I forced a stiff smile. “It’s cute. This was really sweet of him.”
“I thought so. Hopefully he can still fit in it, this chunkster.” He laughed, rubbing Gray’s belly.
“Why did you take it with you to the park?” I asked as Ben moved past me.
He spun back around. “What—oh, I didn’t. I mean, I did, but…when I said he brought it here, I just meant I ran into him outside. He was bringing it by, but he hadn’t told me. I just happened to catch him leaving the building, and I didn’t want to have to come back upstairs.”
I nodded, but I didn’t believe it. I was fighting so hard against my instincts because of my past relationship. It had no place here. Nate was Nate and Ben was Ben, and they were not the same. “Well, please tell him thank you for me. Here, let me wash my hands. I want to feed him.”
I hurried to the sink and scrubbed my hands before returning to Ben’s side and taking my son. I sank into the couch, happily obliging his hungrily bobbing head.
Ben made himself a glass of water, wiping his forehead with the back of his hand once he’d finished gulping it down. “I was thinking pizza for dinner. What sounds good to you?”
“Pizza’s fine,” I said, rubbing a finger across Gray’s cheeks. It was the first time I’d felt at peace all day.
“Excellent. I’m going to take a shower before I get it started.” With that, he disappeared down the hall, leaving Gray and me alone. It wasn’t until I heard the water running that I realized he hadn’t kissed me hello. That was a first.
Ben and Gray were sound asleep on the couch while I typed away on my computer. Anderson’s secretary had sent over a list of his requests, and I was busy drafting my proposal for his event. It would easily be a quarter of a million. I shuddered as the bill continued to rise with each new estimate. It was more than my salary, on an event that would last half a day. Sometimes my job made me sick.
I looked over at my husband, peacefully sleeping with Gray on his chest. I couldn’t pretend it didn’t bother me that they’d left the house without telling me, but it was irrational to be mad. Ben was in charge of his care. Of course they’d be going places without letting me know. So why was it bothering me so much?
I closed the laptop and laid it on the coffee table, standing up. Ben had finished up the dishes, but the dish towel lay on the counter. I grabbed it and walked to the bathroom. His clothes lay on the floor. I knew he’d get them in the morning, this wasn’t my job anymore, but it still bothered me. I couldn’t sink into a nice, luxurious bath while a pile of dirty clothes sat festering on the floor. I scooped them up, walking toward the bedroom to put them into the hamper, but groaned when I realized it was already overflowing. He needed to start a load, but he was exhausted. I pushed the anger from my mind, smiling sadly at the spit-up covered shirt on top of the pile.
Sighing, I heaved the hamper into the hallway and opened the washer. I tossed the dish towel in first, then reached in his pants pocket and pulled out change, a tissue, and a receipt before throwing his pants and shirt in as well. I laid the pile on top of the dryer and began sorting through the hamper, separating our clothes from Gray’s. When the laundry had been started, I grabbed the receipt, ready to throw it away and toss the change in Gray’s piggy bank when I looked it over.
Gary’s Grill
It was date stamped for that day at noon. He’d stopped for lunch.
I’d never heard of the place, but the address showed it was a few blocks from the park. My eyes trailed down the receipt, a sinking feeling in my stomach.
Why had he ordered two meals?
I forced myself to inhale a sharp breath. I couldn’t panic. I walked back to our bedroom and put the hamper away with shaking hands, then shoved the receipt into my pajama pants pocket before returning to the living room. I touched his arm, causing him to stir.
He sniffed, rubbing his eyes before he opened them. He looked at me, then around the room, then down at his chest where Gray lay.
“Are you ready for bed?” I asked.
“Mhm,” he said as I lifted Gray. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to fall asleep.”
“You had a long day.”
“Not as long as yours,” he said, shifting his weight around so he could sit up. “Did you finish the show?”
I shook my head. “I turned it off when you started snoring. I had emails to deal with anyway, and I didn’t want you to miss it.”
He kissed my cheek. “Thanks, babe.” When he stood, he stretched, then lifted his coffee cup from the end table and walked it to the sink. Noticing I hadn’t moved, he walked back toward me. “Is everything okay?”
“What all did you do today?” I asked, trying to keep my voice lighter than the weight I felt in my chest.
“What do you mean?” He sat down on the coffee table across from me, seeming concerned, albeit sleepy.
“When you were out.”
“We…went to the park. Walked around for a bit…walked around the neighborhood.”
“That was it?”
His eyes narrowed at me, his expression conflicted between laughter and confusion. “I think so… Why do you ask?”
I folded my hands across my chest. “Did you go out to eat?”
He was still for a moment, then recognition filled his expression. “I grabbed lunch at a little restaurant near the park, yeah. How did you know?”
“Just you?”
“Well, I took Gray, obviously. As much as he wanted to stay behind…Palmer, you’re scaring me. What’s this about?” He reached for my knee, his finger tracing the pattern on my pants.
I pulled the receipt from my pocket. “Were you hungry enough to eat two meals?”
His brows knit together as he reached for the receipt, reading it over. When he looked up at me, his eyes were wide. “I forgot, I’m sorry. I…paid it forward, or whatever it’s called. There was a woman there with a young girl, maybe four or five. She ordered the girl’s meal but didn’t have enough for her own. I felt bad. It was just a couple bucks, Palm. I didn’t think you’d mind.”
My hands were shaking, my stomach tight as I stared at him, trying to decide whether to trust him. He’d never given me any reason not to. Besides the suspicious phone call, I guessed.
“She told you she couldn’t afford it?”
“No. Of course not. She wasn’t like…a panhandler or anything. She didn’t even want to take it when I offered.” He shook his head, standing from the table. “She ordered two meals, but when they told her the total, she asked them to take hers off. I just figured…I’d hope someone would help you out if it were you there without enough money.” It was reasonable enough, I couldn’t deny it. “Becoming a dad has softened me, I guess,” he teased. “You aren’t mad, are you? I know it’s your money.”
“It’s not my money, Ben. We talked about this. It’s both of ours. And, of course, I’m not mad. I just…I was worried you were cheating on me or something.”
His expression went cold with shock, and he shook his head once again, leaning in so his forehead rested on mine. “Hey,” he said. “I could never cheat on you. I’m not that guy, Palmer. You know that. I know you were hurt in the past…but I would never do that to you. I love you so much.”