Page 44 of That One Heartbreak

“Drive safely,” he muttered. “And be careful.”

Her chest hitched. “I just…”

“Go, Kate.”

Because if she didn’t go now, he wasn’t sure he’d have the willpower to stop himself again.

She nodded and slid the jacket over her arms – good girl – before glancing his way one more time. There was a question in her eyes. One he didn’t have the answer to.

“I’ll be back soon,” she said. It sounded like a promise.

He nodded. “Be safe.”

Chapter

Thirteen

“Okay,”Marley said, clapping his hands together as he walked into the kitchen, because he needed something to take his mind off the woman who’d just walked out of the door. “Your mom is gone. Who wants to watch a movie?”

Addy had chocolate smeared all over her lips. It hadn’t taken her long to dive into the snack cupboard as soon as Kate’s attention was elsewhere. Marley bit down a smile.

“Can I go play on my Xbox?” James asked.

“Yes, but on your own. Your mom says you can’t play with anybody else online,” Marley told him. “Until you’re not grounded.”

“He does already,” Addy whispered. “I heard him last night.”

James shot his little sister a wounded look. “I was talking to myself.”

“Is your name Ben?” she asked, putting her hands on her hips.

Marley bit down a smile, because these kids were killing him.

“I’m not gonna play with anybody else, I promise,” James said to Marley. “Please?”

“Okay. But if I hear you talking…” He’d probably do nothing. But he was the babysitter here. He needed to assert some authority.

“I won’t.”

Ethan walked into the kitchen, his cartoon presumably over. “I’m hungry,” he said. “Can I have a burger?”

“We just had dinner,” Addy said. “You ate seconds.”

“Yeah, well I’m hungry again.” Ethan frowned. “I can cook us burgers on the grill. I know how to.”

Marley blinked. “Ah, I don’t think that’s a good idea.”

“You’re not allowed to cook on the grill without Mommy. She told you that,” Addy said in a singsong voice.

Marley loved the way that Addy was a little tattletale. He needed that.

“How about we make some popcorn?” he suggested instead, spotting the box in the pantry. “We could watch a movie.”

“A scary one?” Ethan said hopefully. “One with lots of gore?”

“I don’t like scary movies,” Addy said, her lip wobbling. “I get nightmares.”

“That’s because you’re a baby,” Ethan told her.

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