Chapter 13
thirteen
GREER
“Hey Kam!” Greer grinned as her best friend picked up the video call.
It was so hard to connect with her lately, not only because Greer’s job was taking all of her attention but because Kam’s new beau was taking all of hers. Still, they texted almost constantly when they could, and had finally found a moment for this. Even if Greer was cooking dinner for all five kids.
“It’s loud there!” Kam said with a laugh.
“I have all the kids tonight.” Greer grinned. It felt amazing to actually have all five kids there together. So often two of them were missing and never the same two, but tonight it worked out that she had all of them for hours together. She smiled as she flipped the camera around so that Kam could see the crazy that had taken over Nathalie’s living room.
Greer would clean that up before the adults came by, but for now the kids were having a blast destroying it together.
“Where are the moms?”
That felt so natural for Greer to hear. “They’re having a girl’s night.”
“Girl’s night? Like what you and I do?”
“Kind of. They went out.” Greer wrinkled her nose, set the phone on the counter, and leaned it against the wall so that Kam could still see her while she cooked. “We usually stay in.”
Kam hummed her agreement and nodded. “We need to do that again—and soon.”
“Yeah, we do!” Greer laughed lightly. “I’ve just been working my butt off here.”
“You have, overtime if I’m correct.”
Greer groaned. “Don’t remind me.” She’d broken several of her hard and fast rules for this family already, but they were times when she felt like it was reasonable for her to step in. Like tonight, and the other week when Nathalie was sick. She just couldn’t leave Alaric to hang out on his own in absolute boredom while she could take him with her and entertain him just as easily. He was such an easy and sweet kid.
Greer dumped the pasta into the pot and stirred it. It was a quick and easy meal, but she wasn’t used to cooking for so many either. Snagging her phone, Greer leaned over the counter after she peeked around the corner to check on the kids.
“How’s Elia?”
“Good.” Kam’s cheeks flushed. They usually did when she thought about Elia or when Greer mentioned her, so she made sure to do it as often as possible.
“You’re so adorable.” Laughing, Greer headed out into the living room and surveyed the mess. “Listen up, everyone! I want you to clean up in here, and then we’ll set up in the playroom and I’ll put a movie on for after dinner and we can have popcorn and a sleepover.”
The kids all screamed, jumping up and down. Even Shepherd got in on it, although Greer was fairly certain he didn’t really understand what they were talking about. He waddled his little two-year-old self around and semi-helped clean up. Alaric bent down to hand him a towel and then guide him in the direction of the cabinet where it belonged.
“So what prompted this girl’s night?” Kam asked.
Greer glanced into the phone and grinned. “I did.”
“Because…?” Kam pushed, definitely curious as to what Greer had been thinking.
“They need it.”
“You’re not being very forthcoming right now.”
“I don’t have to be.” Greer grinned. “But since you’re asking, they’re all a little stressed with some situations going on right now, and I thought they could use some time together to regroup.”
“Regroup?”
“Yeah, they’re like their own family unit together. Built of best friends, cousins, and friends. It’s kind of a little perfect.” Greer bent down to help Shepherd put something else away. “And they’ve all been acting a little bit odd, lately.”
“What do you mean odd?”
“Well Nathalie touched my arm.” Greer scrunched up her face. “Which I know sounds like an overreaction from me, but this woman doesn’t touch anyone in any kind of loving or kind manner. She’s not a jerk, but she’s reserved and icy.”
“But she touched you?”
“The other night, yeah.” Greer held the phone to the side. “Alaric, Leon, can you fold the blankets please and put them up? We’ll grab some fresh blankets for your sleepover from the other room.”
They didn’t hesitate as they moved together to start putting away the throw blankets. Greer supervised as Davina and Halle continued to pick up and put away toys. It was so nice to see them all working together and not arguing or fighting. Then again, a reward of a slumber party and popcorn could easily do that.
Walking back into the kitchen, Greer checked on the pasta after setting up her phone again.
“Is there something you need to tell me,” Kam asked, pointedly.
“Uh…no? I’ve no clue what you’re talking about.”
“Do you have a crush on your boss?”
Greer’s mind instantly went to the touch the other night from Nathalie, to the way Nathalie had teased her about being attracted to her when she’d had that date, and then straight to Ivy—sweet, sweet, Ivy who was so desperate for touch and attention. Then to Lachlan, who was unsure of herself in just about every aspect other than work, and who Greer just wanted to swoop up into a hug.
“It’s not uncommon to crush on people you work with, you know.”
“Touché.” Kam laughed lightly. “But are you going to do anything about it?”
Greer snorted, her cheeks burning, but she refused to look at the camera and she refused to acknowledge what Kam had asked her.
“Greer!” Kam said sharply.
“I’m working on dinner, hold on.” Greer moved to snag the colander from the cabinet and drain the pasta. Choosing to keep the meal as simple and clean as possible, she didn’t add red sauce but instead just added butter and parmesan.
Then she plated everything up and set it out to cool a bit before calling the kids in. “Are you and Elia going to tie the knot soon?”
“Don’t avoid,” Kam pointed at her through the video call. “Are you going to do anything about your crushes?”
“I don’t think dating my boss, one of them or many of them, would be a good idea.” And she wasn’t dating Ivy, not really. They’d had an amazing night of sex, and an even better evening and morning of snuggles and holding each other. But that didn’t have to happen again, even if it was something that Greer was willing to do. She wasn’t going to push for it. Ivy was still going through a divorce, and Greer was technically her employee. She worked for Ivy, and the complications in that mess were far too many for a real relationship to blossom. Weren’t they?
“I don’t like that look on your face,” Kam said.
“I don’t have any look on my face,” Greer muttered before calling out loudly. “Dinner’s ready!”
The kids came stomping and running into the kitchen. Greer set them up at the table before handing out plates of food and supervising them. She leaned back and watched as the two older boys dove into their dinner, but the toddlers all took their sweet time, especially Shepherd, who more played with his food than actually ate it.
He hadn’t been eating well for weeks, and it was usually for just a few days after he came home from Penny’s. Greer hadn’t mentioned it to Ivy yet because she wasn’t sure if there was any solution, though if it kept up, she would have to bring it up.
“Greer! Cut the crap. What’s going on?”
“Nothing’s going on.” Which wasn’t the whole truth, and Greer hated semi-lying to her best friend, but she wasn’t going to talk about this when the kids were around. “I’ll text you later about it, when I’m not surrounded by kids who are dying for a sleepover.”
“Fine.” Kam pouted. “I expect you to text me immediately, because if I don’t get it, I might just have to drive down there and see you.”
Greer chuckled lightly. “Don’t tempt me. That sounds like an amazing offer.”
She missed Kam. They hadn’t lived this far away from each other since they met, which yes, she understood was a serious privilege, but it didn’t mean that Greer was happy with the arrangement. She missed Kam desperately, and she wanted to get to know her better in this relationship with Elia. Because they seemed good for each other, but Greer was stuck so far away that she felt like she was missing out on her friend’s biggest moments in life.
“Oh, is that a threat now?” Kam laughed and then immediately looked over her shoulder. “Hold on. Elia needs something.”
Kam set the phone down. Those interruptions had become more frequent lately, and Greer understood it was just all part of the process. Still, it hurt to experience it and be on the waiting end. She wanted her friendship back the way it used to be sometimes, even if she knew intuitively that nothing would ever be the same. Elia was so different from Lauren, Kamryn’s ex-girlfriend for many years, and while they all remained friends—Greer and Lauren more than Lauren and Kam—whatever was between Kam and Elia was special.
And Greer wanted to be a part of that. Kam was the only family she had left, and she needed that in her life.
“Sorry about that,” Kam said as she picked up her phone again. “I don’t have much longer. Do text me though. I really want to know everything that’s going on. I feel so distant from you.”
Greer could have cried. It was like Kam had been reading her mind. “Yeah, me too.” She very nearly did cry, always emotional when she wasn’t supposed to be. It had gotten her into trouble more than once, but this time, she knew it wouldn’t. She swiped at her eyes and grinned. “So next weekend?”
“I have a Speech meet.”
Greer sighed. She couldn’t leave next weekend, anyway. She had a test she needed to study for the following Monday, and she really needed to do that if she ever expected to graduate. Not that her degree was going to do much for her in the long run if her plans worked out right.
“We’ll find some time,” Greer said. “Even if we don’t, my birthday’s coming up next month, so that’ll be the perfect time for a girl’s getaway.”
“Exactly.” Kam grinned broadly. “I already scheduled that time off to be with you. Any ideas where you want to go yet?”
“Go?” Greer hadn’t honestly thought about it. Between work and the kids and school, she’d barely even remembered that her birthday was in a month. “No, I haven’t.”
“Think about it and I’ll make all the plans.”
“Okay.” Greer smiled, brushing a few stray strands of hair behind her ear. “Looks like Alaric and Leon are done. I’m going to have them help me set up for the slumber party. I’ll catch you later. Okay?”
“Okay.” Kam pointed at her again. “But text me.”
“I will!” Greer grinned. “I love you.”
“Love you too.”
Hanging up that night was so hard. It hurt so much more than it normally did. Greer would have to analyze why that was later, other than the fact she was feeling particularly nostalgic. She had the two older boys start in on dishes while the three younger kids finished.
It wasn’t much longer before Greer had all of them lying down on blankets and under a makeshift fort in the playroom. It was open on one end, so she at least felt comfortable if they fell asleep in there, which she figured the toddlers would all do fairly quickly. With the movie on, she waited until everyone was settled before going back to the kitchen to make them her special popcorn. She hadn’t made it for these kids yet, but it had always been a hit with any other family that she made it for.
By the time the popcorn bowls with candy in them were empty, three of the five kids were asleep. Greer put on another movie that the older boys would like better, and then put her feet up to watch it with them. She played on her phone as the house became quiet. She needed to distract herself from the probing questions that Kam had asked her.
Sometimes it just sucked that Kam knew her too damn well.
Did she have a crush on her bosses? Yeah, she did. And she hated to admit that, but saying it out loud or at least in her head was enough to put the defenses up that she really needed to have in place. She and Ivy had sex, but that didn’t mean that she necessarily had to go down that road with anyone else.
Greer wasn’t built for just one person. She’d tried monogamy many times throughout her life, thinking that it was the right move for her, but it had never worked out well. She much preferred to have multiple partners who were fully aware of each other, and to have all her needs met and to be able to meet some of the needs of others. It was just how her brain and body and heart worked.
And it had taken her up until the last year to fully admit that even to herself.
The movie was about halfway done when Greer finally stood up to check on the older boys. Both were passed out asleep next to each other, hands up by their faces and sleeping so close to each other. She would believe they were blood siblings if she didn’t know better. They certainly acted like brothers when they were in the same room.
Covering them up with blankets, Greer walked out of the room and headed back to the kitchen to clean up from their night of frenzy and fun. She hoped the moms had a good night out just like the kids did and that it had all been worth it in the end. Greer swayed her hips as she played some music, cleaning up the mess and getting lost in her head a little. She really needed it, just the stillness of a house full of sleeping babes.
“Hmm, now that’s a sight I never thought I’d see.”
Greer jumped, spinning around and facing down Nathalie. Her voice caught in her throat, and she couldn’t even form the simplest sentence.
“We’re home,” Nathalie added.
“I uh… yeah. I was just cleaning up from the slumber party.” Her cheeks burned hot. “The kids are all asleep in the playroom.”
Nathalie’s lips quirked slightly. “Good. Because we have plans for you.”
“Plans?” Greer squeaked.
“Oh, yes. Plans.”
What the hell was happening now?