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Lisa barked out a laugh. “You mean you’re ready forthe works.”
“I am.”
“Come on, boys,” Lisa said, hugging her sons. “Thank you for making me so proud today.”
“Why’d we make you proud?” Marcus asked.
“You were just so—what’s the word—well adjusted, faced with Ryan and Dan.”
“And now me,” Zach said, chuckling.
“We like you,” Marcus said. “You’re a good guy. That’s what Uncle Will called you. You’re aroll up your sleeveskind of guy. Daddy said that’s a guy who doesn’t need to be asked to do what’s right.”
“A fireman,” Dan Junior added.
“Thank you,” Zach said, flushing. “I’ll try to live up to that.”
Everyone got tucked in, the baby girls in bed already, Daniela rocking with a cup of tea and earphones listening to something on an iPad.
“Are you rushing off?” Lisa asked Zach as they were leaving the bedrooms. “You’ve been here all day, so I won’t be annoyed if you leave.”
“I’m spending the night,” he said, snickering.
She laughed, wagging her finger at him. “I told my mother I was pregnant and that we were going to let Ryan think it was yours unless he learned to count. She was good with that.”
“Wow, you told your mother.”
“Yeah. It felt mean keeping it from her. She confessed she was gettingtoo closeto Ryan, but I stopped her from saying more. I don’t need to know. Only a crazy person would do that, so I just figured she was having some kind of meltdown while I was down here, plugging along.”
“You’re pretty remarkable.”
“Zach, trust me, I’ve had my moments.”
“So have I. If you’ve lived past sixteen, you’re bound to have had some experiences.”
“I guess we’ll just continue getting to know each other.”
“When your divorce is final, I want to get married. Being married will make it easier after the baby is born.”
She turned her face, grimacing. “Zach, not after two weeks of knowing each other.”
“I don’t care about that. When will it be final?”
“Remember, there was no marriage with Ryan. We were living together.”
“So, it just got easier.”
“It’s gonna be so easy,” Lisa said. “But I’m not getting married. That kind of talk scares me.”
“Why?”
“Well, for one thing,you don’t know me. And for another, I’m getting used to being alone, and I like it. You can come along with me for the ride, but if your goal is to get married, then find someone else.”
Chapter 12
Monday night after work, Max called Andy to see if he had time to hook up the drain to the bathroom sink in the attic conversion at Lisa’s cottage, the last things to be finished. Then the room would be ready for the nannies to move in.
“It’s fine with Lisa,” Max said. “I can be there by seven.”
