Page 85 of The Troublemaker
“Jesus.”Easton pushes his hand through his hair.
Austin looks at me.“Finn’s a firefighter and paramedic.He’s trained.”
I nod.“That’s a relief.”
“He’s also her husband,” Holly adds.She lifts Tanner from the stroller, and he doesn’t fuss, settling into her as though he knows she’s his grandma.“He’s the cutest.He has your eyes.”She hugs him close, swaying slightly, her eyes closing just like Easton’s did earlier.“I’m your grandma,” she whispers, and my chest tightens as tears threaten again.
Austin moves to his wife’s side, wrapping an arm around her and resting a hand on Tanner’s back.They both look at him as though he’s everything.
A chair screeches on the floor, and we all turn toward Decker.“I gotta get back upstairs.I’m sure I’ll be seeing you around.”
“Thanks for playing our game, Deck!”Holly says.“Tell Penelope and Hazel we can’t wait to see them.”
“Will do.”Decker gives Easton a look and heads out.
I want to ask if he’d mind grabbing me a paper bag to breathe into before I hyperventilate.
I’m unprepared for a parents’ meeting.Parents who think that I’m married to their son for real and not for pretend.But turns out I suck at fake marriages too because I almost kissed him on the mat in my bookstore about a half hour ago.Had we not gotten interrupted, I would have.
“Let’s sit.I’ll go get us some drinks.What does everyone want?”Austin asks, stepping toward the door.
“I’ll go with you,” Easton says.
My eyes go wide, and I shake my head slightly.
He walks up to me, and I think he’s going to saynever mind, I’ll stay—but he kisses my cheek instead.“Be right back.”
A strangled noise slips out of me.
“Oh, they have a high chair,” Holly says, but she can’t get it while holding Tanner.
“I’ll get it.”I pull it over and set it in front of the table.
“I don’t want to overstep, you know.I’ve been here five minutes, so I can give him back and you do whatever you usually do.”She moves to hold him out to me.
“No.It’s fine.”Because he’s not my kid—and yes, he’s my stepson through my faux marriage, but that won’t mean anything.In less than a year, I’ll probably be out of his life, and you’ll have free rein until Easton meets the love of his life.
There goes that nausea churning in my stomach again.
I take the diaper bag out of the stroller and put down the plastic tablecloth so he has a clean surface.
“He really likes these yogurt things lately.”I hand her the bag.
“Thank you,” she says with as much gratitude as if I just agreed to give her one of my kidneys.She pulls one out of the bag.“Do you like these?”she says to Tanner.
I take a seat across the table to give his dad a place to sit on the other side.I’m the outsider in this group, and I need to remember that.
Easton and Austin come back into the room, both holding two drinks.They’re laughing and talking about something.Easton comes to sit next to me, placing a drink in front of me.
“Got you something stronger,” he says.“Vodka soda with a lime.”
“Thanks.”
He slides his chair closer, his arm draping along the back of mine, resting on the top of my chair, but his fingers trail along my bare arm as if we really are a couple and it’s natural for him to be touching me like this.
“Feed him one of these.”Holly gives one of the yogurt drops to Austin.
“He’s not a dog, Hols.”He accepts the drop anyway and sets it in front of Tanner.
