Page 130 of The Games We Play
“You know she’s in good hands,” Aspen said, leaning down to press a kiss to Theo’s forehead.
“Yes!” I added, trying to turn toward her, only for Ellie to gently yank my head back into place. “Hard-working moms like you deserve a break, too.”
Ellie smirked down at me. “You keep moving your head and this braid’s going to come out crooked.”
I winced and gave her a sheepish smile. “Noted.”
She laughed, clearly not mad, just amused by my restlessness.
“Besides,” Aspen continued, “it’s good for both of you to have some time apart from her. If you’re thinking about going back to work, this is a great warm-up.”
Theo nodded. “I know, you’re right.”
“Have you thought more about it?” Ellie asked gently.
Theo had been offered an amazing gig—one she never would’ve hesitated to take before Frankie came along. A luxury ranching company wanted her to spend a month at a dude ranch out west, photographing the wildlife for a new campaign.
Theo was a gifted wildlife photographer with a stunning portfolio, and they were offering her great pay and a view to die for. But with a baby and Rhodes in the picture, she was torn.
“I think about it every day,” she admitted. “At least twice a day, honestly. The money’s incredible, and the photos the assistant sent me? Gorgeous. And who wouldn’t want to spend a month in luxury?”
“Exactly,” I said. “We’ve all got your back. We can help Rhodes with Frankie. If you’re ever going to do it, now’s the time before she gets too old and starts changing by the hour.”
“You’ve got a whole village here,” Aspen added. “Let us show up for you.”
“You seem really excited about the job,” Ellie said.
“I am,” Theo admitted, her eyes shining with a mix of hope and nerves.
Ellie tapped me on the head, signaling my hair was done. I leaned forward and reached for the mirror on the coffee table. She’d styled it into two perfectly symmetrical Dutch-braided pigtails.
Theo sat up, too, once Aspen finished hers. Her fingers traced the edge of the blanket as she spoke, her voice lower now.
“Rhodes told me to go,” she said, eyes on the floor. “He promised they’d be okay while I was gone, but… leaving them still doesn’t feel right.”
I reached out, resting my hand gently on her arm, grounding her with soft reassurance.
“You have to do what makesyouhappy,” I said. “And whatever you decide, we’re with you every step of the way.”
Theo looked up at me with a small, grateful smile, then glanced around the circle to the others. Her face mask cracked slightly at the movement, the expression fighting the tight, drying clay. I couldn’t help but laugh, and neither could anyone else. The awkward stretch of our masks had us all cracking up until we were doubled over on the floor like teenagers at a sleepover.
Aspen stood and disappeared into her tiny kitchen, only to return moments later with a bottle of red wine and four mismatched wine glasses.
“I feel like it’s time to break this out,” she declared, popping the cork with a loudpopthat made us all jump. She poured generous servings and handed them around while we stayed sprawled across the floor in our spa-night chaos.
I grabbed the deck of cards beside me and shuffled. “All right, something easy. We all know once the wine kicks in, no one’s going to remember the rules.”
“Truth,” Ellie agreed, settling in with her glass balanced on her knee.
“Okay,” I said, fanning out the cards. “Who wants to go first?”
“I think Penny should,” Theo said, fixing me with a look that immediately raised my suspicions.
I glanced around. “For the game?”
Aspen smirked, shaking her head. “Sure, but she didn’t mean the game. You’ve got some explaining to do.”
I stared down at my cards, pretending to focus on matching the color on the deck in the middle, but the flutter in my chest said otherwise.
