Chapter 4 #2
I have to use every bit of strength not to spit out my food in disbelief. Because that man didn’t seem to have any issues with using his words to get across what he needed to say last night, and he wasn’t exactly polite about it.
“Anyway, Landon and the boys will be here in an hour.” I try not to groan at the thought of getting through lunch with him. “Oh, and how was last night, did you have fun?”
Seriously, what else is my mother going to say to make me choke on my food this morning.
“Yeah, fun was the theme of the night apparently.” I take what’s left of my roll and shove it in my mouth.
As I head back toward my bedroom to sort out my clothes and to have a shower, I decide that my only way to make it through this lunch will be to focus on those adorable little boys.
Surely with Nash and Kade here, Landon will need to be on his best behavior.
That hour went too fast, and as I hear a cute little knock at the front door, Mom yells for me to get it.
Drawing in a deep breath, I roll my shoulders back and walk the few steps needed to open the door.
“Hi,” I say, feigning excitement to see them all. Well, it’s real for two thirds of the guests. “Don’t you both look handsome.” Nash and Kade’s faces light up at my comment about their dress pants, little button-up shirts, and overcoats to keep them warm.
“Dad said when a nice lady asks you to lunch, you should always dress smartly. So, we dressed up for you, Poppy,” Kade pipes up as I usher them all inside. I’m beginning to understand that even though he is younger, he is the more confident of the two boys.
“For Mrs. B,” Landon counters as he steps in past me.
“For Poppy and Mrs. B, Dad,” Nash states back at his father, standing with his hands on his hips and glaring at him.
And there is the chip off the old block showing up.
The look that Nash is giving his father has that same determined scowl that I discovered last night when Landon was trying to make a point.
“Mhmm,” he mumbles as I hear Mom excitedly greeting Kade in the kitchen. “Go say hello to Mrs. B, Nash,” Landon instructs him in a voice that is devoid of any emotion.
Nash does as he is told and runs off to find his brother, leaving me alone with Landon.
I don’t give him a chance to say anything. “Look, I’m just keeping my mother happy, so be pleasant, okay? Not a word out of that mouth of yours, and we can pretend everything is rosy. Got it?” I start to walk away, but he grabs my arm.
“Poppy.” The way he growls my name sends heat through my body again. Why the hell do I keep reacting to him like this?
“What?” I whisper aggressively and spin back to face him, but I wasn’t anticipating how close his body is to mine, so we are now inches apart, and it’s not helping me keep my thoughts clear.
“I'm sorry,” he says, dropping his head and unable to look me in the eye.
“For what, leading me on, or being a controlling asshole?” I spit back at him.
“Both,” he admits as he finally lifts his chin and meets my eyes to acknowledge his apology. “I’m a fucked-up mess. But that doesn’t excuse my behavior last night.”
I don’t know what to say, because my anger is slipping away, and the sympathy I have for him is creeping in.
“Don’t look at me with pity, I don’t need it,” he hisses.
“I don’t do pity. But I’ll forget last night ever happened if it means we can move on.
But you only get one strike, and that’s it in my world.
There is no second strike, end of story.
” I free my arm from his grip and walk away, but the goosebumps on my body are still tingling as I hurry to put distance between us.
“You didn’t tell me you met my little cherubs yesterday, Poppy,” Mom says as I step into the kitchen.
“And what’s this I hear about a cookie-making contest we are having?
” It’s then I notice the twinkle in her eye from the joy of having the boys here.
Probably the one good thing I will take home from this trip is knowing that she’s happy and is not lonely without me around.
She is reveling in an early chance of pretending to be a grandmother.
And it’s probably a good thing because who knows when I’ll ever be ready to have children.
I mean, I would like a partner for that to happen, but that space on my bingo card for 2025 became vacant again when Dean and I broke up.
The sound of Kade and Nash cheering about who is going to win breaks me out of my thoughts, and I can feel Landon’s presence as he walks into the room.
“I am the master cookie maker, so I think I’ll win.” And the loving smoothness of his voice when he speaks to his kids wraps around me in a totally different and unexpected way. I’m sure I could get pregnant just from listening to this version of him. Where was this man hiding last night?
“No, Dad! Mrs. B is the cookie master, not you,” Nash demands.
“Well, I guess we’ll find out who it is soon enough. I think we can make a date for next Sunday for the great cookie bake-off. What do you say, boys?” He ruffles the top of both their heads as I step forward to sneak a piece of salami off the homemade pizzas Mom just pulled out of the oven.
“I hear you like salami,” Landon expresses from behind me, and I’m instantly choking at the image of him naked and the embarrassment that he even knows about that conversation between me and Autumn. Just wait until I speak to her.
As I struggle to draw air into my lungs and pass the piece of food that’s caught in my throat, Landon starts to pat me firmly on the back.
“Are you okay?” Mom begins fussing, and the look of concern on the boys’ faces has me trying to dislodge it quicker. Finally, another firm thump from Landon does the trick, and I feel a freeing rush of air into my lungs. I quickly try to regain my composure, because I don’t want the boys upset.
“That’s what happens when you get greedy and try to beat everyone to the best piece of salami,” I say, once my breathing is back under control, and the boys are immediately by my side hugging me.
Landon clears his throat behind me, and I’m not sure if it’s from the salami debacle or the vision of his boys being so sweet.
“Well, I think we should get all this food to the table. I’m hungry,” Mom declares, which is followed by cheers from the boys, and I’m glad for the distraction from everyone fussing over me.
Surprisingly, the conversation was kept light and fun over lunch as the boys eagerly told me about all the things they felt were important in their lives.
Such as LEGO, dinosaurs, computer games, and, of course, that their father is mean because he doesn’t let them play them all the time.
Nash wanted to tell me about school and the friends he has made since he moved here.
Naturally, Kade tried to talk over top of him, but I admired the way Landon helped him hold his story back until his brother was finished.
Watching Kade try not to talk was like the pressure of a soda bottle after it has been shaken up, and you just know that the moment you take the lid off, it will all come rushing out.
I love a child with an undeniable spark.
And knowing Landon doesn’t ever try to dim that spark gives him brownie points in my book.
Mom is now bringing dessert to the table, while Landon pulls his phone from his pocket and frowns before looking up.
“Sorry, I have to take this,” he apologizes to Mom as he stands and walks away from the table.
“Of course, go.” She waves him away, and I take the opportunity to duck out to the kitchen to grab some more drinks for everyone.
Choosing a couple of juice boxes for the boys and another few bottles of water for the adults, because no one was interested in wine with lunch, I hear Landon raise his voice from the living room where he stepped out to take the call.
“What the hell do you mean you don’t have any nannies available!
That’s what your business advertises— ‘Nannies on Call.’ But you’re telling me there is a fucking three-week wait?
” He’s pissed, and I can tell that although he is trying to hold it down, he is really struggling to keep himself composed.
“Do you think if I had more notice, I wouldn’t have booked something?
There has been a family emergency, and it has left me with no care for my children.
That’s where you come in.” I spot a glimpse of him in the hallway mirror that hangs directly opposite the archway into the living room.
He’s pacing while running his hand through his hair and looking agitated.
“Of course I’ve called the other agencies, and they all told me to call you, because apparently you have nannies on call, any day, any time!
Which we both know now is total bullshit.
” He stops pacing, scrunches up his eyes, and he’s actually pulling on his hair right now.
“Yeah, merry fucking Christmas to you too.” He pulls his phone from his ear and stabs it so hard with his finger that I’m surprised he didn’t crack the screen.
If this was a cartoon, there would be puffs of smoke steaming out of his ears, but I’m guessing his predicament is far from funny.
Putting two and two together, I gather that his nanny, Renee (who I rescued the other night) can no longer look after Kade and Nash.
Her mother must need her, and that leaves Landon without childcare and in a world of pain.
Being only two weeks out from Christmas, it would be hard to find staff in any industry, because I’m assuming nannies would be booked solid, with parents working in the pre-holiday rush and the kids on vacation from school.
I place the drinks on the table and walk down the hallway. I can’t believe I’m about to do this.
“Everything okay?” I startle him out of his deep concentration as I step into the room.
“Not really,” he replies, sliding his phone back into his pocket.