Page 51 of An Ex Affair

Colson didn’t seem as phased by the question. “Mom. We’re just two adults who like spending time together. There’s no label. Or pressure. Got it?” He gave his mother a look that she seemed to steamroll right over.

“I’m not an adult, but I like spending time with Bessie,” Georgia offered, clearly not getting the subtext since she was only six. “But Cleveland can get a little wild. He got Daddy in the ass yesterday.”

Em choked and had to take a sip of water to clear her throat. The rest of us tried not to smile or burst out laughing. Clearly she’d picked up on Warrick’s cursing, which he did frequently around any of the animals.

“That wasn’t very nice of Cleveland,” Gigi intervened when Warrick just shrugged. “But let’s use the word ass only to describe our donkey.”

Georgia frowned. “But he’s Pooky the Beer Donkey. Pooky the Beer Ass doesn’t sound right.”

Colson gave up the fight and burst out laughing. Warrick shot him the middle finger when Georgia wasn’t looking. Gigi hid her grin behind her napkin. Em shushed Georgia and whispered in her ear, probably explaining why she couldn’t use that word.

As for me, I just looked around the table, taking in these people and the love that exuded from all of them. I hadn’t had a dinner this lovely in years. Probably not since I left Blueball. I’d been to many three-Michelin-star restaurants and nothing could top this dinner at Gigi’s.

Colson wiped his mustache with a napkin and reached over, settling his big warm hand high on my thigh. He squeezed, thenlooked over, shooting me a wink as Gigi and Em were talking at once, trying to redirect Georgia while Warrick talked over them, insisting Clevelandwasan asshole and it was okay that Georgia knew it.

Oh no.

I could feel it happening. My ribs felt positively bruised. Like my heart was growing exponentially, like the Grinch’s, far too big to fit in this chest of mine. This wasn’t just a casual hookup, a woman in lust. I couldn’t separate sex from the feelings when my feelings were so entwined with this man and always had been.

I was falling in love with my ex-husband all over again.

CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR

Colson

Every daythat I had to leave Tully and head to the station for a long shift was getting harder and harder. She’d somehow just moved into the carriage house with me, spending every night in my bed, and every second I wasn’t at the station, at my side. We hadn’t talked about it, but both of us just naturally found ourselves together. I knew what was happening, at least on my end of the deal. The sex was good—fucking great, actually—but this was about far more.

“That mustache is coming in nicely again,” Joey drawled, throwing his shit in his locker and not bothering to hide his grin.

I ran my finger over it and then tucked in my shirt. “What can I say? Due to popular demand, I had to regrow it. The ladies always like the ’stache.”

Joey snorted out a laugh and gave me the middle finger. Before I could say something smart right back, he whipped his hand behind his back and schooled his face in some kind of Boy Scout look of respectability.

“Good morning, Gigi. You’re looking lovelier than a spring tulip today.”

Now it was my turn to snort. Joey was the original ass-kisser when it came to my mom. He buttered her up and she let him. The two hugged and I hoped Mom brought some cookies or something with her in that loaded-down tote bag of hers. She came by at least once a month with treats for all of us. After a few more over-the-top compliments, Joey let Mom out of his embrace and headed for the break room with the tray of butterscotch brownies she handed him.

“You better save me at least two of them!” I hollered after Joey. The fucker didn’t even look back, which made me nervous. Those guys would eat the whole tray before I got in there if I didn’t hurry Mom along.

“Oh, you let that boy go,” Mom groused, pulling me into a hug. Funny how she called us boys when we were in our forties. “I brought some just for you, honey.” She pulled a baggie of brownies out of that magical tote bag and I snatched them out of her hands like a rabid animal. Her butterscotch brownies were legendary.

“Did I mention how nice you look today?” I said around a huge bite of sugary heaven. It was true. She had on a pretty blue-and-white blouse, stylish jeans, and didn’t even have readers jammed on top of her head, flattening her hair.

Mom pursed her lips. “No, you didn’t. I had to bribe you with sugar first.”

I swallowed my bite and put my arm around her, escorting her to the little area we created just outside the station door, complete with wood bench, planter of flowers, and a side table. I knew better than to start a conversation with Mom when she was feeling feisty. Far better to take Joey’s route and butter her up before she whacked you on the back of the head like you were ten years old.

“Well, that’s my bad, then, Mom. You’re the best mother out there and I should tell you more often. I do appreciate the brownies though. Gotta keep us from starving while we work.”

Mom sniffed like she was still annoyed, but leaned heavily into my side hug. “I didn’t see much work happening, but I’m happy to provide a treat for you boys. You know your dad loved those butterscotch brownies more than any other too. You and him were always so similar.”

That was an abrupt change of topics, but I’d roll with it. “Really? I always thought he and Boon were two peas in a pod with their crazy sense of humor.”

Mom nodded, then laid her head on my shoulder. “Oh, they were, but you have Willy’s strong sense of right and wrong. And stubbornness.” She whistled, then began to chuckle. “That man could hold a grudge when he felt like it.”

Mom didn’t say things just to hear herself talk. She always had a purpose, but this conversation was taking quite the winding route.

“You stop by for a reason, Mom?” I asked, wanting her to get to the point before we had a call come in and I made her mad by ditching her to do my job.

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