Page 98 of The Irresistible Distraction

Brody’s smile stays perfectly in place and he winks at me, something I remain surprised he’s able to carry off. “Can you at least admit I’m growing on you?”

“Sure,” Maggie nods.

I wait a beat. “Like a fungus.”

Everyone besides Jesse laughs. Because everyone else—except Jesse—has officially adopted Brody into our little group, which I know has to be difficult for my ex. In high school, he and Tyler were the cool ones; Maggie might have joked with Jesse a little, but never like this. In the time Jesse’s been gone, dynamics have evolved until Jesse is now the outsider looking in.

Because I know Jesse, I can see the longing and hope underneath the sour face, and I wonder if this is the first time he’s understanding what he left behind: not just me and Sebastian and life in the small town, but the deep friendships and everyone-knows-your-names that he’ll potentially never find anywhere else.

I watch as a series of emotions pass across his face, which still remains, at least for me, easy to read. Thus, I’m not surprised when Jesse grabs my arm on the way out and asks, “Ride with me?” His grip isn’t particularly tight, and I could easily twist out, but he squeezes just a little, to make his point. “There’s so much we need to talk about.”

He’s disappointing at least three people here: me, because I’d love to ride back with Brody and Sebastian, to talk about what it was like to share such a moment together, to watch my ten-year-old son hold my best friend’s two-hour-old baby; Sebastian, because he’d likely love more time with his father; and of course Brody, who has moved mountains (or at least, a firefighter off a mountain) to help ensure today’s outcome. Without Brody’s networks and rich friends, without his willingness to look at every impossible situation as a puzzle to solve, there’s no way Tyler would have made it here in time.

When I try to put him off, Jesse reminds me that I’ve ignored his text messages and he’s on call again tomorrow night. This is our only chance to talk in person.

I look at Brody, who gives me an annoyed You’ll pay for this later look before slinging a casual arm around Sebastian. “You okay being stuck with me?”

And yes, I fall just a little bit harder for this man, who everyone loves and anyone would be thrilled to have accompanying them, who has been in newspapers and magazines and has dated literal superstars, but who always makes it seem as though he, Brody, is the chore.

Sebastian is the privilege.

Despite that, it’s harder, even for Brody, to earn that smile from Sebastian today.

Normally when Jesse’s not around, it’s that he’s not around in an abstract way. This is a more direct . . . rejection than what my son’s used to.

“Wait, you know what I just realized?” Brody’s tone is mock serious, and we all turn toward him. He looks dramatically at his watch. “It’s barely past eleven a.m. and we’re not in Lake Arrowhead.”

Sebastian gives a half laugh, waiting for the punchline. “And?”

Brody grips my son’s shoulders. “Say it with me, Sebastian: There’s In-N-Out down the mountain. And it’s open.”

Sebastian smiles reluctantly, because of course he loves In-N-Out. He’s a kid who lives in a not-town that only has one McDonald’s; In-N-Out is a high treat that Brody either intuited or guessed.

“For breakfast?” Jesse asks, which makes sense. While I’ve always been focused on just getting enough calories into my too-skinny son, Jesse has always worried about nutrition.

Brody looks between me and my ex and lowers his voice conspiratorially. “Yeah, because it’s a celebratory breakfast. A double-double animal style to toast the birth of Angelina Alessandra Taylor-Martinez.”

“I guess,” Jesse consents, even though there’s not an easy way to stop this.

“Animal style is gross,” Sebastian retorts, back to rolling his eyes. I’m not going to call him out for it because Brody’s already turning my son away from us, barely giving Sebastian time to wave at Jesse or me. Brody’s arm is resting on Sebastian’s shoulder, and I can hear their ongoing argument about grilled versus raw onions. It’s just the right distraction to help Sebastian refocus and reset from his disappointment.

I raise my hand and then force myself to lower it again. I cannot let Jesse see me put a literal hand to my heart. Also, that’s just not something any grown woman should do, even on an emotional day like this.

Jesse taps my arm when they’re out of sight. “Ready?”

It’s a long walk to where Jesse’s parked, in the long-term lot because he didn’t know how long Maggie’s labor might take and he’s always been practical like that. Not like Brody, who probably threw his keys at the valet and ran in.

I smile a little at the comparison, wondering how the two men in my life could be so drastically different.

Only after I’m safely buckled in Jesse’s Range Rover—new since the last time I saw him—do I stop to wonder why he pays so little in child support, why I’m still driving a sixteen-year-old Prius and he has a Range Rover.

Jesse is silent as he navigates out of the city, and I don’t miss this, the long silences while Jesse gathers his thoughts and thinks through the perfect way to say something.

“Are you in love with him?”

“I’m not answering that.”

“Can you at least tell me if I have a chance here? I’m moving back to Lake Arrowhead for you, I think the least you can do⁠—”