

“Don’t you get it?” Indie was asking Adam. Then she looked at me. And then Donovan. “I wanted to spend some time alone with you guys. All of you. That’s how I want to say goodbye to my teens.”

Then she did something I had never seen before. Ever. She leaned up on her tiptoes and kissed Adam right on the mouth.

This was not a goodnight kiss like she would give me. It was… it was open-mouthed and filed with tongue.