“Five minutes!” I exclaim, “Babe, I was only gone to the bathroom for five minutes.”
“I’d like to have five minutes alone with you.” Maverick smirks at Bryn, who is now standing beside him having removed herself from the floor.
“Never gonna happen, pretty boy.” She pats his face with her sugar-covered hand then turns and walks down the hall. We all watch Maverick follow her like a puppy dog hot on her heels.
“They need to fuck and get it over with,” Carter muses. Madden and I both shake our heads because he’s right. The sexual tension is stifling with those two.
“What the fuck, Jordan?” the question comes from Laney who has now made her presence from behind Carter known. You can’t mistake the grimace that covers her husband’s face at the sound of her voice. I look over at my friend expecting to find her face full of humor. I mean, really what does she have to be mad about? This isn’t her home; she doesn’t have to clean it up. Laney has always been down to have some fun. It’s not humor I find on one of my oldest and closest friend’s face, though. It’s the complete opposite actually. Laney looks disgusted and furious, but I have no clue why.
“Huh?” I don’t follow this anger radiating from her.
“How the hell are you ever going to be worth anything to him”—she nods toward my boyfriend— “if you can’t even keep his kid safe for a couple hours in your own home?”
Ouch, that fucking cut. The silence that follows her tantrum is stiff and so tense you can hear a pin drop in the kitchen. Carter c
loses his eyes, a grimace on his face. Anger radiates off Madden, and he pulls me closer to his body, almost as if he’s protecting me from Laney’s wrath.
“The fuck is your problem, Lan?” Madden booms. I pat his arm gently, hoping to calm him. The last thing we need is for he and Carter to end up at each other’s throats.
“I don’t see how I put her in danger,” I say to everyone in the room, but mainly to Laney. I turn my head and lock eyes with Madden. “You know I’d never put Belle in danger, right?” He hugs me closer and places a small kiss on my temple as he takes a moment to breathe me in.
He whispers, “Darlin’, I know.”
“It doesn’t matter if you meant to do it,” comes Laney’s shrill voice interrupting our sweet moment. “It happened. It’s time someone be honest with you, Jordan.” She sighs like she’s doing everyone a favor. “You have no business having any part of that little girl’s life. You have no idea how to take care of children.”
“Lan,” Carter speaks finally, “this is not the time or the place.” His tone is placating and calm which leads me to believe that he’s already had this conversation with his wife.
“Whatever!” She throws her hand up in defeat. “If you want to stay here and pretend everything is okay that’s fine, but I am fucking not.” She turns and struts from the room before any of us can get a word in edgewise. Carter remains still, head bowed and eyes focused on the floor.
What the hell just happened? Laney hasn’t been herself lately, and like a match to a fuse, it was only a matter of time before she blew up. I never imagined she’d blow up at me.
“We just found out this week that Laney can’t have kids, and she’s strugglin’ to accept that.” Carter’s voice cuts through the silence, and he speaks so low I can barely make out what all he said. I piece the words together in my mind and come to the startling conclusion of—Oh fuck!
I raise my hand to cover the gasp that has made its way up my throat. “Carter, I’m so sorry. Why hasn’t she reached out to me?” Carter shrugs silently. “There has to be a reason, Carter. I’ve called her. I’ve texted her. She hasn’t joined Bryn and me for brunch in weeks.” I search my memory, trying to remember the last time I actually talked to Laney. It was Thanksgiving. But now that I really think about it, she’d been very short and curt with me even before then. It seems like everything started after the tea party. Have I been so selfish and wrapped up in my own life that I’ve been oblivious to everything else? I turn and shake my head at Madden, so shocked beyond disbelief and unsure of what to do. He rubs his hands up and down my arms in comfort.
“I’m gonna…” Carter motions over his shoulder toward the door, indicating he’s going to go after his wife. I nod quietly, but as Carter turns toward the back door, Madden’s voice penetrates the air.
“Carter.” Madden sighs, and his hand tremors at my waist. “I hate to hear that for you guys, man, I really do. But I would be shit of a man if I didn’t say the way she lashed out at my woman was completely unacceptable.”
Carter studies Madden for a second before he nods. “I’m sorry, y’all. Merry Christmas.”
“Shit’s deep in here,” Maverick interrupts, alerting us he’s back in the room. “And not the shit that’s been on her arm.” He chuckles, nodding at Bryn who now stands beside him face full of concern.
“Five more dollas!” Belle shouts at Maverick as she runs to the room. “Hi, Daddy!” She launches herself at Madden and wraps her sugar-coated fingers around his neck, hugging him tight.
“Belle,” Madden begins, trying to keep his face as straight as possible, “did you make this mess?”
“She did!” Kenny tattles. Belle scowls at him as she moves her thumb across her throat in a slashing motion.
“Ain’t skeered,” Kenny tells her and high-fives Maverick, skidding out of the room.
“I’s getting the kitchen ready for JoJo to make cookies for Santa with us, Daddy,” she explains, quickly bouncing up and down. Yep, the sugar is kicking in. “Ready, ready, ready?” she asks me.
“Belle, we have to clean up this mess first, and then we can make cookies,” I tell her. “We can get it done quick if you help me. Besides, we still have a few days before Santa comes. These cookies are for us to enjoy.”
“Oh no!” Belle exclaims and puts her hand over her mouth for dramatic effect. “I’s allwergic to the cleaning.”
“Uh huh, and we’ll see what Santa has to say about that, little miss.”