Page 23 of Pin-up Girl

One of the longer-term worries I had for Dee was that her mother was going to drive her into an eating disorder. Aubrey knew what my concern was, and she was great at following my cues and helping me make sure my daughter got enough food while she was here.

Dee looked reluctant to take the food, but she did. “Did a boy break your heart?”

“Yes.” Aubrey’s answer was deceptively simple.

Aside from Dee being my priority, the way things ended with Regina was the reason I hadn’t gotten involved with anyone since the divorce. Aubrey was different though. I hadn’t probed the edges of my relationship with her, to see if we could have more, because I wasn’t sure she was over Deacon.

She insisted she was. There was a look in her eyes I didn’t understand though, every time he or the topic of relationships came up.

“Hey, guys.” Rohde, one of our friends, paused at the table. His deputy uniform said he was on the clock right now. “Congrats on your engagement, Aubrey.”

“Thanks.” She smiled brightly.

Her what?

“Is it true? Is it really him?” Rohde asked.

The cheer didn’t reach Aubrey’s eyes. “Don’t know why anyone would make that up. Yup, it’s Brodie.”

“No sh— kidding.” Rohde corrected himself after a glance at Dee. “Cool. Good for you. I gotta run, but catch you all around.”

With that, he walked away.

What did I just hear? Aubrey was…? To…?

No. “Congratulations.” I tried to keep my tone neutral. “How did I not know you were getting married?” A hint of accusation slipped into my question.

“Does that mean your heart isn’t broke anymore?” Dee asked between bites of muffin.

Fortunately, once we got her eating, the protests tended to die.

Aubrey nodded. “It does.” She was looking at me. “We’re keeping it quiet. I don’t want to overshadow Sylvie’s big deal.”

“If you’re getting married, who will be my weekend mom?” Dee asked.

She couldn’t get married, she was my wife. Weekend mom. That was new, and the phrase clenched around my heart like a fist.

“I’ll still be your weekend mom,” Aubrey said. “Brodie’s pretty understanding or I wouldn’t be engaged to him.”

My Brodie? “Brodie Watson.” I didn’t know any other Brodie’s, but I still couldn’t wrap my brain around the news. “You?”

“Can you believe he’s back in town after all these years?” Aubrey’s smile had definitely gone flat.

I actually was struggling to believe exactly that. “Since when?”

“Since yesterday afternoon.”

I had so many questions, and I didn’t want to ask most of them in front of Dee. Especially not the what the fuck that was surging in my throat. And I was pretty sure you’re my wife wouldn’t fly either. It lingered on the tip of my tongue.

Dee washed her food down with hot chocolate. “Who’s Brodie?”

“We went to school with him,” Aubrey said.

“Ah.” Dee sounded like that explained everything. “Back when Daddy was still pretty.”

At least that was familiar. “Hey now. I’m still gorgeous and talented.”

I got about three words into belting out the first Madonna song that popped into my head, and stopped with a grin when Dee huffed, “Dad. Embarrassing.”

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