“Whatever,” I muttered.

“Amy?”

“What?” I snapped.

“You’re the best woman I’ve ever met.”

I stared into his beautiful blue eyes, seeing those words reflected there and knowing since the moment I clapped eyes on him, one of the things I wanted most was to see that look aimed at me.

It wasn’t “I love you.”

But it was the next best thing.

“Great, now I wanna make out with you,” I griped under my breath to hide how his words made me feel.

Mickey was again grinning.

“So, Tuesday is on with Auden and Olympia?” he asked a question he knew the answer to but I knew he asked it to change the subject.

I nodded as I moved into him, excited and anxious about this first meeting, but hoping, my kids being mine, they’d see Mickey. They’d see how he was with me. They’d see he made me happy. And it would all go great.

“Lookin’ forward to it, Amy.”

That was when I smiled up at him but while doing it, I felt a shiver slide up my neck.

I looked to the side and saw Cillian edging up the line with the other boys being weighed. His neck was twisted. His eyes on his dad and me.

He looked reflective.

I braced and did it further when he caught me looking at him. But then he waved a little man’s version of a big man wave, grinned and turned away.

Not embarrassed to wave at me in public.

Not turning sullen at his dad touching me, talking to me, laughing with me.

Bragging to his friend I was his dad’s girlfriend.

This meant, if Cillian had a stamp, he could press it into ink, come to me and stamp me approved.

And this made me happy.

Very, very happy.

Chapter Twenty-Two

Rough Night

“Pip, light the candles, sweets, would you?” I called and right on the heels of that, “Auden, do me a favor. Pull up Pandora. A good station, down low, nothing techno or anything like that. Dinner music.” And right on the heels of that, “Pip, when you’re done, set the bar. Placements. Plates. Cutlery. Water glasses.” And on the heels of that, “Ouch!” that last because I’d burned my finger on the chicken.

“Chill, Mom,” Pippa said quietly and I looked to her to see her in the drawer where she could get the long handled lighter. She was looking at me. “It’s gonna be cool. We’re gonna like him.”

She then grabbed the lighter, shut the drawer and took off to light the candles.

Needless to say, it was the next Tuesday and Mickey was going to be over imminently.

Also needless to say, I had lost all excitement about this meeting and was a complete and total wreck.