Page 49 of Stick Move

“You know you’re going to be in trouble in about…oh, eight years.”

“You mean I’m not in trouble now?” We both laugh at that. “Are you coming in?”

“I just wasn’t sure…”

“Come on,” he says, making this much less awkward than I am and I follow him inside and shut the door behind us.

“How about we make them together?” I suggest.

“I was informed she doesn’t want lumps and if I’m making them from scratch, I could definitely use your help.”

I slow my steps. “No lumps?”

He runs an agitated hand through his hair. “Her wish came true.”

“Did you talk to her?”

“I did, actually. I explained that you’d always be in her life but she wouldn’t be calling you mommy.”

I put my hand on his arm. “Was she upset?”

“Not at all.” I stiffen, seriously surprised by that. Noah shrugs, clearly baffled too. “She brushed me off, actually. She says daddies don’t know everything.” He glances over his shoulder, but Camryn ran to her bedroom and can’t overhear us. He leans in. “Should I talk to her again?”

“Why don’t we leave it. I think with time, it will pass, and who knows, you could meet someone and become serious really quick and that will change everything for her.”

He frowns and nods. “Yeah, I guess.”

I put my hand on his face, and since we’re already going down this road, I ask, “Why are you still single, anyway?”

“You know why,” is all he answers, and turns. “Come on, let’s get to work on breakfast.”

I stare at his back, his words like a slap. Do I know why? Is it because he has to put all his focus on Camryn? Is it because he’s still in love with Shayla? Is it a combination of the two or is it something else entirely? I’d like to ask, but his quick dismissal has me zipping my lips shut.

I follow him into the kitchen, and he’s quiet, reflective as I walk to the window and lift my face to the early morning sun.

“It’s going to be a nice day.”

“I take Camryn to the park on Sundays.”

I turn to him and he still has his back to me as he puts a frying pan on the stove. “Right, you said something about that.”

“I’d like it if you could come today. I know it’s far from where we live now, but I think Camryn should still have familiar people in her life, especially her friend Becky. I understand if you can’t go. You don’t officially start your nanny job until I leave, but I think it would be good to get to know Gemma and Julie better. Julie wants Camryn to come to her place for playdates and you’d be the one taking her, and if you guys hit it off this time around, she could be a good friend.”

“This time around?”

He reaches into the fridge for butter and I catch his glance. “We all went to high school together. We were all in different cliques.”

“Gemma and Julie,” I whisper, searching my memory banks. Our high school was pretty big, so it was hard to know everyone outside of my circle. That’s when it hits me. I stiffen. “Are you talking about Gemma Strang and Julie Johnson?”

He pulls a spatula out of the drawer, and arches a brow. “You remember them?”

“Uh, yeah, vaguely.” I push off the windowsill, a knot in my stomach. “Noah, I don’t know if this is a good idea. We didn’t get along all that well back in the day.”

He nods, and wipes his hands on a dish towel. “It was a long time ago, Brighton. We’re not hateful teens anymore. I’d like to think we’ve all moved past that.”

Is he saying he’s moved past that? That what is going on here isn’t about revenge?

“You know what,” he says before I can string a sentence together. “You’re right. You don’t have to go. I shouldn’t have asked.”

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