Page 69 of Bake You Mine
“Well, Daphne’s twelve, and I’m twenty-nine, so, yeah.”
The ex grunted again. “I meant Aubrey.”
She cut in close to her ex. “First of all, what I do or don’t do with Liam is none of your business. Second, don’t you think you should mind your own, Mr. My Much Younger Wife Just Left Me?” Aubrey hissed the words out like a snake.
That got him to shut up. He took off toward the ride.
Liam fell in step next to Aubrey. “So, it’s official then, they’ve separated?”
“Yep. I don’t know, maybe the age gap was too wide. Not that he’d admit as much to me.”
“The age gap between us isn’t that bad.” The words came out before he could stop them.
The gap didn’t bother Liam, even if he could tell it got under Aubrey’s skin.
“We’re older than they were when they got together.” She let out a laugh. “Much.”
He wanted to pull her in for a reassuring hug, but they were already garnering stares from passersby. “We should catch up to the crowd.”
Her phone pinged with several texts in a row. With a groan, she turned to him. “My damn oven is acting up again. I’ve got to get back. We have a big catering order that must go out early this afternoon. I’ll text Chris and Daphne.”
“Let me know how it goes. I have a guy if yours isn’t getting the job done.”
Her hassled expression lessened somewhat. “Thanks. I’ll see you later.”
Liam had almost forgotten that they were about to discover the third challenge.
She sped off through the crowd. Liam’s eyes stayed on her until she vanished, then he met up with his family at the ride.
“Where’d Aubrey go?” Brandon asked.
“Oven emergency,” he replied.
“That’s a shame; she’s such a sweetheart,” his mother said.
He started to say something, but she spoke over him. “He’s done a good job with the kids, huh, guys?”
“They love their Uncle Liam,” Becky said.
“You’re the fun uncle who plies them with sugar and plays video games with them. Quite different from if you and Aubrey become serious?—”
“Ma, will you stop?” He jerked his head toward Aubrey’s ex. He was out of earshot, but who knew who else could hear them?
“What?”
“Seriously, nothing is happening with me and her.” He chewed on the inside of his cheek.
She turned to face him, her eyes a mirror to his own. “A mother knows, William.”
“Ma, don’t push him too far,” Brandon said.
Instead of answering, Liam leaned forward to squeeze her around the shoulders. “Have any dates with a friendly silver fox butcher lately?”
“Hmph. Point made.” She sharply shifted her gaze. “I don’t care what you say. I know something’s going on. And if I’m right andsomethingturns into a real relationship, then you need to be realistic about having a child in your life. Not just for the fun stuff.”
Aubrey’s speech to her ex and his soon-to-be ex returned to Liam. His mother was right. He should let Aubrey lead the way when it came to his relationship with her daughter.
twenty
