patio. Amber said something to Cam and the boys and laughed, grabbing hold of Boone as she did so. They didn’t look separated. That green-headed snake called jealousy flushed Poppy’s cheeks a dark red.
Shit. She took a step back. She needed to get it together before she went over there. Or maybe she should let Boone come to her?
“Poppy?”
“Oh.” She looked at Molly, and it took everything in her not to make a face. “Boone’s ex.”
“I hate her already.”
“You don’t know her.”
“I don’t have to. She’s had a child, and her hips are smaller than mine were in middle school.”
“What’s that about your hips?” Nate grabbed his wife from behind and planted a big kiss on the side of her neck. His hands slid down to her waist. “I like your hips just fine, woman.”
Molly slapped him away with a laugh. “That’s good to know, because I have a lot more of them than she does.”
Nate winked at Poppy. “Who’re we talking about?”
“Boone’s ex.”
“Amber’s here?” He yanked his head up.
“You know her?” Molly asked, taking a step back from her husband.
“I’m a sports agent, Moll, I’ve met her several times.” He looked over the top of Molly’s head, eyes narrowed. “This isn’t her scene. I’m surprised she’s here.” He frowned. “Actually, why is she here?”
“That’s a good question,” Poppy replied, moving past the couple. “I think I’m going to find out.”
She walked toward Boone and Amber, who were now surrounded by at least five men, all of them single, because the married ones knew better.
“Hey,” Boone said when he spotted Poppy, that half grin she called hers in place as he slowly extricated himself from Amber and the boys to meet her. He immediately scooped her into his embrace and planted a kiss on the side of her cheek. “You look amazing.”
“So do you,” she replied as he let her go.
A heartbeat passed. Maybe two. Something shifted or didn’t feel right, and Poppy bit her lip nervously.
“Sorry I’m late. I got caught up at Mom’s, and then, well…” He glanced back toward Amber, and Poppy followed his gaze.
“Why is she here?” Poppy asked, hoping she didn’t sound desperate or childish or, more to the point, jealous. And right now? She was rocking red-hot jealousy big-time. And she had no right to. Boone had never given her any reason to feel this way.
“Hell if I know.” Boone ran his hand across the back of his neck. “She gave me some bullshit story about promising to take Benji back-to-school shopping.” He raised an eyebrow. “That’s never happened in the past, and I don’t see it happening anytime soon.”
“She’s up to something, then.”
“Yeah.” Boone turned back to her. “My guess is that she’s found out about you, and she’s come all this way to check you out because Amber has never been the kind of woman who likes to share. Even when it’s something she doesn’t want.”
“Maybe she wants you back.” Poppy watched him closely. When he didn’t shoot down that idea, those nerves hopping around inside her began to vibrate.
“Doesn’t matter what she wants,” Boone replied, lifting her chin so she had to look up at him. “You get that, right?”
Poppy nodded, because she didn’t trust herself to answer.
“Don’t worry about Amber.”
“But why is she here?” she managed to ask through all the sawdust in her mouth. “With you?”
Boone leaned close. “She’s a drama queen. She’s difficult, and it was easier to bring her with me than stand in my driveway and argue about it.”
“She’s staying at your home?” The words slipped out, and she would have grabbed them back if she could have.
“Technically, we’re still married, Poppy. You know that, but—”
“No, I don’t know that, because we’ve never talked about you and Amber. Not really.”
“Look, I don’t want to fight. But the fact is, she’s the mother of my son, and she’s in town, for whatever reason, and she’s staying with me, but it’s only for a few days. That’s all.”
“And I’m supposed to be good with that.” Anger sparked something inside Poppy, and she yanked out of Boone’s embrace. “With that slice of sex on legs staying in your house.”
Boone’s eyes narrowed a bit, but Poppy ignored it. She crossed her arms over her chest and stood back, aware that Molly and Nate were watching, as well as Cam and Blue.
“I don’t know what you want me to say,” Boone replied, running a hand through his hair. “She doesn’t mean anything to me that way. You don’t need to be