Page 62 of Love Complicated

“Can I help you, ma’am?”

I glance up at the whiteboard acting as a menu. “Two hot dogs with ketchup and one order of nachos, extra cheese, and a Coke.”

The kid behind the counter nods, twisting around to the high school girls beside him to fill the order.

When I have my order and I’m trying to think about how to carry it over there, Austin finds me on the other side of the concession stands. I see him coming, and Iknowwhat it’s about. I saw him talking to Ridge, and I can only imagine how that conversation went.

Two men filled with testosterone and arrogance. . . yeah, probably went about as well as two silverback gorillas caged in together.

Grabbing the hot dogs and nachos the boys wanted, I have half a mind to smash them in Austin’s face.

He jabs his finger at the field. More importantly,Ridge. “What’s going on with you and him?”

Like it’s any of his business, but I answer with, “Nothing.” And then lick ketchup off my finger seductively like I’m not fazed by him anymore. ’Cause guess what? I’m not. Fuck him. But. . . what I really want to say to Austin is something along the lines of:Ridge kissed me, and if we hadn’t been in the presence of children nearby, I probably would have let him fuck me against a wall the other night, but no, nothing’s going on.

Austin breathes in slowly and deeply, adjusting his hat on his head. “Bullshit. He wants you.”

I laugh, don’t you? It’s amusing to think he’s pulling this card. “And I always thought you would.”

His face grows serious, hardens, and for the first time in months, I see emotion, a flicker in his eyes. He cares. He fucking cares now. “You kicked me out.”

And we’re back to the continuous circle of who did what and you blame me while I blame you. It gets us nowhere, and I’m tired of having this conversation with him constantly. “What do you want? Why are you here?”

“It’s my night with the boys.”

Noticing the sun is no longer in my eyes, I raise my sunglasses. My eyes catch Austin’s. “Are youactuallygoing to take them?”

I think back to Saturday afternoon and the fight the boys witnessed. Grady will go with him but Cash, I’m pretty sure he’d rather endure a chick flick with me than go with his father for a night.

Austin chews on his lip, pulling it in and then letting go. His attention shifts to something behind me, and I follow it, finding Ridge kneeling to talk to Cash and then high-fives him.

We’re about fifty feet away, but then Ridge’s dark eyes find mine, eyes that won’t leave me alone, eyes that make my head throb and my heart beat a million miles an hour. I blink heavily, fighting the urge to close my eyes and escape the hold he has on me.

Austin leans in, his chest meeting my back. “Are you going back to his place?”

Look at that, he’s jealous? It takes another man being interested in me for him to finally care? What a bunch of bullshit.

I take my elbow and jab him in the gut with it. “None of your business.”

And then I walk away, leaving him coughing, and it feels so fucking good.

Practice ends and Austin’s keeping his distance, his glare intent on me as I approach Ridge near the bleachers. I hand the hot dogs to the boys who are taking off their helmets.

“I’m starving!” Grady announces, practically inhaling the hot dog as he sits in the grass.

Cash, on the other hand, he takes the hot dog but looks the direction of his dad, and then me. “Do I have to go with him tonight?”

Crap. What do you do when they don’t want to go with their dad? It’s not like I want to force them, but the parenting plan says he has them.

I’m at a loss when Ridge helps me out. “Dude, eat the hot dog before I steal it.”

He pretends to grab it from him and then grins when Cash slaps his hand. “No way. This ismine.”

I laugh, dipping my fingers in the nacho cheese and sucking it off my finger like I did near Austin. Honesty here? I have no idea why I do that. Actually, I’m lying. I do, the cheese is fucking hot, and I accidentally had some on my finger. The licking while looking at Ridge. . . planned.

He watches, too, with rapt attention and lifts his eyes to meet mine. “Are you going to share those nachos or keep them all to yourself?”

“I uh. . . actually got them for you. Thought you’d be hungry.”

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