Page 29 of Chasing his Ex

“No, that’s wrong,” she says.

“She can’t speak to strangers unless they have a password,” Stella says.

“Because they might pretend to know me.” My daughter’s little voice comes back to me. It’s the sweetest voice I’ve ever heard and I’m happy she talks a little to me, anyway.

“Go into the living room, Emmy.”

“You said my name Aunt Stella,” Emmy says. “Mommy will be cross with you.”

I try to muffle a laugh and try to keep a stern face. “What time will Ava be home?”

Stella looks at me through her eyelashes and shrugs a shoulder.

I laugh. “You have to text her when I’ve gone.”

She nods. “What do you expect? If you want to meet Emmy, you need to come inside.”

“Is this your boyfriend, Stella? I thought you like Jacob’s daddy,” Emmy asks. As she sits on the floor, she puts large pieces into a gigantic jigsaw puzzle strewn across the floor.

Stella’s face flushes bright red. “Emmy, you need to play more and eavesdrop less,” she chastises, and now I know my daughter is going to be a handful.

I burst out laughing, and Emmy does the same. “You made her blush,” I say.

Emmy laughs again. “She always goes red when I talk about Jacob’s daddy.” Her head tilts to one side. “What’s your name?”

“My name is Finn and I’m...”

Stella clears her throat. “Finn and Mommy used to be friends.”

“Ah, like me and Kayden,” Emmy says.

“Kayden, not Jacob?” Stella asks.

“No,” she says, dragging the O out. “Kayden used to be my friend, but isn’t anymore, and Jacob is my boyfriend.”

Stella shakes her head and smiles. “Yes, like Kayden. Can I get you a drink, Finn?”

“Is she with him?” I ask as I follow her to the kitchen door.

“Who is Mommy with?” Emmy asks.

Stella narrows her eyes in annoyance. “Nobody, sweetpea, she works late today.”

“But she’ll be home to read me a book? She said tonight we're reading a new story.”

“Of course she will.” Stella points at me. “I think Finn is hiding the last piece,” she says, subtly changing the subject.

“Finn...” Emmy drags my name out. “You're not doing this right.”

I laugh, because this tiny bundle of gorgeousness is already a sassy little thing.

“There we go,” Emmy says, jumping up and down on the floor. “Well done, Finn.”

Stella laughs. “Yes, well done Finn.”

“Can I read you a story?” I ask Emmy as she walks to the window and looks out and I know she’s looking for her mom to turn up. She turns to me, her gray eyes wide and innocent.

“It’s teddy that needs a story now,” she says, and I’m working out Emmy thinks of herself as older than she is. “And then we can watch a movie. I like anything with animals.”

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