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Mom slid out of her chair. “I’ll get it. Finish chewing.”
I was midcrunch when I heard more than one voice. A hot pit formed in my stomach. I’d been diligent about Holden and what the kids knew about him and me. But Henry obviously didn’t have the same worries.
I swallowed without choking on my indignation. “Finish up, kids. Your dad is waiting.”
I swept into the living room and found Mom handing the luggage to Jenni. Her blonde hair had been blown out, and aviator glasses were perched on her head. The kids had had no warning that Jenni was now part of their weekend. Couldn’t Henry put them first for once?
I knew they were living together, but Henry hadn’t talked about it. I naively assumed they had come up with an arrangement that wasn’t “Here’s another mommy. Surprise!”
“Hi, Emery,” Jenni said quietly, like she wanted to sink into the worn carpet. Henry hadn’t put her first either.
“Hi,” I said flatly, holding my irritation in check. I aimed my annoyed gaze at Henry. He fixed his challenging stare on me, daring me to say something about her. So, it was like that.
“The kids are coming” was all I said. I hated to say he looked good. He wasn’t blatantly sexy like Holden. Not as tall or as muscular. His expression was frozen on the arrogant side. But his inky-black hair was combed into submission, and he glowed from his recent vacation. They both did.
Meanwhile, I fought chapped hands from washing and sanitizing them so much, and my hair hadn’t seen a stylist since before Riley was born.
“Tell them to hurry.” Impatience dripped off his tone.
I rolled my lips together and did no such thing. He was their father. He could do it himself.
He huffed and called, “Come on, guys. We gotta go.”
“I’ll take these bags to the car.” Jenni jogged down the stairs, her perky, perfect ass apparent in her skinny jeans.
I needed to find something nicer to wear tonight.
The kids piled out of the kitchen.
Henry’s face twisted. “Can you at least wipe off Riley’s face? Good God, Em. I drove out here, can you at least—”
I cut a hand through the air. “If you want to start with the ‘can you at least,’ I would bet my list is longer than yours. So, if you wanna go ahead and finish that statement, just be prepared.”
He shook his head. “Hmph. Never mind. We’ve wasted this much time already. We’ll stop at the gas station.”
Avery grabbed Riley’s hand. “I’ll do it,” she said softly and led Riley away. Mom rushed after her.
I gave Henry acan you be less of an assholelook, but he was ushering the other two out the door. Jenni greeted them with a big smile and exuberant energy and led them to a Suburban I’d never seen before. This one was red.
Henry rounded on me. “Was that called for, Em?”
“Was bringing your girlfriend to my house called for?” I shot back.
His disapproving frown grated on my nerves. “Em—”
“Emery. Only people close to me call me Em.”
“You’re being childish.”
Mom’s sharp inhale resounded between us. Henry had the grace to look abashed, and he dropped his gaze to his daughters. “Let’s go load up, girls.”
Riley let out a squeal and toddled for Henry. Moments like that were why I needed to watch how I talked about him and around him. They needed to form their own opinions of him, and I didn’t want to quash a kid’s excitement to see her dad.
With a stony expression, he scooped her up. He put his arm around Avery and led her out.
When the door shut behind him and Mom closed the main door, I groaned. “I forgot to give the kids a hug.” I felt like I had a Bad Mom of the Year award to apply for. And after I mentally berated Henry for putting himself first, I let my anger distract me.
“I think it would’ve caused more of a scene.” I didn’t detect censure in her tone, but it was heavy with regret.
