Page 9 of An Unexpected Turn
“Well, he counts for a lot.”
A laugh slipped out of her before she exhaled a long sigh.
“That he does. He’s been really great about letting me stay with them, but it’s crowded enough and I don’t want to take away his sanctuary. When I move in to my own place, I think it will start to feel like home.”
“Want to join me for a plate of food, or do you have to stay with the school?”
I nodded to the cluster of what looked like faculty behind her. The right thing would have been to excuse myself and eat alone, getting as far away from her as possible.
“I don’t have to. We’re all free to roam around and do whatever we want. I could sit with you for a while until Mike gets back.” She sucked that full and probably pillow-soft bottom lip into her mouth.
A plate of food at a school barbecue shouldn’t have been dangerous, yet it seemed like the most reckless thing I’d done in I couldn’t remember how long.
I followed her over to the food tables, both of us not saying anything as we filled up our plates and found an empty bench.
“Where’s your new place?” I asked, trying to break through the uncomfortable silence.
“In town, the condo complex on Maple, about ten minutes away from Uncle Keith. It’s still not ready yet, but when I get the keys, I can start moving stuff in.”
“Do you need any help moving? The back of my truck holds a lot.”
Yes, Russo. Offer to spend even more time with her.
“I don’t think so. I need to hire movers to take my stuff out of storage, and Uncle Keith will help me bring the rest of my stuff in his van, so we should be covered.” She brought a water bottle to her lips, and I averted my gaze when a drop ran down the side of her mouth. “Thank you, though. That’s sweet of you to offer. If any of that changes, I’ll be sure to let you know.”
Peyton was young, too young for me, and she worked in my son’s school as his guidance counselor. If that wasn’t enough, simply thinking of her like this would ruin a friendship I’d had for most of my life.
So why couldn’t I stop doing it?
“I don’t mean to pry.” Peyton leaned her elbows on the table. “But how areyoudoing through all this adjustment?”
“Did Mikey say anything?”
I stilled, the ever-present knot in my stomach since my son had come to live with me coiling a little tighter.
She winced. “Anything he tells me is between us unless it’s for the sake of his safety, but Uncle Keith told me about the new situation the both of you were thrown into. Must be tough.” She held her gaze on me as she speared her fork into the pasta salad on her plate. When she looked down, her long lashes grazed her cheek bone. I cleared my throat, attempting to keep my mind and the topic on my son.
“I worry about him. I always wanted more time with Mikey, but forcing it is just making him miserable.”
“I wouldn’t say that. I can tell he thinks very highly of his dad. The misery you may see is probably from new surroundings and new people. Again, I can relate.” She cocked her head to the side. “I knew Mike was your son right away. Same eyes and smile.”
“Well, I had no idea whoyouwere. Sorry again about that.”
And sorry for ogling you before and after I remembered who you were.
“It’s okay.” Her giggle was almost musical. I needed to stop finding every little thing she did so goddamn adorable. “It’s been a long time since you’ve seen me.”
“Sure has.” I smiled back at her, a little tension easing between us. “I’m surprised you recognized me.”
“As if I could ever forget what you looked like.” Her fork stilled before it got to her mouth, her eyes widening a moment before she cleared her throat.
“So I made a good impression on you all those years ago?” I couldn’t help teasing her after a blush bled into her cheeks.
“What I meant was ...” She dropped her face into her hands, pinching the bridge of her nose. I burst out laughing when she peeked at me through her fingers. “I meant you look the same. I’m thankfully not the same awkward teenager with a mouth full of metal. So I take it as a compliment you had no clue who I was.” She laughed as her smile grew, more relaxed than when I’d met her yesterday.
“I wasn’t expecting the beautiful woman standing with my son to be the same best friend’s little niece from all those years ago.”
Her eyes held mine for a long moment before she blinked and took another swig of water. Maybe this was stress. My worry over my son was making me imagine things, like Peyton staring at my mouth when I swiped my napkin over it. She all but admitted that she had a crush on me, but I wasn’t sure if it was past or present, and why the hell was I so damn curious to find out?
