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Pete holds up a hand. “No. I think it’s best I’m not part of their lives regularly right now. We have very different lifestyles, and they don’t intersect well. I will try to be there by sending cards for birthdays and holidays, but I think that’s enough for right now. If that changes, I’ll contact you and we can figure it out.” He pauses, hesitates as he glances in the house again, and then lowers his voice. “We haven’t told anybody yet—we were planning to do it over the holiday, but with the accident everything’s been off—but Sierra’s pregnant. She’s due in January.”
I won’t lie—hearing about Sierra’s pregnancy does affect me. I don’t know why, because my feelings towards her haven’t changed. And quite frankly, though I’m glad Pete and Jenna can come to an agreement for Ella and Eli’s sake, I’m not about to try and talk anything out or form any kind of truce with Sierra. What we had is in the past, and there is nothing to be said about it now.
But still. Knowing she’s carrying another man’s child… Maybe it’s because Pete’s news about his father wore down my defenses some. I’m not sure. I just know I have to swallow a lump of unexpected emotion and take a deeper breath than normal.
Jenna notices, because she releases my hand to slide her arm around my waist while maintaining eye contact with Pete. “Congratulations. I’m happy for the two of you.”
Pete dips his chin. “Thank you. You’re moving on and building a new life.” He glances at me for a moment, expression unreadable, then looks at Jenna again and straightens his shoulders. “And I’m doing the same.”
You’re moving on and building a new life.
I don’t know what it is about those words that rocks me so hard, but they do, because it makes me realize we are.
Over the past three years, Jenna and I have forged an unlikely friendship—the freshly divorced single mother of two and the chief of police who, admittedly, has trust issues. In those three years, we’ve built a friendship that is a firm foundation for the relationship we started less than a week ago. And when I look at it like that, seeing how three years’ worth of simmering has led to what feels like a rapidly boiling romance, I realize it’s not.
Not really, anyway.
Do I know what to do with that revelation? No. Which is why, after I leave Jenna’s, I’m going to do something I haven’t done for a while, because I know it’ll give me clarity.
And what I need right now is clarity.
Chapter Forty-Two
Seth
Ican honestly say I never thought this day would ever happen.” Jess hands me a spoon for my ice cream, then lowers onto the cushioned swing next to me. “You know, you coming tomefor relationship advice? I feel like we should get this on video or something. Especially since you stopped to get soft serve ice cream on your way.”
I roll my eyes and take a bite, flipping the spoon over in my mouth to get it all. “I’m not here for relationship advice, J.”
“Um, yes, you are. You texted to ask if you could drop by to talk about Jenna.” She waves her own spoon at me. “Unless you’re here to tell me you’ve already broken up—”
“What—No.”
“Okay. Then you’re here to talk about yourrelationship.” She grins at me as she takes a bite of her twist ice cream. The thought of blending chocolate and vanilla, however, has me cringing. I don’t mix ice creams flavors. “Not gonna lie, I’m pumped. I’ve never had the privilege of this talk. You know, since you failed to mention Sierra during that wholemonthyou were dating, and you’ve never had a serious relationship since?”
“Yeah, yeah. I get it. I screwed up. You don’t have to remind me.”
Jess bumps her shoulder against my bicep. “I’m just teasing you. Sort of. For the most part. But anyway, how did it go with Peter tonight?”
“Uh, nobody calls him Peter—”
“Then he should feel honored. I was an almost graduate from Le Cordon Bleu. I’m very prestigious. Also, the alternative name is Potty Mouth Pete.”
“I have more of a potty mouth than he does. Am I going to get any words in tonight?”
“Yes, sorry. I’m feeling particularly chatty.”
I snort. “You don’t say.”
“Sarcasm is not becoming of you.”
“And yet that was a sarcastic comment.”
“No, it wasn’t.” She takes a bite of her ice cream. “I meant it, so it wasn’t being sarcastic. But carry on. How was Peter?”
Since I don’t feel like going around and around with her over a name, I ignore it. “Fine. He saw the kids for a couple hours, explained to Jenna why he came, and they left.”
“Okay, but why’d they come? And you’re serious that his wife is Sierra?”
