the back. “How would you feel if we didn’t show up to one of the dinners the baseball team holds for you, your teammates, and their parents every year?” At my question, his lips press together and his eyes fill with understanding. “You’d be disappointed, even if you didn’t really want to be there. Am I right?”
“Yeah,” he mutters then looks at his brother, and his eyes narrow.
I glance to Mitchell and see he’s smirking. His eyes come to me, and the smirk slowly slides away as I shake my head. “Your brother is younger than you. He’s still learning. If I remember correctly, when you were his age, you had the same outlook on life that he does now. It’s your job as his big brother to show patience and to lead him down the right path. What you don’t do is act smug when you’re right about something.”
His eyes drop from mine as he says, “Sorry.”
“You don’t gotta be sorry.” I wrap my hand around the back of his neck and wait for him to look at me, and when he does, I continue gently, “This is just one more lesson you’ll learn in life, kid. A man never pretends he knows everything, and even if he happens to know something someone else doesn’t, he never acts smug about it. Instead, he appreciates the fact he’s able to help them learn something new.” When he nods, I tighten my fingers affectionately then let him go and look between both my boys. “I don’t like getting dressed up or going to these events any more than either of you do, but this is what family does. We show up when someone we love is celebrating, or even when they just need a shoulder to cry on.”
“You’re right,” Mitchell says, and I see Max nod out the corner of my eye.
“Now let’s go inside and help your aunts celebrate, with hopefully really great food. And if the food sucks, let’s pretend like we enjoy it while looking forward to the pizza we’ll pick up on the way home,” I tell them, getting two smiles before I open my door and get out.
I meet the boys near the trunk and we go inside. Once we tell the hostess who we’re meeting, she begins to usher us toward a private room in the back. Halfway across the crowded restaurant, I almost come to a complete stop when I recognize December, looking as beautiful as always, sitting at a table with a man I don’t recognize, along with her cousin Sage and his wife Kim.
“Dad,” Mitchell calls, obviously sensing my distraction, but I can’t seem to pull my eyes off December when she starts to laugh along with the man sitting way too fucking close to her.
“Dad, are you okay?” Max grabs my hand and attention, and I attempt to ignore the knife that suddenly seems to be jammed into my gut as I look at him.
“I’m good.” I force my feet to move while giving both my kids reassuring looks.
I can’t say I ever saw December before her cousin’s wedding, but I swear she’s everywhere I am now, haunting me like a bad dream. Fuck. I should have taken the shot she gave me with one look after our talk, when she’d been obviously open to us getting to know each other without the other bullshit in the way. I should have fucking put my stupid inhibitions aside and asked her if she wanted to get together for dinner or a drink.
Fuck. I’m an idiot, and now she’s out with another guy, her cousin, and his wife, obviously enjoying herself enough to laugh freely.
When we finally enter the private room, the boys and I greet my sisters with hugs then settle into our seats at the table. The fancy salad that is served to us first tastes like shit, but I force myself to eat, wanting my boys to follow my lead. When the main course comes out—steak, fancy mashed potatoes, and asparagus—I don’t enjoy a single bite, even though it looks delicious. My mind is on the woman in the other room, and the jealousy that is still twisting my insides.
Halfway through the main course, with people chatting around me and the boys entertained by their aunts, I tell them quietly that I’ll be back then get up from the table. I leave the room and head toward the bar to get a beer but stop midway when I spot December