Page 78 of The P Arrangement

PRESTON

Delaney setPaxton on the front steps of her parents’ home and rang the doorbell.

She glanced over at me and chuckled. “You look a little green.”

“Of course I do. Your parents already hate me, and that was before all the recent stuff happened.”

Taking my hand, she squeezed it. “My parents never hated you. They were almost as concerned about you as they were about me when I told them about the divorce.”

“So, the opposite of your sister?”

She laughed. “Yes.”

“Daddy okay?” Paxton asked.

“Yeah, buddy, Daddy will be fine,” I reassured him. “As soon as we get this over with,” I added under my breath.

The lock clicked, and the front door was pulled open as Delaney’s mom said, “Delaney, you never ring the bell. Why didn’t you just come—” Evelyn looked taken aback when she saw me standing next to her daughter.

“Nana!” Paxton shouted with excitement and ran into the house to hug his grandmother.

“Hey, Mom. I thought since I brought someone with me, I wouldn’t barge in like I normally do.”

I had actually asked Delaney not to walk in like she usually did because I didn’t want to enter her parents’ house, uninvited.

Her mother stood back and waved us through. “Come in, come in.” Once the door was shut, she looked up at me. “And to what do I owe the pleasure of seeing you, Preston?” she asked as Paxton ran out of the room.

I glanced at Delaney, who gave me anI told youlook.

“Henry, come here and see who came to visit us,” Evelyn called out to her husband.

A few seconds later, Delaney’s father walked in with Paxton in his arms. He grinned when he saw me. “Preston.” He held out his hand. “It’s been a while.”

I shook it and said, “It has, sir.”

Henry laughed. “Sir? Since when did you start calling me sir?”

Since your daughter and I divorced.

After learning some things from Natalie, I honestly had no idea how her parents felt about me. I was worried I had lost their respect. Except, unlike my mother, I probably deserved it for the way I had neglected my marriage with Delaney.

“Uh…today, I guess,” I answered.

“Well, stop. It’s Henry to you.”

“And don’t you dare even think about calling me ma’am, young man,” Evelyn said to me.

I smiled. “You got it.”

Delaney clasped her hands together. “Preston and I came to talk to you about something. But I think we should sit down.”

Her parents exchanged looks.

“Let’s go sit in the living room,” Evelyn said.

Delaney, Paxton, and I followed behind them. Delaney and I sat on the couch while her parents sat on their matching recliners. Paxton went directly to the corner of the room and started pulling out toys from the toy box there.

“What do you have to talk to us about, honey?” Delaney’s mom asked, a look of concern descending on her face.

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