Page 21 of On Your Knees

The kid gets to work and Father Carmichael glances at me. “And for you?”

I know I should refuse, but something makes me say, “Strawberry cone,” instead.

The corner of his lip twists up in a knowing smirk. “Good girl,” he whispers for only me to hear and it instantly lights my blood on fire.

How can two little words spoken from his mouth ignite this inferno deep within? I don’t know how he does it, but he does.

And the way he stares at me right now, it’s almost like he can read my every dirty thought I’m having about him. It makes my insides completely boil.

Maybe he can read my thoughts.

Maybe I should confess.

The kid behind the counter hands me Nate’s cone, and as I hand it off to my son, Father Carmichael orders a strawberry cone too.

“Do you really like strawberry?” I ask him.

He smiles, taking my breath away as he says, “Strawberry is one of those underrated flavors.”

The kid behind the counter hands us our cones and we head outside to sit at a little wrought-iron table.

“Please explain,” I say, licking my ice cream.

He watches my movements closely, and I hand Nate a napkin as he starts to make a mess. “It’s one of those flavors you never think about. It’s just there, taking up space in the ice cream store until you decide to get it one day and you remember it’s really quite good.”

I laugh a little. “It is good.”

He licks his cone and I wish it was me he was licking instead. “It’s very sweet.”

“You like sweet?” Oh my god. What am I doing?

My son is sitting right here as I flirt with a priest. What are things I never imagined on my bingo card? I blush as I work on my cone.

“I do like sweet. A lot.” His eyes darken as he says the words. “I also like other flavors, but I keep coming back to strawberry.”

“When you remember to?”

He nods. “I like strawberry.”

I don’t even know where our conversation is leading, but I try to steer us back on neutral ground. I glance at my son. “So, when did you start liking chocolate?”

He smiles, chocolate ice cream all over his chin. “At Camden’s birthday party. He’s a kid in my class. Jessica took me, and said I could have a bite of chocolate.”

I smile, trying to hide the raging jealousy coursing through my veins at the mere mention of Jessica. “And you loved it?” I ask him, pretending all is right in my world.

Father Carmichael watches me closely as I speak to Nate. Who knows what he’s thinking. He can probably see my jealousy pouring out like hot lava leaking from my pores.

“Did your dad like it too?”

“He wasn’t there,” Nate says. “He’s hardly ever home. He works all the time.”

Yes. I remember.

Another reason Christopher and I never worked out as a couple. Christopher kept late hours. Most of the time he was out with clients, or banging his secretary. He didn’t think I knew. I did.

“What do you and Mom have planned this weekend?” Father Carmichael asks, changing the subject and I’m grateful he has.

“We’re going to the park tomorrow.”

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