Page 89 of From Nowhere

“What’s going on?” Amos asks while his gaze ping-pongs between us.

Tia closes her mouth, jaw clenched as she tips up her chin. “Nothing.” She pivots and disappears down the hallway.

Amos narrows his eyes at me.

“Lola, breakfast is ready,” I call, holding Amos’s gaze, silently daring him to utter another word. My morning started with naked Maren. In less than an hour, my day has gone to shit.

“Your hair looks pretty.” I kiss the top of Lola’s head after she hops onto the barstool. “Where’s Maren?”

“She’s using the bathroom. But she can’t come to my track-and-field day.”

“That’s life, pumpkin. Don’t dillydally.” I glance at the clock on the microwave. I can either make our lunches or find Maren and see if another stolen moment can compensate for my run-in with Tia. “Can you eat school lunch today?” I ask.

“I don’t have to. They’re ordering pizza for track-and-field day.”

Perfect.

“I’m going to brush my teeth,” I say, jogging down the stairs.

Maren’s no longer in the bathroom; she’s inspecting the photos on the wall behind the sofa.

I slide my arms around her waist, pressing my chest to her back and burying my face in her hair along her neck. “I bet I can make you come again before Lola finishes her smoothie.”

Maren chuckles. “I don’t doubt that at all. If you take off your shirt, I’ll be halfway there before you even touch me.”

I slide her hair away from her neck to kiss her warm skin.

She points to a picture of Brynn and Lola. “Where was this taken?”

I freeze for a few seconds before releasing her and scratching the back of my neck while gazing at the framed photo. “When Lola turned four, Brynn took her for afternoon tea. They enjoyed sandwiches, scones, and jams on those tiered stands and sipped tea while wearing pretty dresses. It was just the two of them. And it became a tradition on Lola’s birthday.”

Maren faces me. “I love that. But I bet she misses it.”

I keep my gaze on the photo and nod slowly. “She misses everything about her mom, but I’ve tried to keep the tradition alive. I bought one of those tiered trays and a tea set. On her birthday, I make sandwiches and scones with jelly. We sip tea in the dining room, just the two of us. Lola wears a pretty dress, and I wear a suit and tie.”

Maren wipes a tear from her cheek. “That’s beautiful, Ozzy,” she whispers.

I manage a sad smile. “If you saw my scones and sandwiches, you wouldn’t say it’s beautiful.”

She laughs, blotting the corners of her eyes.

“We talked about one day taking Lola to London for her birthday tea.” I sigh to release the emotion before it gets the best of me.

Maren’s brows pinch together as she chews the inside of her cheek.

“Thank you for braiding her hair. It looks great. She’ll have an extra bounce in her step today.”

“You’re welcome,” she says, relaxing her face. “I’m going to go now.” She glances toward the stairs before reaching for my neck and pulling me to her for a kiss.

She smiles against my lips when I palm her ass, bringing her flush to my body. “We’re going to get caught,” she says, tearing herself from my hold and running her fingers through her hair.

“Fine. You’re no fun. Go home.”

“I’m the definition of fun,” she says, tossing me a flirty smile on her way to the stairs.

Chapter Twenty-Three

Maren

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