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I laughed and wondered about the tension between them. “Very appreciated,” I assured him. “There’s beer in the cooler. And soda.”
“And fresh lemonade,” Megan added, shocked eyes glued to Gavin. “Made by yours truly.”
“Is fresh lemonade a thing?” Gavin asked, a flirtatious smile fixed on his face as he sauntered over to Megan.
Casey stood. “It is, trust me. As her husband I had the pleasure of peeling six hundred lemons.”
Megan rolled her eyes. “It was hardly twenty, babe. Exaggerate much?” She laughed, but Casey’s gazed was fixed on the rockstar smiling at his wife.
“Settle down, Case. Gavin doesn’t poach, or so I hear,” Persephone added with a knowing smile for Gavin.
“I don’t? I thought that rule was just for the man fixing my car.” He smiled back, not at all offended that I had shared his words with her.
“He’s a brain surgeon, and you might need his help when someone else’s husband or boyfriend knocks you out in a jealous rage.”
“Ah,” he grinned. “Good call, Persy. Thanks.” Gavin turned to Megan with another flirtatious smile. “Too bad because you’re smoking hot.”
She giggled and Casey growled.
“Let the party begin!” Cal stepped into the backyard with a wide smile and five bags of chips dangling from one hand. “And I brought snacks.”
“So did I,” Oliver added and held up a bag filled with bags of chips.
Cal laughed. “Great minds think alike.”
“Small minds,” Teddy added under her breath but loud enough to draw a laugh from just about everyone.
A third man stepped in beside Cal, looking nervous and out of place. “Uh, hi.” He held up one hand in greeting and flashed a shy smile.
“Who the hell is that?” Gavin asked loud enough to be heard.
Persephone gasped and I turned to face her, to see the look of shock mixed with wariness in her eyes and I had a feeling I knew who the intruder was. “Ferguson? What are you doing here?”
Yep, I knew that name. This jerk was Titus’ father who’d given him up without a fight. Why the hell was he in my backyard?
“Persy. Hi. I was in the area.”
“Bullshit,” Megan growled. “Send him packing, Persy. I’ll add to the postage in the form of a kick to the nuts.”
“Kids,” Persephone whispered at Megan and stood slowly, her legs wobbly as she closed the grassy gap between her and her ex. “Try being honest Ferguson.”
He sighed and scanned the backyard until his gaze landed on Rosie and Titus, racing on the swing set I’d built for him last summer. “I was, uh, hoping we could talk.”
“You thought you could just force the issue by showing up unannounced?” She shook her head and mumbled under her breath. “My life doesn’t run on your timeline.” That’s what she said, but Persephone turned to me with pleading violet eyes and asked me to keep an eye of Titus.
“I got ya.”
With a grateful nod, she turned and left with him.
Seconds later the silence ended as music started and conversation re-started. Cal joined me at the grill first, then Antonio. “What the hell was that all about?”
I glanced back to make sure Rosie and Titus were still on the swings, and kept my voice low as I told them about Ferguson. “Titus’ father who gave up his rights when his fiancée decided she didn’t want any stepchildren. Titus has never met him, so keep quiet, yeah?”
“Of course.” Antonio clapped my shoulder. “Good luck with that mess.”
“You have nothing to worry about,” Oliver’s gruff voice advised as he ambled over to the grill. “Don’t let that jealous written all over your face ruin a good thing. She wasn’t happy to see him, which means you have nothing to worry about.”
I nodded, accepting his words even though a small part of me couldn’t help feeling a little jealous. Not that she had left with her ex, but that they’d obviously been in touch and she hadn’t told me.
Exactly thirty-seven minutes later, Persephone returned looking a little shaken. I fought the urge to run to her immediately and demand that she tell me what the hell that idiot wanted. Instead my gaze connected with hers and I mouthed the words, “You okay?”
She nodded and that was it, not even a clue about what he wanted even though it didn’t take a genius to figure it out. Clearly he wanted his family back.
Too damn bad. He couldn’t have them.
They were mine.
By the time everyone else had cleared out of the backyard, Titus was asleep on the sofa, the sun had set and every flat surface in the kitchen was filled with leftovers. “Let me help.” Persephone’s voice came out soft, almost worried and that worried me.
“I’ve got it. Most of it is going into containers for the office. The boys never think about lunch and this will feed them for a few days.” Pre-planning meals wasn’t a priority for teenage boys, at least not if they had to pay for it. Or unless girls were involved.
