Jax
What happens when you travel four hours with James crammed in the backseat and zero snack stops?
You end up with a suspicious little dent in the chocolate pie you brought for the dinner party. Because apparently, James can’t go three hours without eating something—so four? Four was just pushing the limits.
I’m still trying to figure out how to conceal the very obvious finger hole in the pie when the front door bursts open. But before I can even blink, James is already shouting in my ear.
“Ayyy! Happy Turkey-Eating Day!”
Gareth and I turn to look at each other with matching raised eyebrows. Even Desmond tilts his head slightly, like he’s trying to figure out if he misheard.
James’s grin wavers. He glances between the three of us, clearly sensing he’s said something wrong, but not sure what. Then he spots Ana, who’s still standing in the doorway with her arms crossed and that shit-eating grin fully in place.
“What?” he says with a shrug. “I couldn’t remember what it was called.”
Ana just chuckles, then grabs him by the shoulders, and hauls him inside as he stumbles over his own feet.
I step around the chaos that is Desmond already putting James in a headlock and make a beeline for the kitchen. The smell hits me immediately—turkey, butter, and maybe something cinnamon-y.
And then I see her.
Allie’s crouched in front of the oven, apron still on, hair pulled up into that loose knot that never stays in place for more than ten minutes. She’s completely lost in her own little world, basting the turkey like it’s second nature.
I discard the chocolate satin pie I brought just for her and step in behind her, sliding my arms carefully around her waist. I press a soft kiss to the curve of her neck.
Although, it proves to be a little more difficult since she’s wearing a bloody jumper in this blistering kitchen.
She relaxes into me, taking a slow breath as she closes the oven and turns in my arms.
“Hey,” she murmurs into my chest.
“Hi,” I breathe into her hair, wrapping my arms around her in a tight hug. “I, uh, brought some pie. You know, since you just love it so much.”
She pulls away just enough to swat my shoulder, but I don’t miss the little spark in her eyes. The one that says how dare you call me out.
But I remember everything.
At least the important stuff, anyway.
Mostly.
She’s still watching me, the corner of her mouth twitching upward when I lean in and press a kiss to her forehead.
“Everything smells amazing,” I say, glancing around the kitchen.
The potatoes boiling on the stove, the veggies simmering, and so many smells coming from inside the oven it makes my stomach rumble.
When my eyes land back on her, there’s a pink tinge to her cheeks.
“I hope you guys came hungry,” she says with a soft smile.
Is now when I should mention why there’s a finger imprinted on her pie?
“Where are the girls?” I ask instead.
Her expression flickers. She turns quickly, pretending to check the potatoes again.
“I… uh, let Trevor have them for a few hours,” she says quietly. “They should be back soon.”
My eyebrows pinch together, but then relax. My hand finds her back, rubbing gently through the thick fabric of her jumper. “That was awfully nice of you.”
She turns around, her eyes meeting mine. “You’re not upset?” she asks, sounding shocked.
I chuckle and shake my head. “Why would I be upset about you letting them see their dad?”
She shrugs. “I just… I know I told you they’d be here. And then you show up and they’re not—”
I gently place my hands on her shoulders, slowly drifting down her arms in an attempt to ground her, but the second they reach her bicep—
She flinches.
We both freeze in place. But that’s not when I know something is wrong.
It’s the second she refuses to meet my eyes.
“Al?”
She forces a smile, one that doesn’t reach her eyes in the slightest way before she shakes her head.
“I burned myself earlier,” she says lightly, sounding almost rehearsed. “Trying to check on the casserole. It was stupid.”
Before my brain can come up with a reasoning as to how she burned her bicep, she rises on her toes and kisses me quickly. “I’m okay. Promise.”
I don’t even get the chance to press for more and tell her I know she’s full of shit, because Ana, Desmond, and James come barreling into the kitchen.
Desmond stops first, standing in the middle awkwardly as he runs a hand over his head and squeezes the back of his neck. “You have a lovely home, Allie,’ he says softly.
She smiles, genuinely this time, as she tilts her head. “Thank you, Desmond. Dinner will be ready in about an hour if you guys want—”
Her words die in her throat when the doorbell sounds through the house.
My back straightens when I see the way Allie fumbles with everything all of a sudden.
Something isn’t right.
“Excuse me,” she says, slipping off her apron and laying it on the table.
Her hand brushes my arm as she passes, and I follow her down the hallway without a word.
I lean against the wall, arms crossed, eyes locked on the front door.
I watch her open it.
I watch both girls run inside and wrap themselves around her legs.
And I also watch the way Trevor looks more nervous than normal. His eyes avoiding hers, shoulders drawn tight. But the second his eyes land on mine—my blood runs cold.
I can’t place what it is exactly, but he just gives me a bad feeling.
I’m so busy staring him down I barely register the sound of tiny footsteps slapping against the floor.
“Jax!” Charlotte practically yells.
I catch her mid-run, lifting her easily and tossing her into the air before settling her on my hip. “Hey, Bug.”
When I glance back, Trevor’s still standing there, but the nervous look? Gone. It’s now replaced with a clenched jaw and a look that makes my spine stiffen.
He turns and says something to Allie, his eyes never leaving mine. She just nods, almost robotically, with Lydia glued to her hip.
Something in his body language doesn’t sit right with me. Don’t get me wrong, I’ve never trusted the guy as far as I can throw him. But tonight? Tonight that instinct is screaming.
The second the door closes and the bastard—sorry, Trevor—is gone, I turn my attention back to Charlotte and tickle her sides.
“Are you ready for some green bean casserole?” I ask in a silly voice.
She laughs, trying her hardest to squirm her way out of my arms. “No!”
“No?” I tickle harder. “What do you mean no? I think you’re lying.”
She’s still giggling uncontrollably when I set her down, and Allie walks up to us, smiling. And this time it doesn’t seem like a fake smile. She actually seems better, like having the girls back here and Trevor gone was what she needed.
Lydia’s on her hip, curly pigtails bouncing as she reaches her arms out to me with grabby hands.
I take her without hesitation. “Come here, you.”
Then I look back at Allie and lean in slightly, lowering my voice. “Are you sure you’re alright?”
She gives me a soft smile and nods. “Yeah, I’m just not feeling that great. I’ll be fine after I eat, I think.”
“Do you need any help, love?”
She twists a finger through one of Lydia’s curls, watching it bounce before meeting my eyes.
“Actually…” Her smile grows. “You could distract them for me?”
I grin. “You got it.”
Bending to scoop Charlotte back up, I shift Lydia higher in my arms so I can hold one on each side. Then, without warning, I start zooming them all around the house.
Their laughter bounces off the walls, and it only gets louder when we pass James and he pokes each girl in the side, sending them into full-on squeals.
Normally, this would be enough to drown everything else out.
But right now?
Right now I can’t shake the feeling that something is seriously wrong.