what I like.”
He pulled the phone away from his ear enough to study it, as if the scrutiny might travel down the line and give him answers. Did she have someone over she was doing this for, or was this her way of getting back at him for ordering his usual in the diner last night? It had sounded cleverer in his head. “Great. Give me half an hour in that case.”
Maybe he should visit home first, change, and give himself sometime to unwind. The hearing today still raced like tiny jolts through his veins, and he need to talk to Gwen in person. This wasn’t over-the-phone news.
A little while later, he parked at the curb in front of her house, grabbed the Chinese takeout from the seat next to him, and walked to her front door. A smile—something that had eluded him all day—slipped in place when she answered. She took the food and gave him a quick peck on the cheek. “I’m glad you called. I missed you.”
He couldn’t help scanning the room behind her. “Are you the only one here?”
“Yes?” She tugged him inside, set dinner on the table, and spun back to face him. “Are you all right?”
Impulse snaked through him. He wrapped one arm around her waist, and crushed his mouth to hers. When she melted into his touch, some of his tension ebbed. She draped her arms around his neck, and kissed back hungry and needy, her tongue making way for his and dancing around it. When they broke apart, she didn’t pull away. “I’m better now.” He settled his cheek next to hers, his voice low.
“We don’t have an audience in here.”
He cringed at the reminder. “I know. Practice, right?
She stiffened in his arms, then nodded toward the couch. “Sit. Let’s talk. Tell me what’s got you strung out.”
“Am I that obvious?”
“Only to me. How’d the hearing go? Is that what this is about?”
“Yes, and it’s complicated.” He dropped onto the sofa, and she hesitated, as if she wasn’t quite sure where to sit. Disappointment coiled inside when she put several inches between them.
“ Complicated doesn’t sound like I lost custody , so it can’t be all bad.”
“It’s not.” He explained to her what Jim had on Sunday. That the engagement might make things look worse instead of better, and that the judge looked like he agreed.
She frowned and leaned away, to rest her weight against the back cushions. “I didn’t mean to cause you complications.”
“No, it’s not a big deal. Besides, I said it in front of Emily first. There’s a hoop or two, but in the long run, I still think it’ll be better.” Jim disagreed, but Brad didn’t see how it could hurt. Except that it required the one thing neither he nor Gwen wanted. Her getting closer to Drea. “Next time I officially have custody, two weekends from now, the court is going to have someone observe the three of us together. They want to make sure your being in my life is good for Drea as well.”
“I see.” Her flat expression matched her tone. “So, we’re playing house for a real audience.”
“Exactly. We’ll do it at my place. It’s up to you if you spend the night or not. They asked that you be there, so they could see all of us.” It sounded so clinical when he laid it out. Which, it should be, but that didn’t mean he liked making it into a business meeting.
“No problem. I’ll be there.” She hopped from the couch, as if ejected. “Do you want to eat? That sweet-and-sour smells so good. That’s what that is? Good guess on your part. Love it. I’ll grab plates. I know it’s only five, but I’ve been going all day, and I skipped lunch.” She moved as she talked, grabbing plates from the cupboard, opening a drawer… “Do you use chopsticks, or do you want a fork?”
“Chopsticks.” His tension returned, as he watched her ratchet into something so fidgety. He joined her in the kitchen and took the plates from her, set them on the counter, and then wrapped his arms around her waist and intertwined his fingers
He pulled the phone away from his ear enough to study it, as if the scrutiny might travel down the line and give him answers. Did she have someone over she was doing this for, or was this her way of getting back at him for ordering his usual in the diner last night? It had sounded cleverer in his head. “Great. Give me half an hour in that case.”
Maybe he should visit home first, change, and give himself sometime to unwind. The hearing today still raced like tiny jolts through his veins, and he need to talk to Gwen in person. This wasn’t over-the-phone news.
A little while later, he parked at the curb in front of her house, grabbed the Chinese takeout from the seat next to him, and walked to her front door. A smile—something that had eluded him all day—slipped in place when she answered. She took the food and gave him a quick peck on the cheek. “I’m glad you called. I missed you.”
He couldn’t help scanning the room behind her. “Are you the only one here?”
“Yes?” She tugged him inside, set dinner on the table, and spun back to face him. “Are you all right?”
Impulse snaked through him. He wrapped one arm around her waist, and crushed his mouth to hers. When she melted into his touch, some of his tension ebbed. She draped her arms around his neck, and kissed back hungry and needy, her tongue making way for his and dancing around it. When they broke apart, she didn’t pull away. “I’m better now.” He settled his cheek next to hers, his voice low.
“We don’t have an audience in here.”
He cringed at the reminder. “I know. Practice, right?
She stiffened in his arms, then nodded toward the couch. “Sit. Let’s talk. Tell me what’s got you strung out.”
“Am I that obvious?”
“Only to me. How’d the hearing go? Is that what this is about?”
“Yes, and it’s complicated.” He dropped onto the sofa, and she hesitated, as if she wasn’t quite sure where to sit. Disappointment coiled inside when she put several inches between them.
“ Complicated doesn’t sound like I lost custody , so it can’t be all bad.”
“It’s not.” He explained to her what Jim had on Sunday. That the engagement might make things look worse instead of better, and that the judge looked like he agreed.
She frowned and leaned away, to rest her weight against the back cushions. “I didn’t mean to cause you complications.”
“No, it’s not a big deal. Besides, I said it in front of Emily first. There’s a hoop or two, but in the long run, I still think it’ll be better.” Jim disagreed, but Brad didn’t see how it could hurt. Except that it required the one thing neither he nor Gwen wanted. Her getting closer to Drea. “Next time I officially have custody, two weekends from now, the court is going to have someone observe the three of us together. They want to make sure your being in my life is good for Drea as well.”
“I see.” Her flat expression matched her tone. “So, we’re playing house for a real audience.”
“Exactly. We’ll do it at my place. It’s up to you if you spend the night or not. They asked that you be there, so they could see all of us.” It sounded so clinical when he laid it out. Which, it should be, but that didn’t mean he liked making it into a business meeting.
“No problem. I’ll be there.” She hopped from the couch, as if ejected. “Do you want to eat? That sweet-and-sour smells so good. That’s what that is? Good guess on your part. Love it. I’ll grab plates. I know it’s only five, but I’ve been going all day, and I skipped lunch.” She moved as she talked, grabbing plates from the cupboard, opening a drawer… “Do you use chopsticks, or do you want a fork?”
“Chopsticks.” His tension returned, as he watched her ratchet into something so fidgety. He joined her in the kitchen and took the plates from her, set them on the counter, and then wrapped his arms around her waist and intertwined his fingers
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