Page 78 of Keeping it Real

“Love you, too,” Finn replied as he returned the hug.

“You have your phone?”

Finn nodded.

“Okay.You call me if you need me.”

“Sure,” Finn said, starting to look a little embarrassed.

Behind him, Gus was struggling not to laugh.Alek restrained himself from flipping his friend off in front of the kids.When he turned back to his SUV, Collin was leaning against the liftgate, arms and legs crossed and a droll smile on his face.

“Don’t.”Alek snapped.

Collin pulled out his phone and pretended to dictate into it.“Hey Siri, send Bergeron a book of dad jokes for Christmas.”

Alek did flip him off only to notice too late Finn’s teacher was waiting in the shadows.She had the good grace to pretend to be looking at her phone.He turned to Collin and arched an eyebrow.

“She said there wasn’t anything between you two.I wanted to make sure,” Collin said softly.

“Yeah.No.”Alek shook his head.He was beginning to think he’d taken a puck to the head he wasn’t aware of.

“Which is it?”Collin hissed.

“There was nothing.”He stepped closer to Collin in order to make himself clear.“But she’s not your type.”

Collin’s eyes narrowed.“My type?”

“A weekend fling.That’s Finn’s teacher.Gunner’s too.You hurt her and Gus and I will tear you limb from limb.Then we’ll hand the leftover bits to the boys to take care of.”

His agent looked over to where Marissa was still scrolling on her phone.A goofy smile spread over his lips.“Yeah.She’s definitely not my usual type.But maybe I’m ready for something else.”He smacked Alek on the chest and began to walk away.“Tell Sher I’ll email the paperwork to her next week.”

“Paperwork?What paperwork?”

He turned and walked backward.“The forms for the custody hearing.It’s been set for the end of December.I was able to coordinate it with your road trip to Boston.”

Alek’s confusion must have been apparent because Collin stopped walking.“She didn’t tell you?We discussed it last night.”

Last night felt like an eternity ago.It seems like something they would have talked about though.Could she have mentioned it, and he forgot?He had jumped her bones the moment Finn fell asleep, so she really didn’t have the chance to say too much before rushing off to the hospital.That had to be it.And with everything going on with Merriweather’s kid, there wasn’t the opportunity today.

“Alek?”Collin was standing in front of him again.“Hey.You’re still okay with transferring the guardianship, right?”

“Yeah.Sure.Whatever Sheridan wants.”

It won’t change anything.

Gus honked the horn as he finally pulled away.Alek waved.

“Are you sure?”Collin gestured to the retreating SUV.“Because you seem pretty attached to Jamie’s kid.”

“That was the whole point of them moving here.”

“Yeah.”Collin sucked in a breath.“But are you going to be okay when they are somewhere else?”

“What are you talking about?”

“Sheridan said in her interview she plans to go back to being a traveling nurse.To show Finn the world.”

Alek swore he felt the parking garage floor move beneath his feet.“What interview?When?”

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