Page 89 of One Last Time
The door flies open, and Aubrey runs in, carrying her animals. “The zookeeper didn’t feed them!” Her lips are pursed, and shehuffs.
Kristin bursts outlaughing.
“It’s not funny,” Aubreyscolds.
“No, not funny. I’m sorry. We should get a newzookeeper.”
Aubrey looks at me and a smile forms. “You could do it, Noah. You could give them cookies and make sure they get two kisses each beforebed.”
Oh, Lord. I look to Kristin, but she stands there, covering her mouth with herhand.
I squat so Aubrey and I are eye to eye. “I have to ask my agent if I can take the job, but if he says yes, I’min.”
“Yay!” she yells and runsout.
I walk back to Kristin, who lets her laughter fly. “I neededthat.”
“Hey, I’m her new favorite person,” I informher.
“Yeah, you fed hercookies!”
But look what it got me . . . a new best friend who thinks I’m awesome. Sure, she knows she can totally bend me to her will, but that’s pretty much anywoman.
“Whatever works. Now I’m the zookeeper since you werefired.”
Kristin shakes her head. “I’m sorry our day isruined.”
“It’s not ruined. Why don’t we do something? Get the kids out of the house?” Isuggest.
Kristin raises a brow. “You want to spend the day with me and thekids?”
“What did you think I was going todo?”
This is just one more reason I hate her ex. One minute, she’s brave, ready to take on the world, and then the next, she doubtseverything.
“Honestly? I don’tknow.”
“Do I lie to you?” I stepcloser.
“No.”
“Do I ever make you question what Iwant?”
She shakes her head slowly. “No.”
I take her hand in mine, remembering that some piece of shit spent years trying to break her. “Okay then, let’s take them somewhere. Do something they enjoy, anysuggestions?”
Her smile grows slowly and now I’m scared. “I know the perfectplace.”
Chapter Twenty-Six
Kristin
“Can you give me a few minutes?”I ask Noah, jutting my chin in the direction of Finn. He’s standing against the wall with a sour face. I’m going to put an end tothis.
“Ofcourse.”
“Aubrey, do you think you could show Noah where the map is? He’s never been herebefore.”
