Page 128 of The Manny

I wasn’t a dreamer; I was a realist. Right now, I was in a lot of pain. It was agony knowing Thomas wanted to be with me, but I was rejecting him. But, in time this ache in my heart for Thomas would fade. I’d become numb again. Protected. That was for the best. For me and for Thomas. I simply needed to accept that, and I’d be fine.

Chapter Twenty-Two

Thomas

Jack left for work before I got up the next day. I knew that was a sign that he was once again avoiding me. That was how Jack handled things that made him uncomfortable, he simply pretended they didn’t exist. Out of sight, out of mind.

I wasn’t sure what to make of Jack’s jealousy last night. On the one hand, it was flattering, but his coldness afterward made it clear nothing had changed. He was terrified to move forward with me, even if he resented me moving on with someone else. He’d tried to pass his behavior off as simply caring about what the neighbors might think, but I knew he was lying. He’d been jealous. I understood how he’d felt because I’d have felt the same, if I’d seen him kissing some other man. But his jealousy was meaningless if he wasn’t willing to be with me.

I set a bowl of puffed rice in front of a sleepy-looking Mia. She picked up her spoon but just stared at the cereal. I laughed and sat across from her, holding a big mug of coffee.

“Are you going to eat?” I asked softly.

She looked up and blinked at me. “Do I have to?”

“Yes.”

Glancing around, she frowned. “Where’s Uncle Jack?”

“I think he already left for work.”

“Oh.” She looked disappointed. There’d been a time when she’d quaked in her shoes when Jack looked at her, but that wasn’t the case anymore.

“Did you enjoy your day with Uncle Jack?”

“Yep.” She took a spoonful of cereal and some milk dribbled down her chin. She chewed her cereal and once she’d swallowed, said, “We fed the ducks.”

“That’s great.”

Nodding, she shoveled more cereal into her mouth.

We sat in companionable silence as I sipped my coffee. I was tired and needed the caffeine desperately today. Staying up late hadn’t been the brightest thing to do, but I’d been enjoying my time with Crispin. He was sexy and fun, although I’d been a little surprised by how aggressive he’d been to Jack. Jack had obviously started it, but Crispin had also seemed pretty hot-blooded. Hopefully, they could learn to be more civil with each other because I hoped to see Crispin again.

“Would you want to feed the ducks today?” I asked.

Mia nodded. “Okay.”

“Be sure you wear your tennis shoes this time. I know you like to wear your sandals, but they don’t have enough grip, and the ground around the lake is slippery.”

She frowned. “My tennis shoes hurt my toes.”

“They do?”

“Uh, huh.”

“Oh, maybe you’ve outgrown them.”

“I am getting bigger and bigger.”

I smiled. “What would you think about going clothes shopping today?”

Mia widened her eyes. “For me?”

I laughed. “Yes, for you. Uncle Jack gave me one of his credit cards in case I needed to buy you things. We should go get you some new shoes and clothes.”

She set her spoon down with a clatter. “I can’t believe it.”

“Why not?”

---