The Slow Burn (Moonlight and Motor Oil #2)(63)

“You been in a car with Margot?” she asked.

I shook my head.

“I have . . . once,” she told me as we shuffled forward in line. “The woman is a menace.”

I turned to face the line, murmuring, “This could explain things.”

“Trust me, you ride with her, it would. A kid rode with her often, he might swear off women drivers for life.”

Hmm . . .

Maybe this did explain things.

Also, something to note when she started to look after Brooks next week.

“You seem really good, Addie.”

At her quiet words, my attention went back to her.

“Today, for the first time since maybe before I had Brooks, I’m back to me.”

Deanna’s pretty face got soft.

“I love that for you, honey,” she whispered.

“Not more than me.”

We smiled like goofs at each other until we had to shuffle forward in line again.

I learned four pounds of caramel cashew nut clusters was a stupid amount, as well as stupidly expensive, and it was not lost on me that I didn’t care even a little bit because they looked so good, I wanted to shove my face in the bag the minute it was handed to me.

We wandered to Toby and Charlie, who’d found a small stretch of snow-packed space that had a couple of picnic tables set up for folks to hang and some open area where right then I saw Toby had Brooklyn by both hands.

Brooks’s pudgy little fingers were wrapped around Toby’s. Tobe was bent forward slightly, head tipped back to talk to Charlie, but Brooks was on his feet in front of Toby, and Toby was following as he let my boy wobble around to have an adventure and burn some energy.

But my kid was doing it holding the fingers of a man he loved, and Toby was controlling it so Brooks couldn’t get away or fall down in the cold snow.

Yeah.

The man was a natural.

And I was falling crazy in love with him.

“I’d been right,” I whispered as I walked to them, eyes locked to Tobe and my boy.

“Sorry?” Deanna asked.

“The first time I saw him I’d been right,” I said. “He’s perfect.”

“Looks that way to me,” Deanna agreed.

God, I wished Mom was there right then.

And Izzy.

I’d eventually get Izzy (after Johnny was done with her).

But I really wanted my mom.

When we made it to them, Deanna went to Charlie and I headed to Toby and Brooklyn.

When Tobe caught sight of us, he wrapped his hands around Brooks’s and lifted him up by his arms. He swung Brooks in the air, Brooklyn squealing with glee, then Toby swung him back, caught him, twisted him to hold him to his chest, his baby, jean-clad legs straddling Tobe’s flat abs, Toby’s eyes still on me.

“Cluster,” he demanded.

I opened the bag and handed him one.

He bit off most of it and shoved the little bite he left in Brooklyn’s mouth.

It took a beat before Brooklyn’s eyes got huge. He patted his mouth happily, squirmed in Toby’s hold with chocolate excitement, and as Tobe chewed, he grinned down at my boy.

Yep.

Perfect.

I ate a cluster like Toby did, giving a bit to my son, and as I tasted it, I saw what all the fuss was about.

I’d stowed the clusters in the net of the stroller and straightened when Toby claimed me.

Me and my son held to his chest, he bent his head to kiss me.

It was a hint of open-mouth and more than a hint of caramel, cashew, chocolate cluster kiss.

And it was divine.

“Mama! Dodo! Sissis!” Brooks yelled, banging on both of us with his hands.

Toby shuffled me to his side opposite Brooklyn as Deanna announced, “Addie, we gotta hit this tent down the way. Charlie and I already had a ramble and there is this wreath that would be perfect for your door. You have to see.”

Since I didn’t buy the clusters, depending on the cost, my give-myself-a-treat-at-the-Fair splurge might be transferred to a Christmas wreath.

If it was retro.

And OTT.

I was about to say, “Lead the way,” when I felt something funny.

I did half a scan of our surroundings and that was all I had to do before I caught sight of her.

Jocelyn, standing in a narrow open path between a tent that sold hot apple cider and one that sold wineglasses painted as Santa’s belt and snowmen, penguin, reindeer and Grinch faces.

She was glaring at me.

And there I was, my son and I held close to Tobias Gamble.

What else could I do?

Slowly, I shot her a cat’s-got-her-cream smile.

And nearly instantly felt Toby go solid against me.

Uh-oh.

I tipped my head to look up at him.

Oh shit.

He didn’t delay.

“What’s that about?”

“Nothing,” I said quickly, making a mental note that at all times, especially around Toby, even when I was in the enjoyable pursuit of getting in the face of a Mean Girl (even if I was at a distance), to have spatial awareness.

He glanced Jocelyn’s way, then back to me. “You know her?”

“Not really.”

“So what was that about?”

“Well . . .” I said slowly.

He jostled me.

“Addie,” he growled.