Chapter 26
NOAH
One week later…
“Mon! We good to go?”
Monica, about the best damn nanny that a dad could ask for, was in the process of tending to the twins before my lunch with Camilla.
“Sure are, Dr. M.” She winked from where she stood in the den, leaning over the bassinets, and preparing to carry the twins up to the main house nursery.
I couldn’t resist walking over to them. Andy was up and at ‘em, his big, blue eyes open wide and searching the room as they often did.
“The kid’s a watcher,” Monica said, a sleeping Emmy in her arms. “That’s how my son was, always looking around and taking everything in.”
“That right?”
She nodded. “And that’s a good thing, too. Kid’s, well, he’s hardly a kid now, is whip-smart, just made partner at his firm in Chicago.”
“No kidding? Well, damn, my congrats to the lad!”
Monica smiled. “Thanks. But seriously, you can tell these things early.”
“You’re preaching to the choir. My daughter was the same way; just had this look in her eyes that let you know she was a thinker.”
I turned my attention to the twins again, still unable to wrap my head or heart around how much I loved them. They were beautiful, so much so that it ached just to look at them.
“I know that look,” Monica said with a smile. “That’s the look of a proud papa.”
My throat was tight. I needed to get out of there.
“Alright, can’t keep the other little lady waiting.”
“Sounds good. Is Sadie working today?”
“Yeah, I think she’s out running some errands. You’ve got her number if you need anything.”
“I sure do. Say hi to Cammy for me.”
“Will do.”
I gave both of the kids a kiss before heading out. Thirty minutes later, I was at Jackson & Rye, Cammy’s and my usual lunch spot. She was already there when I arrived, and I could tell that something was on her mind the moment I sat down.
“Twenty-spot for your thoughts?” I asked.
She flicked her eyes up from her menu, a wry smile on her face.
“I ever tell you how much I love it when you use American slang?”
“My twist on it,” I said. “Old dogscanlearn new tricks, you know. Anyway, what’s up with you?”
Her mouth flattened. Whatever it was, it was weighing on her.
“Dad, I want to know what’s going on with you and Sadie.”
I cocked my head to the side. “What brought this on?”
“Well, you two are living together. You’re raising the kids, doing some kind of weird co-parenting thing. And I’m still not happy with her. I don’t know if I can ever forgive her for what she did. So, I just want to know if I’m going to have to deal with her for the rest of my life or what.”