Page 93 of Poppy Kisses
“Yes,” I said firmly. “Thursday.”
Hassie held her hands up. “Absolutely. Thursday. I won’t swoop in to take Auggie to see Honey’s new goats. But they were really cute, weren’t they?”
Auggie sniffled and nodded. He stepped back. “I liked the goats.”
Hassie shrugged. “We’re getting closer to horses, aren’t we, hon?”
He stuffed the toe of his boot into the grass. When the hell did he get boots that fit him? He hated wearing anything but his athletic shoes.
“I petted Calvin.” Pride shone from Auggie’s face.
“That’s cool.” I rubbed his shoulder. Hassie was determined to get Auggie on horseback, and if she was willing to put the work in, fine. But she couldn’t manipulate him. “Calvin’s a good horse.”
“He’s my old horse,” Hassie explained to Poppy. “Honey’s been boarding him for me. Remember when I got him?” she asked me in a familiar, sultry tone.
I ground my molars together. She’d gotten Calvin after graduation. I’d hung out while she bonded with a two-year-old Calvin. That night was our first time together. Was that why she was bringing it up? “I think I remember. Maybe.”
Her mouth dropped open. She snapped it shut. “So. Tomorrow? More goats, Auggie?”
“Yeah.” Auggie whipped his head toward me. “Can I, Dad?”
“That’ll be fine,” I said, “but right now, it’s bedtime. Go get cleaned up, and I’ll be right in.”
She glanced back and forth between me and Poppy, then at the house. “I’d like to tuck him in.”
Auggie’s evening had been dramatic enough. I wouldn’t make it worse by confronting Hassie where he might hear. I lifted my chin toward the door. “Go ahead.”
She gave me a sweet smile, but I didn’t return it. My anger from the evening hadn’t faded yet.
When my ex and Auggie were inside, I spun toward Poppy. “She’s playing games.”
“Which part?” She pretended to think. “With Auggie, or when she pointed out that I don’t have a history with you?”
“She brought it up because it was our first time together that night, if you want to call two teens fumbling around memorable.”
“It must be something because so many teens are still trying to fumble around, but I don’t think they call it that these days.”
Laughter trickled out of me. One little joke and she’d undone several tangles in my gut. “I’m so glad you can see what she’s doing, and I’m really glad I don’t have to deal with it alone. I just really want to hug you right now.”
She smiled and lifted her gaze to the second level, where Auggie’s window was. The bathroom light was on in the window next to it. “We might get busted.”
“It’s not Hassie seeing us that I’m worried about.”
“But she suspects.”
“Most definitely.” I started for the porch, putting my hand on her lower back. A small touch, one I could take with me to bed.
We sat in our seats, and I took a long pull of my mineral water. “I’m glad you were here.”
“I feel like I made it more awkward.”
“I feel sane.” When her brows lifted, I nodded. “When this happened before, I thought I was crazy. Overly jealous, too insecure. Whatever. But you saw what she was doing before me, and that means a lot.”
The corner of her mouth lifted. “She’s right. She made a mistake and let a really good guy go. But that doesn’t mean you’re her good guy. Maybe you two weren’t right for each other, and that’s okay.”
“I should’ve seen it sooner.”
She lifted a shoulder and took a pull of her water, so accepting of me and my feelings. “You have a way of making me second-guess everything. When we talk like this, I always see my life more clearly.”
