“Yes,” I replied and faced Alex. “Weren’t we supposed to meet later?”

“Change of plans,” he said.

I waited for an explanation, but he didn’t offer one, so I turned back to Tim and Richard. “You guys can go. Aaron and I will be fine.”

“I need to feed him first,” Tim replied and reached out for the baby.

I held onto Aaron. “I know how to feed a baby, Tim.”

“She does,” Richard said.

“Then I’ll just make his bottle,” Tim replied.

And before I could tell him I knew how to do that too, he’d jumped up from the couch and was headed into the kitchen.

Richard shook his head.

“Don’t worry,” I said. “He’ll be fine.”

“Which one?” he asked, and we both laughed.

I carried Aaron into the kitchen where Tim was mixing his bottle. “I can do that, you know.”

“I know,” he said, shaking the container.

I was about to ask him if everything was okay when Richard and Alex appeared next to me, looking as uncomfortable together in the kitchen as they had been in the living room. “Ready to go?” Richard asked.

Tim handed me the bottle and said, “Give me a minute to change my shirt,” before he ran upstairs.

I placed the bottle in Aaron’s mouth, and he sucked on it greedily, oblivious to the tension in the room. “Where are you guys going?” I asked.

“Movies,” Richard replied. “Then maybe we’ll get a bite to eat. Don’t worry though, we’ll be back early.”

I wasn’t worried. Now that Daniel and I had broken up, I had no plans for my evening other than seeing Alex and he was already here. I thought I might miss Daniel a little, but I didn’t. All I missed was the sex. Aside from that, it was a relief not to have to deal with him anymore.

“What movie are you going to see?” I asked just to keep the conversation going.

“Whatever starts in the next half hour and has lots of action. It’s the only way I’ll stay awake.”

Alex chuckled. “The new Fast and Furious isn’t bad.”

Richard grinned. “I love those films.”

“Why?” I asked. “There’s no story. It’s just car chases.”

“Exactly,” Richard said, then he and Alex both laughed.

Tim appeared at the bottom of the staircase, his stained T-shirt replaced by a clean button-down. “What’s so funny?”

I said, “You’re going to see the new Fast and Furious film.”

“Really?” He turned to Richard. “But there’s no story. It’s just car chases.”

Richard and Alex burst out laughing again, and Tim turned to me with a quizzical expression. Go with it, I mouthed.

Tim kissed both Aaron and me on the top of the head and said, “MJ and Isaiah are playing basketball at the park, but they know they need to be home before dark. Ethan and the girls are upstairs.” Then he and Richard called out their goodbyes to the kids and were gone.

Alex, Aaron, and I were on our own.

Chapter 27

When Aaron finished his bottle, I tried to set him down on his play mat, but he cried. He also cried when I held him on my lap. He only stopped crying when I bounced him in my arms while I walked in circles around the living room. Alex seemed amused by my attempts to keep Aaron entertained. At least, he was smiling more than usual.

“Would you like a turn?” I asked.

“Nope,” he said and folded his arms across his chest. “What did you want to talk to me about?”

“Don’t you think we should wait until we’re alone?”

Alex nodded to the baby. “You think he’s gonna talk?”

I laughed. “Point taken. I figured out the password to the flash drive.”

Alex’s expression remained inscrutable.

“Don’t you want to know what’s on it?” I asked.

“Nope.”

“Really? You’re not even a little bit curious?”

“Curiosity killed the cat.”

“I’m not a cat.”

“That doesn’t mean you can’t be killed.”

It sounded like a stampede of elephants barreling down the stairs, but it was only Sofia, Makeyla, and Ethan. The three huddled together at the entrance to the living room, then Sofia stepped in front of the other two, obviously the group’s spokesperson. “Can we have ice cream?”

She’d directed her question to me, so I answered. “Is there any in the freezer?” I didn’t think Tim and Richard kept ice cream in the house.

“No, but the ice cream man’s at the park.”

I didn’t know if they were tracking the ice cream man on an app or just guessing, but I didn’t care. I was tired of walking around the living room in circles and would rather be outside. Fresh air would be better for Aaron too. “Sure. Get your shoes on.”

The kids thundered back up the staircase and I turned to Alex, who was doing a poor job of hiding his smile. “What? You got a problem with ice cream in the middle of the day?”

“Nope.”