Hometown Love (Love on the North Shore #2)(70)

Grace’s head rubbed against his shoulder, but she still remained tight-lipped.

Mack poured her a glass of her favorite chocolate milk and even added one of the twisty straws she loved. Since he was at it, he poured himself a soda, although at the moment, he would love something stronger. “Okay, buddy, you know you can tell me anything, right?”

Grace nodded, but kept her eyes down.

“It’s time to talk. Why did you leave today? You know better than that.”

Grace looked at him then her mom before she spoke. “I don’t want to move. I left to find Jessie and ask her if I can live with her. She wasn’t at the store. Mr. Quinn was there and he called Jessie.”

For some reason, he’d thought Jessie had found her and brought her to the store. He’d not entertained the idea that she’d made it there herself. “We’re not moving again, buddy. Why do you think we’re moving?”

“Mommy. She said she was going to ask you ask to move, and this morning you kissed her.”

He glared at his ex-wife, several choice words on the tip of his tongue. Did she ever think before she spoke? As for the damn kiss, Bethany had kissed him, but Grace had no way of knowing that.

Putting his anger on the back burner for now, he took Grace by the shoulders. “Your mom and I talked about this, Grace. You and I are not moving. North Salem is home now, understand? And your mom is going back to New York today.” And if he had it his way, she’d not return anytime soon.

Grace went for her milk, her mouth still in a frown. “But you only kiss people you love like when Uncle Marcus kisses Auntie Erin.”

If his daughter believed people only kissed when they loved each other, he was okay with that. She’d grow up soon enough and learn the truth about that and so much more.

“And when you kiss Jessie.”

“You’re right; people do kiss when they love each other.” No good explanation emerged for why Bethany had kissed him.

“Then why did you kiss Mommy?”

He could strangle Bethany for creating this situation. A situation she’d not helped him explain at all.

“Your mom and I are friends, Grace. We’ll always be friends, but we don’t love each other like Uncle Marcus and Auntie Erin do.” It didn’t answer her question, but he hoped she’d be satisfied with it.

She took her time processing his response. “Do you promise that we’re not moving?”

“Promise.” He couldn’t stop himself from throwing a dirty look in Bethany’s direction.

“And I’ll visit Mommy in New York?” She looked at Bethany.

“Either that or she’ll come visit you here. Nothing is going to change.”

“Good. I like it here. Can I go play with Socks now?” Her frown disappeared and, once again, his happy little girl appeared.

“First, you need to promise that you’ll never run away like that again. If you get upset like that about something, talk to either your mom or me, okay?” He waited for her answer.

Grace nodded, already half out of her seat.

“No matter what, is that understood?”

Grace nodded again.

“Go play and pick out a movie for tonight.”

When Grace raced off toward the dog’s crate, he turned to Bethany. Now that his daughter was safe, he let his anger loose. “Did you lose your goddamn mind? Why the hell did you tell her that?”

Bethany’s annoyed expression remained the same. In fact, it hadn’t changed since they’d walked into the house. “When I told her that, it was my intention to talk to you.” She shrugged, her sweater slipping down her shoulder, exposing more skin. “I expected a different answer from you this morning.” Long slender fingers with light pink nails curled around his arm. “We were so good together, Mack. If you give us another try, we could make it work. We could hire a part-time nanny and have our weekends to ourselves again. We could go out like we used to before Grace.”


She never stopped amazing him. Her take on parenthood and his were polar opposites. Sure, he liked the occasional free Saturday when Grace spent time with her grandparents, but what Bethany proposed sounded awful. Already he felt as if he missed so much of Grace’s life because of his job. Nothing in the world could take him away from her any longer than necessary.

“That’s not the kind of life I want and not what I want for Grace.”

As if just realizing her top hung off her body, Bethany readjusted her sweater. “If you change your mind, let me know.”



***



Jessie chewed her thumbnail until nothing remained, then switched to the nail on her ring finger. In the past few years, she’d stopped biting her nails, a bad habit she’d picked up in high school. Every once in a while, she’d start up again when she was stressed out or upset. The last time had been when her grandfather fell and broke his hip. It had taken months, but she’d broken herself of the habit. Until now.

The short talk with Grace replayed in her head. While she could explain Grace’s comments about them moving, she couldn’t explain the kiss Grace had seen. Especially since it wasn’t the first time they’d been caught kissing. Every time Jessie closed her eyes, she pictured them in Mack’s kitchen again, Bethany wearing his t-shirt, her lips locked on his. And Grace was correct: they had been sitting close enough to touch at the picnic. Had there been more to that kiss in his kitchen? Mack insisted she’d come on to him and maybe she had. That didn’t mean it hadn’t caused him to have second thoughts about their relationship. They had a lot of history together, and at one time, he must have loved her.