Page 72 of Secret Love

Bree leans back in her chair and then picks up her glass and empties it in one long gulp.

“You would pick the one person who makes it complicated,” she groans.

“I don’t really get why it has to be?—”

“She’s her teacher, Henley.”

“I met her before she was her teacher.”

She stares at me in shock and then shakes her head. “I should’ve known. I thought you were dressed extra nice for a teacher conference.” She snorts and then sits up straight when the girls bring out salads and dinner rolls. We thank them and start eating, talking quietly so the girls don’t hear us.

“I’m glad you’re dating, Hen. Not who I would’ve picked, but—” She lifts her shoulder.

“Good thing I wasn’t asking you,” I say dryly and she smirks.

“Touché. And I didn't mean anything bad about it. Just…it is complicated with her being Cassidy’s teacher. They’re working so hard together on the reading stuff…” She leans in. “And she’s, what? Early twenties?”

I scrub my hand over my face. “God, Bree. You don't have to make it sound so dirty. She's twenty-four. Yeah, she’s young. But she’s brilliant and funny and we click.”

“You really like her,” she says, her eyes assessing me shrewdly.

“Yes, I really like her. But this conversation might be pointless after she went running out of the house today, traumatized becauseshehad traumatized our daughter. She didn't want to do this yet, get involved with me. So, it's probably a non-issue. I’m pretty sure she dumped me this morning.”

“What? Already? Why? I'm sorry. No, I’m sure she’ll come back around. She was probably just embarrassed and?—”

We stop when the girls bring out steaks and baked potatoes.

“Steak! What is this?” I look up at the girls who are all standing shy but proud near the table. “Someone’s been holding out on their cooking skills before now.”

Cassidy lifts her shoulder in a shrug that looks just like her mother and I laugh. “We’ve been watching cooking shows.”

“And lots of YouTube videos,” Audrey adds.

Gracie starts to say something and Cassidy motions for them to follow her back into the kitchen. They scurry off like little elves.

“This is weird,” I say under my breath. “What are we going to do about this?”

“We need to have a talk with them. Tonight. But first, I want to eat this steak and have another glass of wine in peace.”

I chuckle. “Oh, this is peaceful for you? Maybe I can badger you a little bit about Alex to even it out a little bit.”

She frowns and then laughs. “Is that what I’m doing? Badgering? Ugh. Sorry. It’s just…you haven’t really dated anyone and it’s an important decision, who we have in the kids’ lives.”

“I know it is, and I don’t take it lightly. I don’t just bring anyone into my house…Tru’s different.”

“I can see that.” She smiles. “I’m happy for you, Hen. If you’re happy, I’m happy. And the girls will get on board too.”

“As I said, I think it’s all up in the air, so?—”

Surprise flickers across Bree’s face as she takes a bite of the steak. “Not bad.”

I agree. “I’m going to put them to work cooking more often.”

When they bring out the dessert—vanilla ice cream with strawberries and chocolate syrup—I ask them to join us at the table. They’re so quick to bring it out that it’s obvious they’d already prepared their somewhat heartier portions of dessert.

I point at Gracie’s bowl and then mine. “Did you accidentally give me the baby bear portion and take the papa bear portion?”

She frowns and shakes her head. “They look the same to me.”

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