Page 30 of Hush

All the way amazing

Details over breakfast tomorrow? I’ll stop at the bakery

A burning smell hit her nostrils. Immediately, Elise switched off the burner and assessed the damage.

“What smells, Mama?” Jaden asked from the kitchen counter where he was building an elaborate structure with popsicle sticks and a childproof glue gun.

“Breakfast…” Elise sighed, dumping the scorched eggs into the trash.

“I’m hungry,” Jaden whimpered.

“I know,” Elise said in a soothing voice. She cleaned the pan, whisked another bowl of eggs, and tried again, this time keeping her mind from thoughts of Ben.

She served up their eggs and added a piece of buttered toast to Jaden’s plate, then refilled her coffee and settled in next to him. Jaden took a huge bite of eggs, but they were too hot. With a cry, they tumbled out of his mouth. Elise cut a small piece and blew on it for him, then tucked the bite into his little mouth. He took the fork and copied her, his small cheeks puffing out when he blew.

“When are we going to Adam’s?” Jaden asked, lifting his eyes expectantly to hers.

Elise leaned out to check the clock over the range. “One o’clock,” she said. Adam’s mother had invited Jaden to attend a matinee of “A Christmas Story” at the old downtown theater before returning to his house to decorate cookies and play. After Jaden’s story of Adam unfriending him, Elise had been relieved to hear they’d patched things up a few days later.

“How long until then?” he asked.

Elise smiled. “About six hours,” she replied.

“Aww,” Jaden said.

“But we’re going to see Santa this morning, remember?” she said.

“Oh yeah!” Jaden replied, his face lighting up. “I still have to finish my list,” he added, sliding from the table, his mouth still full of egg.

“Wait!” Elise called, but Jaden hurried down the hall, as if he hadn’t heard her.

Elise stood waiting for Adam and Stephanie, his mother, outside the theater. A cold gray sky hovered low, threatening more snow. Jaden held her hand, fiddling with the zipper pull on his jacket, a thick synthetic puffy she was forced to buy at full price because she’d forgotten to hunt the sale rack the previous season. He squinted up at her, his nose scrunching to refocus his glasses. Elise made a note to get them adjusted.

“How much longer, Mama?” he asked.

“Any minute,” she said on a sigh, smiling at his sweet face all bundled up in his multicolored pompom hat. A running to-do list streamed through her mind: Christmas shopping, groceries, put up Christmas lights, bubble bath. She would pick up Jaden at seven, and was looking forward to a little time to herself.

Normally, she wouldn’t schedule more than one big activity for Jaden on the same day. But the invitation had come after she’d set up the Santa visit, and the theater offered only one showing of the movie, so it couldn’t be helped. To make up for the fullness of the day, she had brought Jaden home for lunch and some downtime between events. She prayed he would make it through the afternoon without mishap. In truth, as he matured, the meltdowns happened less and less, but the one after the surgery reminded her that she couldn’t let her guard down completely.

All morning, she had thought of Ben and the way he had ignited a sensuality she hadn’t known she possessed. After such an eventful evening, one would think she wouldn’t be thinking about his firm body arching into hers.No chance.A private, wicked smile played across her lips.

Absently, she checked her phone for the time, noticing a message from Ben. Her heart jolted, but before she could read it, Stephanie and Adam arrived.

“Sorry we’re a few minutes late,” Stephanie, said, cheeks puffing as the two came rushing up to the theater entrance.

Elise stuffed her phone into her purse. “No problem,” she said, hoping the lusty flush creeping up her neck stayed hidden beneath her scarf.

She turned to hug Jaden goodbye but he and Adam were already hurrying inside.

“Thanks again for having him,” Elise said to Stephanie, a plump woman with a round face and an easy smile. Stephanie was a stay-at-home mom with three busy and demanding older children. Her husband worked from home, and whenever he swooped in for a sandwich or a glass of water, he took a minute to dote on Stephanie. It always reminded Elise of what she lacked.

The minute Stephanie disappeared into the theater, Elise whipped out her phone, feeling her heart thump into her ears as she read his message:

Can you come over?

Ten minutes later, Elise pulled up outside of a house inside a new development, with a small lawn and imposing rectangular columns guarding the wide porch. She felt her breath moving through her tight throat as she tried to calm her nerves. When she read the text, her body repliedyes, but then her mind caught up and she thoughteek. Why hadn’t she worn something a bit moreinterestingthan jeans, snow boots, and a wool sweater? At least she’d showered. She giggled, thinking about what kind of a disasterthatwould have been.

Then, she stilled her crazy thoughts.Just because he wanted you to come over, doesn’t mean…Maybe he wants advice on paint color or something. Or maybe he wants to tell me he’s not interested in a relationship.

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