“Because I want to bitch slap her right across her worthless face.”
His nostrils flared, his eyes darting down to my mouth before looking away, a muscle twitching in his cheek. “Her name was Courtney, but don’t you lose any sleep over it, it happened years ago. I took a paternity test to make sure the boy wasn’t mine, and then essentially told her she was dead to me.”
I recognized the name. I’d overheard him on the phone with her once, forever ago it seemed. Satisfaction shot through me when I remembered how vividly he’d told her to fuck off. “Does she contact you often?”
He shook his head, “No, she’s only called me once since I left, and it was to ask me to dig through some old insurance documents for something. I refused, and she hasn’t called again.”
I rested my hand on top of his, curling my fingers around his fist. “I’m sorry.”
“Don’t be. She’s not worth your time or anger, Maddie.”
“Although I disagree strongly with that statement, that’s not what I’m sorry about.”
He turned his hand, opening it to allow my fingers to lace with his. “Then what are you apologizing for?”
“For the conversation you overheard when we first met. I’m sorry for ever making a joke about using men for money. I hope you know, I never meant it.”
He squeezed my hand. “I know you didn’t.”
I smiled, pulling my hand back and shifting to my original spot to give him his personal space. Something crossed his face, but it was there and gone in a moment, and I wasn’t sure I’d even seen it.
Picking my blanket back up, I asked, “So is that when you moved into the duplex?”
He mimicked me, grabbing his project and settling back into the cushions. “Yeah, I needed a new start and had my brother here to get me a connection with a job. Pretty cut and dry.”
“What made Harry move out here?”
He grunted. “Sarah.”
That didn’t surprise me. Anyone with eyes could see that man was head over heels in love with her. I had a feeling he’d move to Antarctica if she asked him.
“How often do you and Harry see your mom? If you don’t mind me asking.”
He didn’t immediately answer, setting his hook between his lips while he pulled a few stitches out to redo. “We usually fly to Cali to see her for a week or two during the summer.”
I was about to ask him more, but clamped my mouth shut when Jamie’s door creaked open behind us. We both turned, eyeing the messy head that poked out.
“Can I come out yet?”
“Did you finish your room?”
“Is your room done?”
Jamie’s eyes widened, darting back and forth between the two of us as we both spoke at the same time. I peered at Garrett to see a grin pulling at his lips.
I relented, giving in to the kid’s miserable puppy dog face. “All right, come hang out for a little, but I expect you to finish before bed.”
“Deal.” He ran out, almost tripping over Sadie’s sleeping form on the floor. Standing next to the TV, he clapped his hands together, smiling mischievously.
“So, who wants to play first?”
“What did you just say?”
“I said your fighting skills are worse than your soccer skills!”
I squealed, leaping out of the way when Garrett dropped his controller and leapt at Jamie, smooshing him to the ground and giving him a noogie. “Take it back.”