Page 119 of Recipe for Rivals

His voice flowed through me like a shot of caffeine and lavender, invigorating and soothing at the same time. I filled him in on Carter’s disappearing act and received his curse-laced agitation in return. “Yeah, but the kids won’t ever know.”

“True,” he said. “Protect them at all costs.”

My stomach tightened with butterflies. We talked until I reached the house. “I need to go inside and get them, but thanks for calling.”

“Of course. Talk to you later, Nova.”

I could hear Gigi and the kids singing the days of the week song to the tune ofThe Addams Familytheme song when I reached the porch. I paused with my fist poised above the door to knock and soaked in the happy sounds of my babies, wholly unaware that their father had been across the street last night and had chosen not to remain for twelve hours in order to see them. Anger pooled hot in my belly. It was better if they didn’t know.

Pasting a smile on, I knocked twice and opened the door to let myself in. “Good morning!” I called.

“Mom!”

“Mommy!”

The kids ran out of the kitchen and barreled into me like I’d left them for a year and not one night. Their little arms wentaround my legs and my waist, squeezing. My eyes misted against my better judgment. I looked at the ceiling, willing the emotion to return to wherever it came from. Honestly, how could anyonenotwant these precious babies in their life?

Carter was an idiot.

“Okay,” Gigi said, clapping her hands together. “We have French toast and bacon waiting on those plates. Get to the table, buckaroos.”

“Yes, ma’am!” Ben said, then ran to the dining room.

Alice somersaulted her way behind him. So, that was still a thing.

Gigi leaned against the wall, fiddling with a dishtowel in her hands and watching me. “Do you want to talk about it?”

So much had happened, I didn’t even know what she was referring to. I took a step back and sank onto the arm of the upholstered chair. “Carter showed up last night,” I whispered so the kids wouldn’t hear me. They were arguing over syrup, so I figured I was safe.

Gigi froze. “Is he coming over?”

“No, he left.” I shook my head, laughing incredulously. “Heactuallyleft. It was late and I didn’t want to bother the kids until this morning, but really it was a power play that backfired on him. He’s back in New York now. His plane landed like a half-hour ago.”

Her face hardened. “Self-serving?—”

“Yeah,” I agreed, before she started swearing and the kids heard. Somehow, they could ignore everything until one wretched curse word slipped through. They tuned in every time, no matter how far away they were. “I don’t know how to protect my babies, Gigi. Legally, I have to abide by our settlement, but he doesn’t prioritize them. I never want them to feel anything but wholly loved.”

She crossed the room and sat on the edge of her coffee tableso she faced me. Her mouth was pinched into a line, her white hair styled in the perfect Q-tip she always wore. Not a hair out of place. “They are wholly loved. You can’t control anyone else’s actions, and you certainly can’t protect them from pain. The only thing you can do is be a safe place. You can love them with all your heart so they never have to question their worth. No matter what life throws at them at any age, they will know they are loved because of you. The rest is out of your hands.”

Tears streamed down my face in earnest now. I dashed them away, but I knew she was right. “Part of me wishes he was out of the picture entirely, but the other part recognizes that having him in their lives is healthier.”

“You handle it well, Nova. You can only be the liaison between him and the kids.”

“Even then, his calling is sporadic. Ben won’t even get on the phone now, which is what sparked Carter’s trip to Texas in the first place.”

“Set boundaries. You have to be the liaison, but you don’t have to live by his schedule. You have the kids, you set the boundaries. If he calls outside of the times you provide, then you don’t have to answer the phone. That’s healthy.”

It sounded amazing. “I can do boundaries.”

“You should probably talk to Ben, too. He’s been angry, I think.”

“Did he speak to you about it?”

“He might have mentioned that his dad was going to have a new family and didn’t need him anymore.”

My stomach went cold. “Why would he say that?”

“I didn’t push it,” she said, squeezing my knee. “You could.”

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