Aaron looked to me and his brows went up. “You’re dating Carson Steele?”

I looked to Joker then back to Aaron, answering, “Well… yeah.” When he looked at a loss for words, and considering I didn’t really care what he had to say whatever it might be, I again repeated, “Just throw the bag by the door. I’ll sort it out later.”

“You told me I didn’t know who he was,” Aaron pointed out, not taking my not-very-veiled hint that he should go.

I wasn’t going to explain my mess-up to my ex-husband.

So instead, I asked, “Did you know him back in high school?”

“You know I didn’t, not really,” Aaron returned. “But I still knew him, Carissa.”

“Is it necessary to go over this before you take off?” Joker joined in and I turned my gaze back to him to see him staring steadily at Aaron, but doing it looking impatient.

I swung my gaze to Aaron to see he was also studying Joker. Then he drew in breath and turned his attention back to me.

“I need to have a word,” he announced.

Fabulous.

“Shit,” Joker muttered, obviously feeling the same as me.

Aaron’s eyes sliced to him. “You don’t need to be here.”

“Actually,” I said quickly. “This is my house so I get to make that call. And my call is, Joker’s not going anywhere. Now, I have bonding to do with my son. If you need a word, have it, Aaron, so we can get on with our night.”

My heart sank as, when I said this, Aaron took a step in, closed the door behind him, and dropped the diaper bag to the floor.

At this move, I felt tension hit the room, and not just my own, as I cuddled my boy, who still had a fistful of my hair, which he was shoving in his mouth. I carefully extricated it from his grip, and he immediately grabbed on to my top and bent forward, shoving that in his mouth.

All this happened while Aaron looked around.

I knew what he saw. I liked that he saw it because I liked that I was living it and able to give it to Travis. It wasn’t a huge house like the four-bedroom one I’d left that Aaron now lived in with Tory. It was just two bedrooms, one bath, a living room that shared its space with the dining room.

But regardless, it was a very nice one, and that was plain to see.

And the “ex-our” furniture looked fantastic in it.

Aaron gave me his gaze. “This is a great house, Riss.”

Riss.

Ulk.

“Thanks, I know,” I replied.

“Is that the word you wanted to have?” Joker prompted.

Aaron shot him a killing look then turned his attention back to me and promptly rearranged his features.

Ulk again.

“I’m pleased you landed in a nice place,” he told me.