AllFreeNovel
Share Us
"Slow down," she told Leo with a laugh. "Give Decker a minute."
"It's fine," Decker said. "I'm ready to play."
"How about a drink first?" she asked.
"Maybe later. I think there's a horse calling my name."
"Are you sure?"
He met her gaze. "I'm sure. By the way, something smells really good."
"It's nothing fancy, just chicken tetrazzini, which is basically pasta with chicken and vegetables."
"Perfect. I like pasta."
"Is there a food you don't like?" she asked with a laugh. "So far, you've loved everything I've seen you eat."
"I'm not picky. My dad exposed me to a lot of different foods when we traveled. I grew up eating whatever was being served, like fried caterpillars in South Africa."
"You ate caterpillars?" Leo asked in amazement.
"They were good. Crispy on the outside, like chips."
Chloe gave him a doubtful look. "I don't think they were anything like chips. But if you can handle fried caterpillars, I'm feeling good about my dinner."
"I'm feeling good about everything," he said, a gleam in his eyes. "I missed seeing you this week."
"Me, too."
"I saw Marian in the café. She said she's feeling better."
"Yes. Thank goodness. I really appreciate how much she does when I don't have her."
"Decker," Leo squealed, tugging on Decker's hand. "Let's go."
Chloe smiled as Decker followed Leo to his bedroom. She was lucky to have found a guy who was so willing to play with her kid. For the next half hour, she found herself smiling every other moment, as sounds of laughter came from Leo's bedroom.
When they sat down at the table to eat, it felt like a family dinner, the kind of night she'd envisioned when she'd first gotten pregnant. But she and Kevin had never had a family dinner when Leo was old enough to sit at the table. Kevin had been long gone by then.
Not wanting to think about Kevin, she concentrated on the man across from her. "How's the house coming along? I'm sorry I haven't been able to get over there."
"It's not a problem. I've gotten the house cleaned out. I took anything that looked personal to my apartment, but the rest is now gone, except for a few large pieces of furniture that I'll need some help to move. But I am finally able to concentrate on the renovation. Which reminds me, I need your decision on tile, flooring, and paint."
"I did that earlier today." She waved her hand toward the samples on the side table. "I wrote them down. You can take everything when you leave."
"Good. The choices I gave you were all in stock, so I should be able to pick up materials soon."
"Mommy, can I be done eating?" Leo interrupted.
"Do you want to have dessert?" she asked.
Leo nodded.
"Then eat all of your fruit and two more bites of pasta."
"What's for dessert?" Decker asked.
"Ice cream sundaes. Do you love those, too?" she teased.
