Chaser (Dive Bar #3)(74)

“Family is important, Eric. I’m sure you understand that.”

I shook my head, bewildered. “It was family that made her want to leave in the first place.”

“We’ve made mistakes,” said Leah. “We accept that. But Ada is … she’s wonderful. I’m sure you know that. We want to be a part of our daughter and granddaughter’s life. We want to be there for them.”

“Pretty damn sure that going around behind Jean’s back talking to me like this isn’t the way to earn back her trust.”

“We’re not going behind her back. It was more that we thought…” She broke off, and her eyes flitted briefly to her husband. “Well, I thought that you seemed like a very decent young man, who cared about doing what’s right for Jean and Ada in the long term. Because you might be enjoying being part of their life now, but do you really think that’s going to last? There’s a lot of years between now and when Ada leaves for college,” she said. “They need constants in their life, people who can stick with them for the long haul. Babies are cute, but do you really want to be dealing with toddler tantrums?”

I said nothing.

“We just want what’s best for them, Eric.” Leah gave me a patient look, making me even more pissed off.

I rose, holding Ada carefully against my chest. “Excuse me.”

Their faces fell and I did not give a single shit. Time to get out of here. So I turned my back on them and headed for the front desk where Lydia and oh shit … Nell. Awesome. This day was the worst. It had gone from the triumph of me being Ada’s first word to the ninth layer of hell in about four minutes.

“What’s wrong?” asked the ginger monster, holding her hands out for Ada.

I gave her the baby, but not much of an answer. “Nothing.”

“Then why do you look like someone just peed in your favorite bottle of single malt?” asked Lydia, blond head cocked.

“God,” I said. “What a horrible thought. Where the hell do you come up with this stuff?”

Ada babbled at Nell. Guess it was important girl talk, because I didn’t understand a word of it. And I could feel Leah’s and Will’s gazes burning holes into my back. If I never spoke another word to those people, life would be great. All of their talk about babies growing up and tantrums and shit. Of course I realized Jean and Ada needed people who wouldn’t let them down and weren’t going anywhere. Like I had plans to hit the road or something and do a runner. But did I really need to decide right here and now if I was starting a college fund for Ada?

Fucking ridiculous.

My experience with actual relationships with women might be minimal. I was, however, pretty sure you didn’t just meet someone and start planning your lives together on the same day. This sort of shit took time, getting to know one another, figuring out if you could even live together. I’d spent a total of one whole night in Jean’s bed, the other having been spent on the floor. We had time to figure things out. Surely. The last thing either of us needed was her parents pushing their own agenda yet again.

Still, the words stung. As if doing my best for Jean and Ada would mean getting out of their lives. My stomach clenched with anger at the insinuation. Not sure if I was angry because it was false, or because of the possibility it might be true. “You know, I get that eventually you’re old enough to figure out that your folks aren’t infallible. They’re just people too, they make mistakes,” I said. “But some parents just don’t seem to learn.”

Nell and Lydia frowned in unison, but before they could fashion their frowns into awkward questions, Jean appeared at my side.

“Hey,” she said, but her smile dimmed at the look on my face. “Eric, you okay?”

“I’m fine, sweetheart,” I murmured, kissing the side of her head.

“You don’t look fine. You look angry,” she said. “What’s going on?”

“Did you have a nice lunch?” I asked, trying to steer the conversation elsewhere. Anywhere. Just the thought of her leaving set me into a spin. I could hardly get my head around the possibility. Her apartment empty. She and Ada living their lives away from me, and on the other side of the country. It was all impossible, stupid nonsense. I slipped my hand around the back of her neck, rubbing the tense muscles there. Touching her because I needed the connection.

And why the hell not? Everyone knew stuff was happening between us. If I wanted to whisper sweet nothings and kiss her in public, then I damn well would. The original agreement might have been friends who fucked, but things had developed since then. Or at least, I thought they had. And it wasn’t like Jean was complaining about the open affection.

“Shit,” she mumbled, a guilty look immediately going to Ada. “My parents asked you to talk to me about Florida, didn’t they?”

I nodded, but my heart sank in my chest at her words. She had known about this. And she hadn’t told me.

“They’ve been pushing for me to move back since we started talking again.”

And I’d had no idea. Just like that, the panic surged again, my heart hammering. Maybe I should get checked out by a doctor. “You never said anything.”

There were so many things she could have said right then. Like that she had told them the idea was nonsense. That she had a life here. But Jean just sort of shrugged.