Page 33 of Steele

“And as an adult.” He tapped his glass for another beer. At the same time, a server appeared with his pizza.

“Since you ordered the special, your pie won’t take as long,” the server said. “It’ll be out in a minute.” She hurried back through the open doorway to the kitchen.

His pizza looked so good. My stomach growled from the scent of the basil and mozzarella.

“It’s the closest they had to a plain cheese pizza,” he said, probably because I was practically salivating over his food.

“It’s good. You’ll love it, but they have plain brick oven pizzas, too.” I grabbed the one-page menu tucked between the beer menu and the specialty menu. “This is the basic menu for building your own pizza. Their Margherita pizza is my favorite.” Why was I rambling? He already had his food.

“The server handed me that one,” Brett grumbled, pointed to the specialty menu, and took a drink of the beer he’d just been poured. He took another sip but didn’t touch the pizza.

“You don’t have to wait for me.”

He smiled with the glass still at his lips. “I’ll wait.”

I pivoted on my stool, brushing my knee against his. Damn those traitorous butterflies. Did I need to remind myself that this was dangerous? Apparently, I did because I wasn’t going to move to another seat, and I wanted him to stay. “Lili was excited in school today.”

Fridays were always exciting because the kids loved to feed Taco before the weekend. But she’d been especially excited to spend the weekend with her dad. But he was here…and drinking. Maybe she’d misunderstood Lili about spending tonight with her dad. “Are you picking her up later?”

He ran his fingertip through the sweat on his glass. “Not tonight. Natalie changed the plans.”

I didn’t want to acknowledge why that caused a flurry of emotions in my belly. Not because he wasn’t with Lili, but I guess I was relieved I was right about him. I couldn’t imagine he’d be here, drinking a beer, if his plans included his little girl.

“Working out visitation has to be hard,” I said. “Divorce is hard.”

“You’re the last person I’d complain to about not having my kid for the weekend.” He rolled the glass between his palms.

“Don’t do that, Brett. Don’t minimize what you’re going through.” He didn’t mention anything else about Lili’s mom either. More proof he wasn’t the absent, out-of-touch father I’d assumed he was. “You’re allowed to have your feelings. My grief doesn’t change that you’re not with Lili tonight.” Because I didn’t have my child, it didn’t mean he shouldn’t have his.

The server returned with my pizza. That was a lot of meat and cheese. Grease soaked into the crust. My stomach might not be up for my night of revenge eating and drinking. I lifted the beer to my lips. My face pinched with the first taste. I swallowed a few gulps then washed the bitter taste away with my soda. I could hear Jeff’s laugh in my head.

Shut up. I’m here because of you. But I was staying because of the man beside me.

Brett stared with a twitch to his lips. “I didn’t think you liked beer.”

“I don’t.” I pushed the beer to the side and grabbed a slice of my meat monstrosity. “I’m pissed at Jeff so I’m drinking his beer and eating his pizza.”

“It’s a weird flex, but okay.” He smirked. “Didn’t you say this was your favorite?” He tore off a piece of his pizza and handed it to me. “I’ll share.”

The circles of fresh mozzarella were thick and melty. “Okay.” I couldn’t resist. “But you have to eat a slice of mine.” I pulled off the largest slice and slid it onto his pie plate.

If we weren’t careful, this could be considered having dinner together. I took a bite of the Margherita pizza. “What happened with Lili?” I asked around a gooey bite.

He tucked his hand into the inside pocket of his vest and pulled out the document I’d seen him reading when I walked into the restaurant. “You’ll want to find a different place to sit after you read this. Actually, since I interrupted your dinner, I’ll go back to the end of the bar.”

“Too late now. We’re sharing pizza.” I took the paper from him. “What is this?”

“A bunch of fucking lies. I don’t know how I’m supposed to prove that though.” He took a bite of meat pizza.

I furrowed my brows and read over the restraining order. An uneasy feeling settled low in my gut. I was a smart girl. Everything about Brett was a red flag warning. The way he looked. The company he kept. And what I knew of his history.

But he revealed more about himself in the things he didn’t say. Maybe I hadn’t yet met the man who’d been married to Natalie. I wasn’t always a good judge of character. Look at the man I’d married.

I didn’t know what to say. How hard was it to get a temporary restraining order? He must’ve done something. “Why would she say you did these things if you didn’t do any of this?”

Silence stretched between us for a few beats of my heart.

“Never mind.” I folded the paper and handed it back to him. “You don’t owe me an explanation.”