Page 45 of The Sweet Part
Olivia H. jumps up and down. “Ooh, Sophie, you’ll love it. I want one too so bad.”
Sophie smiles and waves. They leave, and I spy Alice on the porch swing. I cross my arms against the cold. “Aren’t you freezing?”
“I feel better out here. I’ll greet people as they come and let them in, okay?”
I go inside, grab her coat from the hook, and hand it to her. “Go home. I can answer the door.”
She puts her arms in the sleeves. “Have Mason open the door. All the moms could use some eye candy.”
“Ha-ha.”
“I’m serious.”
“I’m sure he wants to leave too.” I lower my voice to a whisper. “I’m shocked he showed up. We didn’t leave things on good terms this morning, and a six-year-old’s birthday party isn’t exactly his scene.”
“You’re fighting already? What about?”
“It was a onetime thing, and I don’t need the drama.” I give her a push. “Go. Feel better. And thank you for all your help.”
She waves and hurries to her car. I’m thankful I don’t get migraines from too much noise. Otherwise, how could I ever manage Sophie and what I hope will be a busy inn?
Parents start showing up, and I greet them, ready for their kids to leave. I need a quiet room and a glass of wine. I have a feeling Sophie will crash after all this excitement. Maybe we can both take naps.
Mason jumps in to help, handing out goody bags as the girls leave. Wow, he’s really hanging in there until the end.
“You don’t need to stay,” I say after another mom and kid leaves.
“I want to talk to you, so I’ll hang in a bit longer.”
“Nothing to talk about.”
“Yes, there is.”
A group of parents arrive. Mason works with me through a flurry of goodbyes, helping to get jackets on and hand out goody bags. If anyone’s wondering who he is, they haven’t said anything.
Finally, the last girl leaves.
Sophie twirls her long light brown hair, a sign she’s tired. “That was a great party, Mommy. Can I watch TV?”
“Yes.” I decided punishing her by taking away TV time would be hard on me too, so instead she doesn’t get dessert for a month. Except her birthday. I know, I’m a softie.
Once I hear the TV turn on, I turn to Mason. “What do you want to talk about?”
He clears his throat, draws me close and speaks directly in my ear. Hot shivers race down my spine at the low rumble of his voice. “The woman who showed up this morning, Evie, just wanted to be on the show. I never slept with her. We met briefly at Happy Endings. That’s it.”
“So she’s not pregnant?” I whisper.
He pulls back to look at me. “No.”
“You seemed so uncaring.”
“Because I knew it wasn’t true. She went from pregnant and wanting child support to wanting to be on the show to asking for a thousand dollars to cover her rent in exchange for sex.”
My jaw drops.
He pushes my chin up, closing my mouth. “You don’t know me well enough to know this, but I don’t hook up with random women.”
I look into his eyes and see only sincerity. Now I’m embarrassed I thought the worst of him. “I guess you just wait for them to invite themselves over for dinner.”
