Shock - Marie Johnston Page 0,62

smile. “I like what I do.” I like being there when I’m needed the most and moving on. Let the doctor get all the glory, I don’t need it. Just my own slice of paradise in Sunnyville.

She sighs. “Are you saying that you didn’t run to the first little town you could afford to live in and take the first job you saw in the paper that would earn you a half-decent living?”

I cringe. I might accuse her of being Senator Wescott more often than not, but she can still catch me off-guard with her mom senses. “Maybe it worked out so well because it called to me.”

She makes a noncommittal noise. I don’t have to convince her. I only have to convince myself and I’m more determined than ever to steer my own life.

“I don’t love Samuel. Not anymore. I think he’s a great guy, but we didn’t work.”

“Aurelia.” She lets out a long, slow breath. “I can see that now. But are you sure this Ford is right for you?”

“We’re figuring that out and we’re doing it together and it’s working really well.”

“I guess I’ll have to live with that. Well, if you two are still together in a month, feel free to bring him.” There’s the distrusting lawyer-slash-senator I know and love. “If he’s comfortable at this type of thing.”

“He’s done a lot of galas before with his ex.”

Ford must be rubbing off on me. I never would’ve brought up that part of his life before. She’d consider it a weakness and use it against him.

I’m not worried. My parents will approve of Ford, or they won’t. It doesn’t change my trajectory.

“The ex with the kid?”

“Yes. He feels the same way about galas as I do.” We’ll suffer through them because they’re important to someone who’s important to us.

“You’ll be punctual this time.”

I think back to Ford’s sudden turn and our meandering trip to the country club—and how things turned out afterward.

I guess there’s only one way to find out.

“Maybe it was something you gave him?”

I level Cass with a steady stare. Jayden hasn’t been feeling well, and he’s had one suspicious runny diaper. And just before his mom showed up, he said his tummy hurt. “It wasn’t anything I fed him. I’m sure he picks up all sorts of germs at daycare.”

Cass plants her hands on her hips and tilts her head, her blond hair shifting to cover her face. Her hair is down today, there’re bags under her eyes, and she’s stressed, like she’s spoiling for a fight. I assume two things. One, that Jayden didn’t feel good last night and that’s why it looks like she didn’t sleep more than four hours. And two, that she’s gonna take it out on me to make herself feel better. Typical Cass.

“Are you saying that I don’t take him to a quality daycare?” Her voice is rigid.

“No, I’m saying that he runs around with a bunch of kids all day who put their hands and mouths God knows where.” Since I caught Jayden trying to chew on the bottom of my shoe last night, he’s included in that statement.

She pushes the fall of hair off her face. “Fine, it is what it is. I’m sure it’s nothing.” She scans the house, her blue gaze calculating. “No Lia today?”

I was ready for her to berate me for being a horrible dad, but she’s moved on to the bad boyfriend material. It’s a more familiar route.

I keep my answer simple. Lia isn’t always here when I have Jayden. “No.”

“Seems to be working out.” Her tone is soft, her question sincere. It’s enough to throw me off.

“We haven’t been dating long, but it’s going well.” Silence falls between us. I don’t know what she’s looking for.

Jayden’s playing behind us. There’re no banging sounds like normal when he plays with blocks. But he’s sitting among his toys, halfheartedly touching a shiny mirror here and flipping a plastic bobble there. I wouldn’t mind if he made some noise, something to distract Cass from taking her bad mood out on me.

“Is Lia going to be happy being stuck in little old Sunnyville, doing nothing but acting as your sidekick?”

Is that what Cass felt like she was during our engagement? My sidekick? I thought we were a team. When I told her that Mom needed help and I had to move home, we had an epic argument, but then we decided to move forward as a team when she followed me to Sunnyville. Then