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"That's Evan, Mama's ex-boyfriend. He is so cool. He used to take us to the museums and games and to the state fair. He was a really good shot. He won me like five stuffed animals. I miss him a lot. He always calls on my birthday and Christmas and sends me presents. He still loves Mama. That's what Aunt Lauren toldAbuela. She also said it's too bad the relationship didn't work for Mama, ‘cause Aunt Lauren says Evan is all kinds of right."
“She said that to you?"
"No, I heard them talking once. Don't tell Mama."
Cam opened his mouth to say something about her eavesdropping, but her mother walked in the room.
"Bron, it’s for you," Adrianna said, waving the phone at her daughter.
The little girl leapt and took the phone. Her face lit up and she squealed, "Aunt Lo, wait, hold on. I'll call you on FaceTime."
She hung up and began to walk to the other side of the room.
"Where are you going?" Cam called out.
"To the dining room. Mom, can I talk to you?"
They moved away where Cam couldn’t hear what they said. His daughter was talking a lot and Adrianna nodded. Then, Adrianna gave her a hug, then a kiss and whispered something in her ear. Bron sat in a chair by the window with her iPad.
"What was that about?" Cam asked as Adrianna walked back toward him with a smile. Luciana joined them.
"She wanted to talk to Lauren in private because she doesn't want you all to get jealous. She says that when she mentions Lauren or her uncle Nathan, you guys get like Suzie, her school frenemy, whenever Bron gets anything new."
"She's so considerate and kind. It kills me that you're responsible for that," Luciana said.
Adrianna's face shifted from amusement to pure joy. "Thanks." Then she turned to Cam and the warmth faded out of her gaze. "I'm going to visit a couple of bistros for new ideas and do a little shopping. We can talk later or tomorrow. Today, you can bond with her."
His stomach knotted. He had never spent time all alone with Bronwyn except for the car ride from the exhibit to her mother's. What if he said or did the wrong thing? And damn it, he didn't want to see Adrianna go. He could kick himself for losing his temper earlier on. He’d made her cold and distant, again.
She ran down a list of instructions and stuff he shouldn’t let Bron do and answered some of his and Lux’s questions.Don’t let her eat too much or whatever she wantsandplease do not buy her everything she asks forwere among the most stressed sentences. She repeated them a couple of times.
“Are you guys going to be okay?” she asked with wary eyes.
Fuck no. He didn’t know anything about entertaining kids. Still, he had too much pride to prevent her from walking out, which she did without so much as a glance back.
"What's going on with you and Adrianna?" Luciana asked as soon as the front door closed.
"Nothing," he said quickly. The last thing he needed was his sister’s meddling.
"He made her mad earlier," Bronwyn said, walking back to the family room. "It doesn't look good for him."
"How was your talk with your Aunt Lo?" Cam asked. He wasn’t having this conversation. Especially not in front of the kid.
"It was okay." Bronwyn answered.
He ran his fingers through her hair. "You can tell us. We won't be upset."
"She got me an Eli Manning Jersey and tickets to go see the Giants play the Ravens in the fall." she gushed. "If Mama lets me, we're getting our faces painted blue."
"Why?" Luciana asked.
"‘Cause that's how you show love for the team." Bronwyn looked at him. "Can we go do something outside?"
"How about a little sightseeing?" He was rewarded with a big smile and a nod.
"Can we go see the Statue of Liberty?"
