Page 86 of One Last Time
He’s right. Finn is all that matters. He’s hurting, and I can’t waste my energy on Asshole and his sluttyfiancée.
“Thank you.” He’s so good to me. Noah is ten times the man Scott will ever be. Instead of worrying about himself, he cares about Finn, which is more than I can say about the woman who will become a part of my two children’slives.
Noah smiles and heads through thedoor.
I look back to the man I don’t even know anymore. “Let’s go try to fix this mess,” I say as Scott and I head back to Finn’sroom.
Chapter Twenty-Five
Noah
Kristin’s exis something else, but that Jillian chick is a whole other level of fuckedup.
She’s been back there with Finn for about ten minutes and I’m not sure what the hell to do but wait. I can hear the three of them going back and forth—Scott’s voice is loud but not loud enough to make out what they’resaying.
After a few minutes, the door swings open, and a little girl with big blue eyes that match her mother’s is looking right atme.
“Who are you?” the little girl, who I assume is Aubrey,asks.
“I’m Noah.” I smile and put my hand out. “I’m friends with yourmom.”
Her tiny fingers wrap around mine, and she smiles. “I’m Aubrey Nicole McGee. I’m six, and I’ll be seven next because seven comes after, and then I’ll be eight. I can count to one hundred without stopping. I’m small, but Mommy says good things come in little packages. Do you know that I have azoo?”
She’s also the cutest thing I’ve ever seen. She’s Kristin’s clone. “Youdo?”
“Yup. I have lions, elephants, giraffes, and lots of other animals in my room. Mommy said I can’t have a whole zoo, but I do. And then, I’ll get more and have twozoos.”
“Very cool.” I smile at her. Her voice is sugary sweet, and Aubrey has a faint lisp, which just makes her even more adorable. “I like thezoo.”
“Me, too.” She puts her hands behind her back and twists. “I wanted to get a snack, but Mommy and Daddy are talking to Finn. Do you thinkyoucould get mesomething?”
Umm. I’m not sure, but do I tell her she can’t eat? I can’t imagine that would go overwell.
“Are you allowed to have a snack?” I try to get a little more information fromher.
Aubrey shrugs. “If I promise to eat my dinner, Ican.”
Sounds reasonable, and since it’s breakfast time, I don’t see a problem. “Do youpromise?”
Her blue eyes grow bigger, and she nods quickly. “I promise. I would like somecookies.”
Is that normal? What are the rules with kids and cookies? She did promise to eat her dinner, so I doubt it matters, maybe. I look at her as she gives me the puppy-dogeyes.
Shit.
I decide to go with it and hope this is one of those get-out-of-jail-free moments if this is against the rules. “Are you allowed to have cookies thisearly?”
“Yes.” Shesmiles.
I would bet my ass I’m going to be in trouble, but she’s tilting her head and batting her eyelashes. There’s no way I can say no. I don’t think six-year-olds lie anyway. That comes later...I think. “Okaythen.”
The way her entire face brightens makes me want to let her eat cookies all day. I find the package, get a cup of milk, and head to the table. I take the first cookie and dunk it, and she mimicsme.
I try not to laugh when she double dips and sticks her entire hand into the milk. When Aubrey’s hand comes out, milk drips all over thetable.
Yeah, I’m in trouble. This was definitely a badidea.
“More?”
