Caroline acknowledged him first, glancing up at him with shrewd eyes. It hadn’t been a surprise that Craig had returned. As it turned out, Marti had called Caroline the night before out of concern, making her promise to watch after Mel the next few weeks while she was gone. And though Mel was a grown woman, it still felt good to know she had friends who cared enough to look out for her and give ex dirty looks.
Clearing her throat, Mel smiled at the kids as all attention turned on her and the new visitor. “Guys, I’d like you to meet someone.”
“Mommy,” Kinsley said, bobbing her head around them. “Where’s Mr. B?”
Mel swallowed. “Oh, uh, he couldn’t make it.”
Kinsley frowned and glanced accusingly at Craig. Brady and Peter, however, peered up at him like he was an animal at a zoo.
“Anyway,” Mel continued. “This is an old friend of Mommy’s. He came by to say hi and hang out with us tonight.”
Craig raised his hand and smiled. “Hi, guys!”
The boys stood and wandered closer, eyeing him curiously. Kinsley, on the other hand, stayed in her seat, glowering.
“Let me guess,” Craig said, kneeling down toward the boys. “You’re Peter,” he said to Brady. “And you’re Brady.”
“Nope,” Brady said, not bothering to sugarcoat it.
Craig’s smile fell.
“I’m Brady.” Brady pointed to his chest indignantly, then crossed his arms, staring at Craig, not at all pleased with him having guessed wrong.
Craig flushed. “Bad guess. But I know you,” he said, gesturing toward Kinsley, “must be Kinsley.”
Kinsley merely nodded but stayed put, and Mel wondered if it wasn’t some kind of sixth sense that had her holding back.
“Are you going to be our replacement nanny?” Peter asked, and Brady scowled at this. Obviously, they were as sad to see Blake go next week as Mel was.
Craig laughed. “Well, no. I don’t think so. But who knows? Maybe I will watch you sometime.”
Bile rose to the back of Mel’s throat at the thought.
“How do you know our mom?” Peter asked, and despite the tension, Mel had to laugh at their inquisition.
“Oh, we go way back. We even went to college together,” Craig said and threw Mel a wink, which made her squirm.
“If you’ll excuse me,” she said. “I’m going to go get a drink.” Then she turned and left as fast as her feet could carry her.
AN ARM CAME AROUND her shoulder just as Mel was finishing the last of her wine at the bar and awaiting her second glass.
“Hanging in there?” Caroline asked, and Mel’s gaze shot to the table with the kids. “Don’t worry. Karen is with them, and I gave her strict instructions not to leave their sight until one of us returned. But I had to come and check on you.”
Mel sighed in relief that she hadn’t left them alone with him. “I’m a mess,” she admitted.
“Tell me about it.”
“Blake was supposed to come with me.”
“Why didn’t he?”
“I pushed him away. Well, in a roundabout way. I couldn’t give him the reassurance he needed.”
“Why do you think that is? You’re crazy about him.”
Mel shrugged. “I don’t know,” she said as tears filled her eyes. “It’s just too much, Craig coming back.” She waved her arms toward the table. “For so long, I dreamed about this day. Even though I was angry with him, I always knew if he came back, it would be better for the kids in the long run. But now. . .”
Caroline sighed and laid her head on Mel’s shoulder. “I know. He turned your world upside down by leaving it, and now he’s disrupting it all over again. It doesn’t seem fair, does it?”