One Last Time(61)

Yeah, I’m in trouble. This was definitely a bad idea.

“More?”

Might as well go big since I’m toast with Kristin.

“Yes, please.”

She continues to dip her hand into milk and eat cookies—a lot of cookies.

I look at the door, hoping Kristin is doing okay with Finn and they are working through it. The way her eyes filled with pain was impossible to ignore. She looked as if someone punched her in the gut. I’ve seen that look of sheer disappointment on my mother’s face many times.

Each birthday when she hoped he’d call. On Christmas when we spent another year without a word. Or their anniversary that went without notice. Years that he hurt her and never gave a shit.

Then there is Finn. You can’t fake that kind of hurt, and it brought it all back for me. I was a little younger than he is now the first time I lost it. I would scream at my mother, asking what was wrong with me.

No matter how powerful love is, anger is louder and can drown out all reason. It took my mother’s constant reassurance to finally believe that it was not my issues, but his.

Aubrey tugs on my sleeve and studies me. “Are you going to marry my mommy?”

If I was eating or drinking, I would’ve choked. “Why would you think that?”

She grabs another cookie. “Daddy is marrying Jillian.”

This is the absolute worst conversation I could be having. I’m definitely not the right person to talk to her. Hell, I’m feeding her cookies just to keep her happy and get her to like me.

I try to think of a safer topic. “You know that I’m friends with Eli?”

“You are?”

“He and I are good friends.”

“Do you know Aunt Heather?”

I nod.

“She’s the best.” Aubrey smiles. “Uncle Eli is on TV,” she tells me.

I smile. “I know. I was on the show with him.”

Her eyes go wide and her mouth falls open. “You were?”

“Yup.”

“Do you know Charlie?” she asks.

“Umm . . .” I know a lot of people named Charlie but no six-year-old would know those. “Charlie?”

She takes another cookie and nods. “From Good Luck Charlie. I love that show. Mommy says I can watch it if I behave. She’s the best person on TV! Do you know her?”

I have no freaking clue what show that is. I rack my brain but come up short. However, I really want her to like me. Where’s Kristin? She’d know what I should say.

“I’m sure I know someone who does,” I tell her.

She claps her hands together.

Aubrey opens her mouth to ask something else, but Kristin and Scott’s voices stop her. They’re hushed, but I hear the crack in her voice. The front door closes, and Aubrey hops down, wipes her hands on her shirt, and swipes her arm across her mouth.

There’s no hiding the cookies, she’s literally wearing them now.

A few seconds later, the door swings open.

Kristin’s eyes land on me, then the table, and then her chocolate-covered daughter.

Busted.

“Aubrey!” She puts her hands on her hips.

“Noah gave me cookies!”

“Hey!” I poke her in the side, and she giggles. “You promised.”

I was played. She realized I was a sucker and totally took me for a ride. She’s good, and I’m going to be in trouble with her mother. Kristin puts her hand to her head and mumbles under her breath about the death of her.

She tries to look angry but fails, clearly fighting a smile. “You know better than that.”

Aubrey’s eyes are soft, and that bottom lip pushes out. Man, she’s a damn pro. I’d give her anything she wanted with that pout. “Sorry, Mommy.”

Kristin doesn’t seem fazed at all. “No more snacks until after lunch, and the zoo needs to be cleaned.”

“Noah is on TV!” Aubrey tells her mother with a hint of satisfaction.

“I know. Remember that big article I told you about?” she asks as she wipes the cookie crumbs off her daughter’s arm and shirt. “He’s who I’m writing about,” Kristin whispers and points at me.

Aubrey walks over and throws her arms around my neck. “Thank you for the cookies. I like you.” She kisses my cheek, and I’m toast.

This little girl just stole my heart. Seems that this girl is more like her mother than I first thought.

Yup. I’d buy her anything she wants. A pony . . . done. I’ll get her an entire barn full. If she wants to meet this Charlie person, I’ll track them down and it’ll happen. And the zoo is happening, whatever her mother says, I’ll find a way around it.

She lets go and heads out.

“Is Finn okay?” I ask as Kristin leans against the counter.

“Not really. It was bad enough that his parents got divorced, but . . . this is too much. Marrying her? Pregnant. He just kept saying he hates us both.”

“He doesn’t hate you. He’s mad, and boys say stupid shit when they’re upset.”

If she knew the shit I said to my mother, she’d understand this is normal. I was a little bastard for a period of time. There wasn’t a rule I felt applied to me, but I learned.

“I don’t know. I can’t believe this. I mean . . .” Kristin’s head drops into her hands.