Page 64 of Starting Back
“I can’t help it if your daughter likes to eat.” She rubbed circles over her round belly. “Or if things make me hungry.” She bit into a fry, holding Jake’s gaze long enough to make me a little queasy.
“Ugh, hello,” I groaned, raising my hand. “There are people here across the table who don’t want to lose their dinner.”
Not that Emma was paying attention as she swirled a fry across the puddle of ketchup on her plate.
I liked to tease them both, but the love and longing between my brother and his wife was so obvious, it was palpable. It was impossible not to notice—or be jealous.
“Can I babysit Keely after she’s born?” Emma asked, squaring her shoulders. “I’m six and a half now, so that’s like a grown-up.”
“Babies are a lot of work. I think you should be a bigger grown-up before you babysit,” I whispered as I leaned in.
“You said she would be here next month. I’ll be bigger then.” Emma crossed her arms and fell back into her seat, her lip jutted out in a pout.
“I think that when Keely gets here, you guys are going to be best friends.”
Emma grinned, Peyton’s words appeasing her enough to pick up her burger for a bite.
“Chloe missed out. This is the best cheeseburger ever. Can we come back next week?”
I had to laugh at Emma’s wide, hopeful eyes.
“You’re with Daddy next week. He’s taking you guys to the farm and on a hayride, remember?”
“That’s right! I can’t miss that.”
My brother and I shared a tiny smile. For the past few months, Colin and I had been getting along better when he came to pick up the girls, and the tension around his weekends with them had—mostly—dissipated. We hadn’t gotten into an argument since he’d called me while I was on vacation, and I’d learned how to smile and shrug when he got into a mood. For the fifteen minutes I saw him on weekends, I could be friendly and—sort of—mean it.
Now when their father stopped by, I didn’t catch the usual dread I’d find etched on my daughters’ faces as they watched us together. They didn’t expect the fighting between us as a given anymore, and I hoped the new pattern would be permanent.
Her sophomore year of high school was busy enough for Chloe to stop fixating on her worry for me. She was out with some new friends from her basketball team tonight, without any nudging from me.
I kept an eye on her but hoped that her asking to go out rather than holing up in her room and watching my every move meant she was turning a corner.
Even though I was able to let go of some of the worries about my firstborn, I had other reasons for losing sleep these days.
Like knowing Leo lived in my town, worked at the fire station I passed each day on the way to and from my house, and the way he’d looked at me when he’d asked me what I wanted.
I’d welcomed the temporary distraction when Jake invited us to get burgers at Salma’s with him and Peyton.
“Kristina? I thought that was you.”
I almost coughed on a fry when I turned to find Leo standing next to our table.
So much for distractions. It was difficult to get your mind off something that was always right there in front of you.
This was the first time I’d seen him in firefighter mode. He wore a Kelly Lakes Fire Department T-shirt that seemed a size too tight over jeans that hung on his hips the same way they had when he’d tended bar that first night.
“Hey, Leo. I guess you’re on shift tonight.”
He nodded. “I offered to pick up takeout. I’m told the whole town swears by the burgers here.”
Leo’s easy smile both enraptured me and pissed me off. Three pairs of narrowed eyes fixed on me when I glanced around the table.
“Leo, this is my brother, Jake, and my sister-in-law, Peyton.”
Jake stood to shake Leo’s hand.
“Hi, Leo,” Peyton chirped, holding out her hand for Leo after Jake sat back down. “It is so nice to finally meet you.”
