“I can’t believe Noah and Kate offered to take care of the girls,” Eric muses.
“It’s only four days, then Nikki stays with them for the other four.” As soon as it leaves Charlotte's mouth, she glances quietly at Rocky. “Will is coming too to help Nikki.”
“Will is coming?” Amelia asks, her eyes lighting up while she rubs her hands like she has some evil plan for him.
Charlotte presses her lips together. “Amelia, I want you on your best behavior. Will is a good boy, and I don’t want to hear that you’re getting him into trouble.”
“I hate to break it to you, kid…” Rocky says with amusement, “…Will probably won’t pay much attention to you since he’s too busy breaking girls’ hearts.”
Ava gasps. “Break a girl's heart! How?”
Eric bends down. “Sweetie pie, one day, Uncle Eric is going to explain to you all the terrible things boys and girls do to each other. We’ll start with Daddy and Mommy’s story and a little story I’d like to call a complicated love triangle…”
Kate enters through the back door, her timing perfect as usual. She lets out an unwarranted laugh when she notices my relieved expression.
“Aunty Kate!” the girls yell excitedly in unison.
“Are you guys ready for the best four days of your life?”
Charlotte touches Kate’s arm. “Are you sure you’re going to be okay? You have Sienna to care for, plus Jessa and Nash.”
“Nash is with Olivia for the week,” Kate informs her. “Jessa wanted to be with her cousins. Trust me. We’ll be fine.”
We say goodbye to the girls, hugging them each and reminding them to be on their best behavior. Amelia and Ava have zero care in the world, eager for their sleepover. Addison pulls on my sleeve with sad eyes.
“Daddy, I love you.”
“I love you too, baby girl.”
Charlotte's eyes haze over, making it my cue to get us out of here before she chickens out.
“It’s only eight days,” I remind her.
“Eight days of Aussie birds.” Rocky cheers.
“Birds?” Eric cringes. “That’s so crass, and I think that’s British, not Aussie.”
“Are we ready, bitches?” Rocky questions with a grin.
“If it’ll get you out of here…” I tell him, “… then yes, let’s go.”
* * *
Rocky almost drinks half a bottle of bourbon despite me telling him to slow down. We’re only five hours into our fourteen-hour flight, and everyone is asleep except the birthday boy, Julian, who is reading a book, and me.
Rocky grows eerily quiet. “She’s seeing someone.”
I lift my head, unsure how to respond. Julian also raises his eyes from his book, glancing at me momentarily.
“Yesterday, she asked to see me.” Rocky grips the glass tightly. “He’s a banker. Can you believe that? It’s like she purposely wanted to hurt me.”
Watching the woman you love with another man is the greatest pain of all. Hell, I should know.
“You both agreed to separate,” I remind him gently.
Rocky keeps his eyes fixated on the glass. “I know.”
“Are you having second thoughts just because she’s seeing someone?”