Page 76 of Nothing to This
“We have to parent them first.That has to be our primary priority.We can’t play at boyfriend and girlfriend in front of them.We’ve never been together in a relationship to know how it would work out.Being friends for a few weeks is not the same as a long-term, permanent relationship with all the trials that brings.”
“Rylee, I—”
“Don’t you see?We’d be serious from the moment of the very first kiss.We can’t date, see how it goes and just break up like we would with anyone else if it wasn’t working out, like we did with Baxter and Gabby.We’re parents… and parents who live together at that.I’ve been terrified of how we’ll tell the kids when the time comes for you to move out because they’ve gotten so used to having you here.How do you think they’ll feel if their parents get together, fool around for a few weeks and then break up?Right now, we can work through things as co-parents, because we’re both prioritizing the kids.How long do you think we can keep doing that, or working together at Duo, if we let messy, complicated emotions get involved?”
Letting her go, he moved away from her, running a hand through his hair.“You’ve thought about this,” he muttered.
“Yes, I have.Probably more than I wanted to admit to myself.”
He turned around to look her in the eye.“I want you.”
So damn sure; that certainty was humbling and flattering.That he was making his admission, and allowing her to make hers, put a lot of things about the week suddenly into perspective.His accusations weren’t wrong.
“I believe you, JD.I do.I hate myself for believing you, but I do.But we have to look beyond what our hormones want from us.”
Sinking down, he sat on the edge of her bed.“What do you mean?”
“I want to get married one day, JD,” she said.“You backed out of one engagement already.Maybe marriage isn’t something you want.”
“Ry, that was—”
“And you said you want the option of having more children in the future… I’m not sure I want more kids.Maybe I do, maybe I don’t.I haven’t decided on that yet.”Seeing his internal struggle drew her closer until she was kneeling on the edge of the bed beside him.“We acted on pure instinct once and, yes, it gave us the most incredible children, who I wouldn’t trade for anything, but it altered the entire course of my life.”Letting the back of her fingers drift up his five o’clock shadow, she tempted him to see her smile.“You’re a good dad, JD, and you’ve become a good friend.I don’t want us to compromise either of those things just because your suite has a bar… you know?”
Taking her hand from his cheek, he pressed it to his mouth.“It’s more than that, Siren.”
“I know,” she whispered, ignoring the tear that tracked down her cheek.“But we are for what we created.We’re irrelevant.”
Their feelings, whatever they were, had to be ignored in lieu of their duties and responsibility to the kids.She could kiss him and they could fall into bed, but what would tomorrow bring?
They had to put a stop to this before it started.California couldn’t be coming at a better time; distance might be their only saving grace.If it was, they needed to put as many miles between them as they could… and fast.
TWENTY-SEVEN
JD was making notes in a report when his office door opened.He didn’t look up, he didn’t need to when he recognized his sister’s voice.
“I need to borrow your wife,” Brenna said.
“For what?”he muttered.
Coming into the office, Brenna took her time closing the door.“That’s an interesting turn, you’re not going to ask who I’m talking about or deny that I know what I’m talking about?”
“You’re talking about Rylee,” he said, scrubbing out a whole section.He glanced up when she stopped on the opposite side of the desk.“You think you’re the first person to make that kind of comment about our relationship?”
Brenna took a seat; he went back to his report.
“Guess you and she talked last night.”
“We did.”
The air around Brenna was uneasy, yet eager, like she didn’t know how to approach the situation or exactly what to say.She wasn’t nervous, his sister never was, she just wanted to maximize results.Brenna was an efficient woman.He tried to concentrate and avoid getting sucked into his sister’s obsession.
“I tried calling her this morning.Her phone went to voicemail… I guess she was busy.”
“She has better things to do with her time than sit around waiting for your calls.Don’t you have a girlfriend of your own to bug?”
“I’d rather bug yours… So… you talked…”
“Mm hmm.”
