“No. With Dad.”
“He’s bringing them to his place?”
“I didn’t ask. He was busy yelling at the gate agent.”
That sounded like him. “Shit. I’ll have to pack up and hit the road.”
“Bella, no!” He gripped her ankle, breathing hard through flared nostrils.
Stunned at his sudden anger, she held her breath.
He softened his grip and stroked her calf. “He made this mess. Let him take responsibility for fixing it.”
Her brow contracted. “Matteo, you don’t have kids. You don’t know how it feels. Jason’s a selfish, unreliable ass. I have to be the responsible one. I have no choice.”
He sank back onto his heels, covered his face, and huffed a huge sigh. When he finally dropped his hands, the defeat in his gaze twisted her guts. “All right. You rest here while I pack up.” He moved to the stove and scraped scrambled eggs onto a tin plate. “At least eat something. Sounds like you’re gonna need your strength.”
“I’m not hungry,” she grumbled.
“Me neither.” Mouth twisted in a grimace, he tossed the eggs onto the sand. While he broke camp, the seagulls feasted.
He loaded up his Subaru, drove down to the surf line, and waited until an outgoing wave receded, then gunned it around the point. Neither spoke until he dropped her at her rental house and insisted on walking her to the door.
“Still no word?” he asked, brow rumpled.
She shook her head, not trusting her voice. It would wobble. So would her chin. And the tears surging behind her lids would overflow. She didn’t want their last moment to end this way. She didn’t want it to end at all.
Matteo stroked the backs of his fingers down her cheek. “Listen, bella. This isn’t goodbye. Just an interruption.” His voice wavered, and he sniffed hard before pressing his forehead to hers. “Promise me you’ll call as soon as you sort this out?”
She nodded, and a tear dribbled down her cheek.
He brushed it away with his thumb, pressed a quick, hard kiss to her lips, and spun away.
She held it together until his car rounded the corner. Once he was out of sight, she folded onto the stairs and wept.
Chapter Sixteen
Sunday Evening
Daniellepulledintoherdriveway, unloaded a huge haul of groceries, and—for the thousandth time—rechecked her phone. After a two-hour delay, the kids’ flight landed in Sea-Tac at one, and a mile-long text chain began. Seems they browbeat their dad into driving them straight to Trappers Cove since their promised SoCal beach vacation had been cut short. They’d get their traditional family Fourth of July after all. Minus Jason, of course. As far as she was concerned, Jason could go pound sand, as long as he pounded it far away from her.
Danielle nibbled a nail. They should be here any minute now. No reason to be nervous—just another hand-off between divorced parents. Her new reality. She’d already made up their bedrooms, noted times and locations for all the 4th of July events, and straightened up the house after her book club’s visit. What she hadn’t done was tell Matteo.
This sudden change blew her cautious, rational plan all to hell. They were bound to bump into Matteo in town, or else one of the many locals she’d met would see them, and the news would get back to him. He was already hurt by this situation—she couldn’t add to his pain by keeping secrets. Even if their affair proved impossible to hold, she owed him this call.
So why was she sitting on the deck, staring blankly at families streaming to and from the beach? Her phone pinged in her hand. Noah’s number.
Be there in fifteen
She gulped several deep breaths, then texted Matteo.
Jason’s bringing the kids here
No response. Must be busy at the gelato shop. Shaky with nerves, she paced the length of the deck. Much as she’d like to ream Jason out, she couldn’t do it in front of the kids. They’d been through enough the past few days.
A moment later, Jason’s Lexus rounded the corner and pulled into her driveway. Though it’d only been a week since she hugged them goodbye, a bubble of emotion blocked her throat and pushed tears to her eyes when the kids tumbled out and charged up the stairs.
“God, I missed you guys.” She folded them into her arms and inhaled their kid scent—sweat and sweets and fruity shampoo.