Page 289 of Steamy Ever After

They would have questions about Brodie even though he’d been a part of their lives for such a short time. Her biggest regret, now, was allowing it to get as far as it had, at least where her boys were concerned. It became too familiar, too fast, and they’d be the ones to pay.

Brodie would move on. He said he was struggling with it, but Peyton knew better. It was about the chase. She’d learned that from Lang.

Kade may have thought he wanted to marry her, but what had he known about real life? He’d never really lived it. Maybe he’d talked to her father about it, and to his family, but Peyton wasn’t truly convinced he would’ve ever proposed.

When it came to men, her instincts sucked. What would’ve happened with Brodie had she allowed things to continue? He’d actually said his plan was to leave until his “obsession” with her went away. How fucked up was that?

Peyton stepped inside the house and picked up the phone she’d left in the kitchen. “Give me a minute,” she told Alex before going into the bedroom and closing the door.

“Peter? I’m glad I reached you,” Peyton said when he answered.

“Peyton, how’s your son?”

“He’s good. Home. Thanks for asking. I, uh, wanted to talk to you about dinner next week. I’d love it.”

“Great, I’m looking forward to it. Should I make a reservation somewhere in town?” Peter asked.

“We wouldn’t need it on a Monday, but I was thinking maybe we’d go down to San Luis Obispo.” From now on, she wouldn’t date in her own backyard, and whoever she was dating would never meet her boys, because she’d never allow another relationship to get serious enough to warrant it. Before she left the bedroom, she called Sam and asked if she’d babysit Monday night.

“Of course, I’d love to.”

Sam didn’t ask any questions, and Peyton didn’t offer any information. She could pick the boys up from school, feed them dinner, and get them into bed. If they wanted to know where she was going, she’d tell them she had to work late. Compartmentalizing was going to be her new MO.

Alex pushed a piece of pizza in her direction when she joined her in the kitchen. “You look very pleased with yourself.”

Peyton glanced around to see where the boys had disappeared to.

“Both in their rooms, doing homework. I’m turning into the perfect surrogate mom lately. Maybe I’ll consider having one of my own in ten or twenty years,” said Alex.

“Better make it closer to ten, Alex, or you’ll have to hire a surrogate.”

“Yeah, yeah. So what’s going on?”

“I have a date with Peter Wells Monday night.”

Alex raised a brow, shook her head, and put a giant spoonful of macaroni and cheese in her mouth.

“What?”

Alex pointed to her full mouth and shook her head again.

“Chicken shit.”

“Pot”—she pointed to Peyton, and then to herself—“meet kettle.”

The following day was a normal one, except Finn still wasn’t ready to return to school. He wanted to, but Peyton thought he should stay home longer. She doubted that was the reason he’d been sulking, though.

“Why isn’t he coming over, Mom?”

“I told you, Finn. He has work to do. I’m off today and tomorrow, but that doesn’t mean everyone has that luxury.”

“Why can’t he come for dinner?”

“Finn, stop it. Brodie has his own life. I’ve explained this. It was great of him to stay as long as he did to help us.”

Finn folded his arms and looked out the window.

There was no reason to tell him it was worse than he thought. Both her boys would discover soon enough that it was more than dinner. Brodie wasn’t coming back at all.

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