Reckless(49)

“Can we do different color icing?”

“Yup. And we can do different shapes too.”

“Can we make Daddy some too?” She sniffles and smiles, pausing to wipe her nose on her arm. Okay, gross.

“Sure can.” I reach for a wet wipe to clean off the snot.

After we set up all the ingredients for the cookies, I pin her drawing to the fridge with a magnet.

When I turn back to Mila, she motions me closer. Leaning close, she points to her drawing and whispers in my ear, “You’re the butterfly.”

“Yeah?”

She nods. “Butterflies are my favorite.”

Aww. “Thanks, babe. You and Cody are my favorite.”

She whispers solemnly, “What about my daddy? Is he your favorite too?”

That’s an easy answer. “Absolutely.”

Probably more than I’d care to admit.



* * *



An hour later, I’m writing the directions down as quickly as possible, but Beverly’s zipping through the recipe faster than I can write.

Pushing the phone higher with my shoulder, I hum into the receiver. “Wait, so you use ice water?”

“Oh, yes. The colder you get the ingredients before you roll it, the better. Otherwise, it’ll get sticky. I also roll out the ball of dough between two large sheets of plastic wrap so you don’t have to peel it off a counter. Way easier.”

“You’re a genius. My crusts never come out right, but I’m going to try this. Baking is tougher for me, so I appreciate the tips.”

“Be sure you send me a picture.”

I wrinkle my nose. “Of my crust?”

“Heck, yes, girl. Gonna be checking your work.”

She’s snickering into the phone, and I’m shaking my head. “The pressure!” I joke. The front door opens, and my pulse kicks up. “Hey, I think Ethan’s home.”

When he enters the kitchen, my attention snags on how handsome he looks in a suit. Damn, he cleans up nicely. Except when we make eye contact, his grim expression makes my stomach clench.

“It’s your mom.” I motion to the phone, my heart sinking when he shakes his head because he always takes her calls.

Logan walks up behind him, slaps him on the back, and tells me they’ll be in the back office.

I nod, watching the brothers disappear down the hall.

“Um, Beverly, can he call you back later?”

She’s quiet. “You have my number now. Call me if you or my son need anything.”

“Yes, ma’am. I sure will. We could FaceTime this week if you want so you can see the kids. They miss you.”

Logan set up his mom with an iPhone before she left, but they haven’t had a chance to video chat yet.

“Thanks, Tori. I appreciate it. And thank you for looking out for my son. He’s told me what a great job you’re doing there, taking care of the kids. Taking care of him.”

“It’s my pleasure.” And it has been.

When we’re off the phone, I do my best to keep myself busy in the kitchen even though I’m dying to know what happened today.

Is he upset his marriage is over? He doesn’t seem like he’s pining over Allison, but it’s not like I knew them as a couple. Maybe they always argued.

It’s none of your business, Tori. If Ethan wanted to tell you, he would.

My heart aches at the prospect. It’s true. I’m not entitled to know anything. I’m just a babysitter. Not his girlfriend. Certainly not anyone he needs to confide in.

I’m chopping vegetables for a stew when his voice cuts through the silence.

“Hey.”

I clutch my chest. “Damn, you scared me.”

Ethan grabs a cup of coffee and pulls up a chair. “Sorry ’bout that.”

When he sits next to me, I catch a whiff of alcohol coming off his breath. Maybe tequila.

“You okay?” I ask gently.

“No.” He rubs his bloodshot eyes as his brother joins us.

Logan slides a notepad across the table to his brother. “Let’s list everything. How much she invested. How much you’ve paid her already. The balance. How we can make up those funds and pay the bitch back.”

“Stop calling her that.” Ethan grabs a pen and begins scribbling on the paper. “What if Mila hears you?”

“I just can’t believe her crap.” Logan’s grumbling trails off.

I look between the brothers, not sure what to say.

Logan must see the question in my eyes. “Allison wants us to pay back the two-hundred-thousand-dollar investment her parents made on the ranch.”

“Okay.” I guess that happens when people get divorced, right? They split up assets?

“In one lump sum.”

“Damn.” Yeah, that sucks.

“But it gets worse. She claims it’s so she can be financially stable enough to petition the court for part-time custody of the kids, which”—he lowers his voice—“we all know is bullshit because she can barely handle them four days a month. Our attorney didn’t want to challenge her on that rationale because doing so might make us look bad in the eyes of the judge. He said that since Allison already agreed to let Ethan have the kids for the time being, there’s no point stirring that pot.”