What's Life Without the Sprinkles - By Misty Simon Page 0,70
somewhere in his mind he’d thought he’d be able to come back here, hook up with Claudia again, take his son under his wing, and have the life he should have had ten years ago but hadn’t been smart enough to keep at that time. He had been delusional. And those delusions were shot down when Claudia would barely even look at him.
But he couldn’t tell his sister that. So, instead, he said, “I just think I should get out of here. I’m not doing anyone any good.”
“That’s not true.” May’s heart was in her eyes, as it always was, and he felt bad about giving her trouble. But there was no use hanging around.
The phone rang in the living room. May gave him one more pleading look, then dove to pick up the receiver. He listened with half an ear as she said hello. Her side of the conversation made almost no sense and didn’t hold his attention as he foraged in the refrigerator for something to snack on before he went to pack his bags.
When he backed out of the fridge, he bumped into something. Turning around he found a beaming May standing behind him with the cordless phone tucked against her chest.
“I have a big favor for you to do,” she said breathlessly. “It’s something you can’t turn down.”
He didn’t know if he liked that phrase, or the light in her eyes. This visit hadn’t gone at all the way he’d thought, and anything she added to it wouldn’t make things better.
“Claudia’s on the phone and she wants to talk to you.” May kept the phone against her chest. “She wants you to do her a favor, and you better not say no.”
That put his back up even more, but his curiosity was piqued by what Claudia could possibly want from him, someone she hadn’t more than a handful of words for just days ago. But he put his hand out for the phone and tried to wait patiently while May timidly handed the phone over.
“Be nice,” she whispered.
He yanked the phone out of her hand and put it up to his ear. “Hello, Claudia.”
“Peter.”
The line hummed with a tense silence. A silence he wasn’t going to fill, since he wasn’t the one who’d called.
She cleared her throat. “I have something to ask, and please really think about it before you say no.”
Why did everyone assume he was some coldhearted asshole? Yeah, he’d been dumb when he was younger, but he’d learned a few things since he was eighteen and ran from the prospect of a lifetime of raising a child.
“What?” he said, a little more harshly than he’d intended.
May whacked him on the arm, and he scowled at her.
Claudia cleared her throat again, and something about the sound sparked low in his gut. She needed him. For something. What he didn’t know. But he did know she needed him, and this might be his way into her good graces. Perhaps he could even win her back if he did this thing for her, whatever it was.
“I need you to do something for me.”
He could list a number of things he wouldn’t mind doing to that fine curvy body he’d looked at all during lunch. He’d been an idiot to walk away. “What?” He made his voice lower, gentler.
“Justin would like you to take him to a father-son dinner on Friday if you’re still in the area.”
“But I’m just the sperm donor.” It slipped out before he could stop himself. He tried to correct his colossal mistake before she hung up on him. “I’m sorry. I’m sorry. That’s not what I meant to say. Please don’t hang up on me.”
“And why shouldn’t I? I ask you for one little thing after you made that great speech about what a mistake you made, how things should have been different. But as soon as I ask one little thing, you have a freak attack.”
He could just imagine her arms crossed over that impressive chest and her lips pouting. It had been a look she’d perfected years ago.
“I’m not having a freak attack.” He blew out a breath and turned away from May who looked like she wanted to take the phone from him and bop him on the head with it. “You just caught me off guard.”
“So?” Her tone had turned harder, probably waiting for him to disappoint her, let her down again. He had a chance here, one he would be incredibly dumb to turn down.