Page 157 of When We Were Us
“Probably.” I smile and take the lunch boxes from him. Opening them, I start to empty them like I’ve seen Ginger do the last couple weeks since I’ve been here.
Peter loosens his tie and says, “So, you’re moving, huh?
“Yeah.” I glance up from the sink, where I’m scraping off a bit of mustard from one of the containers. “I leave in a few days.”
“Wow. That soon?”
I nod. I don’t know how much Peter knows about what happened with Derek, but Ginger must have told him something.
“Well, I hope it all works out for you back home. I know Ginger will miss you a lot.”
“I’ll miss her like crazy.” I tip my head toward the other room. “And those boys, too.”
He nods. “She can bring them to visit. They’d like that.”
“Thanks, Peter.”
“Well, take care, Wren. You guys have fun making cookies.”
“Ok, see you.”
He stops in the hall and calls up the stairs to the boys, who come racing down to give their dad love. I walk out to the foyer and watch Peter with his boys. He and Ginger are divorced, and their marriage luckily ended amicably. He adores his boys.
Peter kneels down in front of them, while Baxter comes running over to lick their faces and get scratches from him.
“You guys be good for Aunt Wren and don’t eat too many cookies. Your mom will have a cow if you spoil your dinner,” he says and ruffles the hair on both of their little heads.
The twins laugh and Tate pipes up, “Auntie Wren saved a baby cow!”
Peter glances at me from where he’s crouched in front of his boys. “That’s ‘cause Auntie Wren is a vet.”
“Yeah, she’s gonna move to a ranch in Montana and we’re gonna visit her and seerealcows, Daddy,” Jordan adds, beaming up at me. “Her Hank is a cat-tle rancher,” he says, enunciating the word, and it makes me laugh.
“Your mom told me. That will be an exciting adventure.” He gives them both a kiss and a hug. “Love you, boys. I’ll see you this weekend.”
Theboys sound off in a chorus of "I love you” and “Bye, Daddy” as Peter leaves.
Putting a hand on both their shoulders, I herd them both into the kitchen. “Hop up here at the counter. You guys wanna make some cookies?”
They both whoop in unison and bounce in their seats.
I pull up the recipe and rummage through the cupboards for everything we’ll need while the boys play a math game on one of their iPads.
A few hours later, I’ve dusted the boys off from being covered in flour and the cookies are done. Tate and Jordan have gone up to their rooms for a little quiet time when Ginger comes through the front door. She spots me standing on the other side of the island and snickers.
“Wow. You look beat.”
I let out a little laugh because I am. I had no idea how much energy those boys had when there was only one adult to supervise. But it had been so much fun, and I’d found myself wishing Paige were here. She would absolutely love Tate and Jordan. The mischief those three could get into.
“Great birth control, though, right?” Ginger jokes. Then, she eyes me for a beat. “Unless…” she stops and smirks.
“What?” I say and move around her, putting the flour and sugar back into the pantry.
“Don’twhat, me,” she says and pokes my side with a perfectly manicured nail. “You thinking about letting that man of yours put a bun in your oven, girl?”
“Oh, stop,” I say and roll my eyes, but I can’t help how my stomach gets a little fluttery at the thought.
“Youstop.” She drops her purse on the counter and gives me a wicked smile. “You totally are.”
