Page 15 of That Reunited Feeling

“Oh, how lovely, you’re here,” Maggie says, even though she saw me about two hours ago when I was mopping this very floor.

“Thank you for inviting us,” I say.

Tom looks directly at Maggie. “Yes. And such a…surprise.” He tilts his head and widens his eyes to emphasize the last word.

“Oh, yes. I got all the days confused.” Maggie waves her hand in front of her face. “Since I stopped working, I can barely tell one end of the week from the other.” She turns to me. “Tom was actually outlastnight, not tonight.”

“Oh, it’s okay,” I chip in quickly before anyone changes their mind. “We can go.”

Hallelujah. Glory be. Thank the angels. A way out.

“Yes,” Dylan chimes in, already halfway back to the kitchen door. “Thank you, I mean. Thank you.”

“Oh, no, it’s totally fine. Please stay,” Maggie says. “Entirely my mistake.” She shakes her head and dramatically rolls her eyes. “Silly me.”

Tom’s head turns, oh so slowly, until his gaze meets mine. One corner of his mouth twitches.

I know what he’s thinking. He knows what I’m thinking. It’s like our brains are still tied together, like something invisible still connects them across this room all these years later.

And we’re thinking the exact same thing.

We’re being had.

“Honestly, Maggie, it’s okay. Really.” Everything inside me relaxes a little, safe in the knowledge that, at this moment, Tom and I are on the same side. We both want out of this. “You guys haven’t had the opportunity for a relaxed family evening together yet. Tom must have been too tired the first night, and if he was out last night, well, this evening is your first chance. And we absolutely wouldn’t want to intrude.”

“No. No intruding,” Dylan agrees, now back by my side.

“Well, actually,” Maggie says.

“Yes, there’s another thing,” Jim adds, as if reciting rehearsed lines.

Tom steps toward the island, rests his forearms on it, and looks at Maggie and Jim. “Oh, do go on.”

Now I have a full side view as his butt sticks out, his jeans pulling tight across it and hugging his thighs.

“Such a coincidence,” Maggie says, turning away to pick up her purse from the counter behind her. “But I already got us movie tickets for this evening, and it starts in an hour, so Jim and I have to head out.”

Tom’s head drops forward and almost hits the counter, those spectacular shoulders shuddering slightly as he stifles a chuckle.

“Yes, planned it for weeks,” Jim says. “Like Mags says, we lose track of the days these days.”

Christ, they’re planning to leave me and Dylan here with Tom. Holy shit, no.

“Okay, well not to worry.” I put my arm around Dylan. “We can do this some other time. We’ll head?—”

“Oh, no.” Maggie rushes toward us, pushing past Jim.

“Yes. No,” Jim says.

“I already made all the food before I remembered about the movie.” She points at the fridge. “You must stay and eat it. Way too much for us.”

“Yes, we must get going,” Jim says, taking the car keys off the hook by the fridge. “I’ve been looking forward to seeing the nextLord of the Hybrid.”

Dylan’s body tenses against me. He can’t help himself and lets out a loud gasp. “Overlord Hybrids? You going to see the newOverlord Hybridsmovie?”

“That’s the one,” Jim says.

“Yes, we saw the first one on TV last week,” Maggie says. “By accident, of course. So terrible with technology. And enjoyed it. So thought we’d treat ourselves to catching number two on the big screen.”

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