Page 30 of Riding the Waves

“Everything okay?” she asked when he didn’t look away.

He nodded and his Adam’s apple bobbed as he swallowed. “Actually, I was thinking … if you don’t mind … I might just nip out.”

Her eyebrows rose. “Now?”

“Yes. You know how it is with the kids around … the social life slips a bit. I was thinking since you’re here, I could head out. There’s a friend I wanted to catch up with. Is that all right?”

“Yes.” Her heart felt as though it plummeted down her ribcage as she realised he hadn’t got dressed up for her after all. “Of course.”

“Aren’t you going to eat with us, Daddy?” Billy asked.

“No. But Mummy’s here to have dinner with you. Make sure you eat your veg,” he told them, dropping a kiss on each of their heads before flicking his hand to wave at Amy. “I won’t be late.”

“It’s fine,” she murmured, which couldn’t really have been further from the truth.

* * *

Leo looked Damian up and down as he crossed the threshold into his house. “You know I have a girlfriend, right?”

“What?” Squinting, Damian eased Alice out of his friend’s arms and dotted kisses over her plump cheeks.

“I’m just trying to figure out why you’ve turned up at my door looking all …” His eyes roved over Damian again. “Clean. Is that a new T-shirt?”

“Maybe.”

“You never buy new clothes.”

“That’s not entirely true.”

“Even if I didn’t have a girlfriend, you’re not my type I’m afraid. I appreciate the effort, though.”

“How is Caitlin?” Damian asked. “She hasn’t been around much recently.”

“She was here yesterday,” Leo said. “She’s fine. Don’t change the subject. Why are you all dressed up?”

“It was for Amy,” he said, picking up a cuddly bunny for Alice as he sat on the couch with her.

“The T-shirt?”

“The effort.” He rolled his eyes. “Amy was coming over, so I cooked dinner and bought new clothes.”

“And doused yourself in aftershave?”

“Yes. Thanks for noticing.”

“She was coming over for dinner this evening?”

“Yes.”

“So you got all dressed up and came to my place? I’m going to need more information, because I’m fairly sure that would be confusing even if I wasn’t sleep deprived.”

“She came over for dinner, but she had this dress on that made it very hard for me not to grope her in the kitchen in front of the children.” He bounced Alice on his knee and stretched his neck. “I panicked and got out of there as fast as possible.”

“Because you were worried you were going to sexually harass her?” Leo scratched his eyebrow. “If that’s the case, I think there were better places for you to take yourself than my house … the nearest police station perhaps.”

Damian shook his head, not remotely in the mood for jokes. “I got freaked out about having her there with the kids for dinner. As though we’re some happy little family.”

“I thought that’s what you always wanted.”

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