Page 40 of Alfie: Part Two

West Scott

“Istill can’tbelievewe got cockblocked,” Alfie muttered, opening the fridge.

“You can’t? It used to happen at least twice a week before.” I tucked in my button-down before switching on the coffee machine.

“Whatever. It’s that damn cat’s fault. He makes Ellie wake up earlier.”

I chuckled and looked around to make sure we didn’t step on the little thing. “We’ll make up for it tonight.” I came up behind him and kissed his neck. “By ten PM, I’ll have my tongue in your tight little ass.”

“Hnngh. Quit it,” he complained. “Now I gotta go all day and think about that…?”

Well, yes.

He closed the fridge without having grabbed anything, and he frowned. “How about a quickie right now?”

I checked my watch. Sadly, it was a no-go. “I’m already late, baby. And Colby will be in any second.” Instead, I kissed hischeek and then grabbed two travel mugs for us. “You’ll have to shower without me.”

I’d gotten my shower while he’d dropped the kids off at school.

“Are you sure you don’t want to come with me?” I asked. Again.

He shook his head and leaned back against the counter, arms folded.

I knew it bothered him, but hopefully I’d make some progress today.

“What if she’ll never come around?” he asked.

“She will,” I said firmly. “It’s your mother we’re talking about. You’re her everything.”

He huffed and looked out the window. “Didn’t feel that way at church.”

No, that’d been…rough.

We’d run into Giulia a little over two weeks ago at Mass, and even I had been taken aback by how cold she’d been toward Alfie. She’d greeted the children with big smiles and hugs, and she’d expressed how happy she was that we were together again, but all her attention had been on me, or Trip and Ellie.

Either way, I was determined to fix this mess today. I was meeting up with Giulia at her favorite bakery in forty-five minutes. Treating her with pastries was usually a good way to warm her up.

“I’ll get this sorted, I promise.” I pressed a kiss to his temple before grabbing the creamer from the fridge. Just a teaspoon of it was Alfie’s sweet spot since I made my coffee very strong.

“It’s not your job,” he mumbled.

“I’ll be sitting at Isgro’s eating cannoli,” I said. “That’s not a job.”

That put a small smile on his face, at least.

“How do you want to handle dinner tonight?” I wondered. “I’m assuming you’ll be working late.”

September was evidently Kellan’s vacation month, so he and Shan were somewhere in Europe at the moment, leaving Liam and Alfie to cover for him. Liam had flown in on the first to be the face, the one who handled sit-downs and whatnot, while Alfie worked his ass off in the background, whatever that entailed.

“I’mma be home and on all fours at ten PM,” he reminded me.

I laughed under my breath.

“Nah, but I don’t think we’ll be late,” he went on, scratching his forehead. “He mentioned wanting chicken at Federal, but I think he’s saving that for when the boys are with him. They’ll be with Finn and Emilia today.”

I inclined my head, having seen her plans for the boys on her Instagram account. “Well, let me know. I’ll pick up the kids after school, and then we can meet up in the city. Do you wanna spend the night at your place?”

“Ourother place, you mean?” He narrowed his eyes at me.

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