if she loves him or the fact that he’s so pretty and looks good in a five-thousand-dollar suit. Of course, I also don’t know if he loves her or the lifestyle she affords him. He has always liked being a big shot,” Lily told him.
“Is she the reason he doesn’t get the kids every other weekend and a month in the summer?” Mack asked.
Lily shrugged. “He gave me sole custody in the divorce and said that he’d spend time with them when he could. It’s been six months since he’s even seen them.”
“Not even at Christmas?” Mack’s face was a study in pure shock.
“He sent a few expensive gifts, but not even at Christmas,” Lily replied. “They called him and wanted to move in with him when I told them we were moving to Comfort. He said no way, and I kind of felt sorry for the kids even though I was upset with them,” she explained.
“Man, he’s a fool.” Mack slowly shook his head. “He has no idea the fun he’s missing.”
“Hey,” Braden yelled, bounding down the stairs and into the living room. “Me and Holly want to know if y’all old people want to watch a movie with us. I brought the whole Harry Potter series with me, but we ain’t got a TV in either of our rooms.”
“They want to spend time with us? It’s a miracle,” Lily whispered.
“Well, let’s don’t waste a single minute.” Mack grinned and led her from the kitchen to the living room with his hand on her lower back.
Even through her shirt, she could feel the heat starting at the place where his hand was touching her and going all the way through her body. Holly met them in the foyer and raced ahead to argue with her brother about who got to sit in the recliner.
For the first time, Lily was glad they were arguing and didn’t notice that she was practically blushing.
“First come, first served,” Braden taunted his sister.
“Oh, yeah.” Holly wiggled her way into the chair beside him and put her arm around his shoulders. “You’re my itsy-bitsy brother, so we can share the chair.”
“Yuck!” Braden jumped up, grabbed a quilt and throw pillow from the sofa, and stretched out on the floor. “Want me to put the first one in the DVD player, Mama?” He pointed toward the television.
“I’ll do it.” Mack started toward the television. “I’ve never seen Harry Potter or read the books. Which is better? Movies or books?”
“Books,” both kids said at the same time.
“Then I’ll have to read them later after we see the movies.” Mack put the first one into the player and handed the remote to Braden.
Lily sat on the sofa, and Mack sat on the other end. Lily found herself wishing that Mack was beside her with his arm draped around her shoulders, but getting to spend time with her kids, even if it was watching Harry Potter, was pretty danged special, too.
As soon as the movie ended, Mack asked, “So is going to Universal Studios and seeing the Harry Potter place on your list of things to see someday?”
“Naw,” Braden said. “I’d rather go to the beach and just do nothing but play in the sand and collect seashells.”
“Me, too. Braden can find seashells while I work on getting a tan.” Holly yawned and headed out of the room. “I’m going to bed.”
“I’m going to read for half an hour after I get my bath,” Braden said. “I still think the books are better, but every time I see the movies, I can see the characters better.”
Mack stood up and held out a hand to Lily. “Walk you to your bedroom door?”
“No, but you can walk me to the bottom of the stairs. That would be really nice.” She laced her fingers in his.
He stopped just before they made it to the bottom of the steps, wrapped Lily up in his arms, and hugged her tightly. “I like the way you fit in my arms.”
“So do I,” she said. “But, Mack, you might want to think long and hard about things. We could go back to Austin at the end of the school year. Braden is the only one who’s said he wants to stay here. Holly says the jury is still out.”
He tipped up her chin with his knuckles and kissed her. When it ended, she leaned into his broad chest. It felt good to have a man’s strong arms around her and to hear him say nice things