Page 77 of Pelvic Flaws

“So many don’t,” Dex replied. “My mom worked with abused women and there were times she came home in tears because some girl who’d given her abuser a second chance had ended up dead. It’s heartbreaking.”

“Well it was good of you,” Carl replied. “I’ve had a good chat with him tonight and I think he realizes he’s had it all wrong about things.”

“That’s good, real good.” Dex nodded and took a drink. “Good coffee, Katie Cat.”

I grinned, full of pride. I’d been and bought some of the strong stuff, just for Dex. Not to mention the American Coffee Maker I got from Amazon that was delivered Prime.

“I got it just for you.”

“Well thank you, I love it.”

The look between us was sweet, but it still made my body go onto high alert. Dex was so bloody handsome, I defied any woman not to get excited if he only smiled at them.

“Do you remember that coffee we bought on that holiday in Mexico,” Carl said, a little too loudly. “We loved the stuff in the hotel so much, we asked for the name of it and when we got it home it was awful. We decided they’d been using instant in the hotel and didn’t dare admit it.”

Carl started laughing, which surprised me because at the time he’d gone crazy, complaining about the total waste of money and blaming me for whining about buying some.

“Hmm, not sure I remember you finding it funny at the time,” I commented.

He waved a hand at me. “Oh you know me, all bark and no bite. Things are funny when you look back on them, and let’s face it, there’s a lot of stuff for us to look back on.”

Okay, now he really was being weird.

“Yeah, well it was a long time ago,” I replied, swiping his half-empty mug, emptying the dregs into the sink and sticking it into the dishwasher. “I’d better get some dinner sorted. Annie will be back with Charlie from swimming soon, they’ll be starving.”

Wrong thing to say.

“I might wait and see them,” Carl announced.

I muttered a curse in my head and smiled at him. “When I say soon, it could be another hour or so yet. The pool does a swimming disco on a Friday night, so they often stay for that.”

I must remind myself to get my children to lie for me if their father asks about the swimming disco.

“Oh, okay.”

He sounded a little disappointed. Dex, however, was grinning like some axe murderer who’d come across a gang of helpless teens in the woods. As I passed him to see Carl out, I poked him in his stomach and gave him a wide eyed ‘shut up’ stare.

“Oof,” he groaned. “What was that for?”

“You know what,” I hissed. “And don’t pretend it hurt because it didn’t.”

He smirked at me and lifted his coffee mug to his lips. Seemingly oblivious, Carl moved over to the door.

“Nice to see you again, Dex,” he said, only sounding the tiniest bit sincere.

Dex put down his mug and got off his stool and walked toward Carl, with his hand outstretched.

“Yeah, you too Carl. And thank you for agreeing to me being around the kids.” Dex’s face was suddenly serious as he stood opposite my ex-husband and shook his hand. “I know it was a difficult decision for you, but I swear to you I’d never do anything to hurt them.”

Carl drew in a breath, looked at me and then nodded. “You’ve done a lot for Isaac already, and I really appreciate it. Okay, I’ll go and maybe I’ll catch Jessie before bed-time. Tell the kids I’ll pick them up on Sunday at about eleven, to go to my mum’s.”

I gave him a nod and a smile and breathed out a sigh when I heard the front door close.

“That man is regretting losing you, Katie Cat,” Dex said in an ‘I knew it’ kind of tone.

“No he isn’t,” I scoffed. “He was just feeling a bit low because of what Isaac told him, anyway, he’s happy with Sophie.”

“Not saying he still wants you, but I promise you he regrets losing you in the first place.”

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