she can block out the noise when the kids are annoying yet still be present.” He tapped a finger against his temple. “Smart, eh?”
I laughed. My brother, ladies and gentlemen.
Leaning in, he asked, “So, how’s it going between you two?”
My eyes found her again, and I sighed with longing. Actual longing. The first time I’d ever felt longing for anyone other than Natalie. “I don’t know. Normal.” I wanted it to be the opposite of normal between us. I raised an eyebrow at him. “And don’t think I haven’t noticed you and Mason spending more time in the city lately.”
He raised both eyebrows in innocence. “It’s only because we feel like you need time to get to know her when we’re not all up in the house.”
I shook my head. “It doesn’t matter anyway …”
He frowned. “What is that supposed to mean?”
“She’s not letting me in. It’s like she shuts me down every time I try to get to know her a little more.”
He leaned in and his eyebrows pulled together. “What is she hiding from?”
“I don’t know.” It was a lie because from what I had gathered, she was hiding from an ex-boyfriend. A possibly dangerous ex from how tightly she kept a lid on him. I peered back to where she was standing, assisting Mary with the Skee Ball, making her swing higher. “I told her how I feel. And this won’t work if she doesn’t let me in.”
He looked back toward the girls. “Maybe you need to give it some time.”
I nodded. “I’d be okay with that if only I thought time would help our situation.”
We both peered up when Mason strolled in with Janice on his arm. She wore four-inch heels, dark-washed jeans, and a fitted white halter top. Her hair was pulled up into a high ponytail. Swung over her arm was her Hermès bag that Mason had gotten her for her last birthday.
“Oh God. Here comes Barbie,” Brad whispered under his breath.
“Hey, guys!” Janice leaned into me and touched my cheek against hers, doing the same to Brad right after. “Where’s the birthday girl?”
I greeted Mason and answered Janice at the same time, “Over there. They were playing Skee Ball, but they’ve moved on to shooting hoops.”
Janice made a face. “Yeah, I’m not really good at games.” She lifted up a gift bag that said Burberry. “I picked her up a gift. I got her a scarf.” She beamed.
Whenever Janice was around, Brad’s eye would twitch, as if he had a tic. And when he smiled, it was so forced that it looked like it hurt.
I hated it, hated that Mason looked so unhappy despite his insistence on remaining loyal to her, but I wasn’t as vocal as Brad about it. Mason already knew how I felt. I’d told him in not so many words that he deserved better, but at the end of the day, he was a grown man. I wouldn’t want to be told what to do with my life, and I trusted that Mason could make his own decisions even if we didn’t agree with some of those choices.
“Uncle Brad,” Mary called out, rushing toward him, jumping in his arms.
Sarah strolled over with a roll of red tickets, waving them in the air. Becky trailed right behind her.
“Sarah made a killing at that ticket machine over there. She hit the jackpot.” Becky was smiling with such pride that you would’ve thought she’d won the tickets.
“Happy birthday, Becky,” Mason greeted her, followed by Janice, who went in for a hug.
“Here’s your gift! I think you’ll like it.” Janice handed her the gift bag.
Becky’s face flushed prettily. “Aww, you guys didn’t have to. Thank you.” Her smile was genuine and drop-dead beautiful.
“And hey, kiddos.” Janice awkwardly waved at the kids and then patted Sarah’s head, like she always did.
Sarah threw me a look, and I knew what she was thinking. Why does she keep patting me like I’m a dog or something?
“I’ve never actually been to this establishment before,” Janice said, turning her nose up as she examined our surroundings.
Mason slipped his arm around Janice’s waist. “I think you have. Weren’t you here for Mary’s second birthday? I’m pretty sure her birthday was here.”
She tilted her head. “No. I’d remember if I was somewhere like this before, Mason.”
Brad’s eye twitched again, and in about two seconds, he would say something that was undercover mean—like the times he played Kanye West’s “Gold Digger” every time Janice walked into the room.
“Let’s order the pizza.”