What's Life Without the Sprinkles - By Misty Simon Page 0,72

that ought to make you giggle. Apparently we’re going to be hearing the term ‘bastard’ around here a lot over the next few days. It might even replace ‘sperm donor.’”

Zoe popped her head out of the cushions. “Bastard?”

“Yep, your nephew heard from some idiotic kids that he’s a bastard, and the boy has decided to take the term to heart and embrace himself.”

Zoe snickered. “Sorry. But bastard?”

“Uh-huh. And he may even have convinced himself that we should call him Bastard Justin for the next little while. He likes it and thinks that because it’s technically true he should be allowed to use it.” Claudia smoothed Zoe’s hair from her forehead. “You can laugh all you want. I was barely able to keep it in when he was talking. Although things got a little nasty at the end. Oh, and Peter is going to be taking our dear Bastard Justin to the father-son dinner. I actually had to call and ask him—and deflect his dinner invitation. So if you think you have it bad, maybe that will help you feel a little bit better.”

“Nice.”

“I thought you might like that.” She ran a hand down Zoe’s arm.

“Why are men such bast...well, I guess ‘jerk’ is probably the better word at this point.”

Now it was Claudia’s turn to snicker. “I have no idea. Maybe just to make us insane? I can’t even seem to get some time to myself for Nate, either. And now he’ll be gone until Saturday. My cake is not happening.”

Zoe sighed. “I think I might just go on a sweets-free diet.”

“I guess it really was bad.”

“You have no idea. But at least you have Nate to look forward to. Say goodnight to the bastard for me.”

“Will do.” Claudia took a glass of wine out onto the deck and just sat for a little while, daydreaming in the dark to keep herself from dwelling too much on all that could go wrong tomorrow night at the dinner for Justin’s school.

****

Nate fidgeted in his car the whole way home on Friday. He’d wrapped up things as early as he could, working through the whole night Thursday to get on the road early enough to try and make the father-son dinner. He’d brought a suit with him for meetings and had it cleaned this afternoon when the meetings were over, then dressed in it so he could go straight to the elementary school’s gymnasium and hopefully surprise Justin and let Claudia off the hook as the boy’s date for another year.

It had killed him to tell the kid he couldn’t make it to the dinner. But he hadn’t wanted to make promises, in case things didn’t go as planned and he didn’t make it back in time. Nate was huge on keeping his promises.

Plus, this way he got to see Claudia in a dress. God, he hoped she was wearing a pair of her killer heels. Nothing was like seeing her long calves pumped up by a pair of spike heels.

And there he went again, fantasizing about her. It was as if, ever since she’d kissed him, some kind of floodgate had opened and he could view everything about her over the years through a new set of eyes.

He wasn’t dumb. He’d always known she was a female. But he’d just never seen her as a woman until she’d laid her lips on his and damn near made his toes curl.

He wanted to get back to her as much as he wanted to get to Justin, but in a different way, obviously. He was really hoping, though, that he could finish up the dinner with Justin and then finish out the evening with Claudia, fulfilling those promises she’d made with her eyes and her lips and her hands.

He pressed down on the accelerator a little harder, drove a little faster, to get to her and to Justin. Whipping into the school’s parking lot, he snagged a lucky parking spot near the front. Damn traffic had made him over an hour late. He’d only get to eat dessert with his guy now. But at least it was something.

He straightened his tie and patted down his hair while hustling to the side doors of the gym. He’d have one more hour with Justin, and then he could go home to Claudia and see if they could find a little time together. He was ready and raring for that time together.

The rumble of a hundred men and boys greeted him when he yanked the door