Page 41 of Love Affair in London (Once Again #12)

J ared had been afraid Piper would say their love affair had been nothing more than a holiday hookup.

But he’d asked anyway. He wanted—no, needed—to see her again.

She was beautiful, smart, funny, and empathetic.

She hadn’t brushed off his concerns about his kids, even after sharing her unpleasant experience with her ex-fiancé’s daughters.

The age difference worried her, and he understood, especially after he knew her parents’ story.

But they didn’t have to be like her parents.

And he’d take it one day at a time. In the end, he’d show her how fantastic they were together.

It wasn’t just the sex—though that was out of this world.

It was the way they could talk about anything, the way her laugh made him feel, even the way she tangoed with him.

Conrad had booked a limo to take the team back to the office headquarters, where they’d all parked their cars. He’d claimed it would be cheaper than long-term parking for everyone.

When they pulled into the lot, Jared’s colleagues clambered out, though, of course, a couple had stayed behind in London with their spouses.

Conrad clapped Jared on the shoulder. “Don’t forget to lock down that dinner date with your girlfriend.”

“Of course,” Jared replied. “I’ve got the kids this week, so let’s talk about it later.”

He’d convince Piper it was a good idea.

Conrad turned to the group. “Enjoy your day off, but be ready.” He pointed a finger for emphasis. “We’re getting slammed on Tuesday. We’ve got a mountain of work to do after that conference.”

Jared rolled his bag to his car, popping it into the trunk along with his briefcase. He had time to get home, unpack, and make a grocery run before picking up the kids. They were staying for dinner with Erica, so he wouldn’t see them until seven.

He jotted down a mental list: milk, bread, cereal. At the store, he added eggs, bacon, and frozen hash browns to send the kids off with a tasty breakfast tomorrow. He’d drive them to school in the morning instead of having them take the bus—it would give them extra time to talk.

For dinner, he made himself a simple sandwich. When he was on his own, he didn’t bother with elaborate meals. But he knew how to cook, and when the kids stayed with him, he always made healthy meals.

At seven sharp, Jared arrived at Erica’s house. It was only a couple of miles away. He rang the bell. Though he had a key for emergencies, he never used it. This wasn’t his home anymore.

A tall, beefy man answered the door—a stranger with muscled arms, chiseled jawline, and military-style buzz cut.

Liam shoved through the small space left by the man’s bulk, stopping just short of throwing himself at Jared. The boy hesitated, glancing back at the man.

“Hey, bud,” Buzz-cut said stiffly. “Say excuse me. Mind your manners.”

Jared couldn’t say why the reprimand grated on him—Liam had been a bit rude. Maybe it was all the things Liam had said about this guy.

Liam mumbled, “Excuse me,” and seemed to forget all about any hugs for his father.

Erica appeared behind Buzz-cut, Scarlett just over her shoulder. “Sorry,” Erica said. “We’re running late. We were out this afternoon and only just finished dinner. Can you come in for a few minutes?”

Jared nodded, but Buzz-cut didn’t move to let him inside.

“This is Forrest,” Erica said, gesturing toward him.

Forrest smiled, but the expression didn’t feel genuine. Jared stuck out his hand. “Nice to meet you, Forrest,” he said, though he’d rather just call him Buzz-cut. “I’m Jared.”

Forrest’s handshake was crushing, his grip nearly cracking Jared’s knuckles. What the hell was up with that? Maybe the guy didn’t know his own strength. Or maybe he was a douche, like Liam claimed.

Erica disappeared into the kitchen, and Forrest slung an arm around Scarlett’s shoulders. “The kids need to do the dishes before they go. I’ve got them trained so they don’t leave all the work for their mother.”

Jared didn’t like his proprietary arm around Scarlett. And he bristled at the man’s tone, as though he’d personally trained the kids while Jared and Erica had been lax. But Jared kept his voice calm. “They’ve always helped with the dishes. Whoever cooks doesn’t clean.”

Forrest gave him a hard fist bump to the shoulder that actually hurt. “Erica’s always said you were a good guy.” Then he added, “Before you left her.”

Jared wanted to throw his hands up and say, WTF. But he kept quiet. He’d talk to the kids later. For now, he could see what they’d been talking about.

Returning to the kitchen, Erica began scraping plates while Scarlett rinsed them and put them in the dishwasher.

“Sweetheart, you shouldn’t do that,” Forrest said to Erica. “You cooked. Whoever cooks shouldn’t have to clean,” he said, a facsimile of Jared’s words.

“It’s fine,” Erica said. “It’ll go faster this way.” She smiled at Forrest, but Jared knew his ex-wife well enough to see the strain in that smile. “I don’t mind. And the kids still need to pack—we didn’t get to it this afternoon.”

Forrest’s tone turned conciliatory. “You’re right. That’s on me. I kept everyone at the zoo too long, but we were having such a great time.”

He grinned, as if he’d somehow one-upped Jared. And maybe he had. Because Jared hadn’t been able to spend as much time with the kids as he’d have liked.

“I can go upstairs and throw a few things in the kids’ bags,” Jared offered. “And they’ve got plenty of clothes at my house."

“Dad, you don’t know what I need,” Scarlett protested.

He thought of all the lotions and potions fifteen-year-old young ladies seemed to need these days. “Fair enough.”

Forrest clapped his hands loudly. “How about this—me and your dad can take care of these dishes while your mom helps you kids pack.”

Liam turned, headed to the door, until Forrest called out, “What do you say, Liam?” The boy stopped, turned, and mumbled, “Thanks for dinner, Mom.” Then he scampered off, obviously glad to escape the kitchen.

Scarlett lingered for a moment, a frown marring her brow, before she said, “Thanks for dinner, Mom.” Then she followed her brother.

Of course, they should have thanked their mom. But Forrest’s superior tone irritated the hell out of Jared.

Then Forrest handed Erica a dishtowel. “Dry your hands, honey. The men will take care of all this.” He waved a magnanimous hand over the remaining dirty pans.

She wiped her hands, uncertainty in her eyes as her gaze flicked between the two of them. “But Jared doesn’t know where everything goes since we rearranged.”

Forrest smiled with no feeling in it. “I know, honey. But everything’s much more efficient now.” He paused a beat. “Don’t you think?”

She hesitated, and finally said, “Yes, of course it is.”

Forrest leaned down to peck her cheek. “Go on, honey,” he said in the tone of a man who’d just patted his woman on the butt and shooed her out the door.

Jared glimpsed the tension in Erica’s smile. “Okay. Thank you.”

When Erica was gone, Forrest handed Jared the towel she’d left behind. “I’ll wash, and you dry.” He scrubbed a pot clean, then handed it over, splashing water on Jared’s pants. “Oh, sorry.” He gasped, though Jared suspected it wasn’t an accident.

Then Forrest smirked. “So, pick up any hot chicks at the conference?”

The question caught Jared off guard, but he answered smoothly. “I don’t pick up women at conferences. I’m there to work.”

Forrest gave a wink and lowered his voice, looking at the doorway, as if Erica might be standing just outside. “Come on, buddy. You must’ve bagged a few over the years.”

Jared added a knife edge to his voice. “Are you implying I cheated on my wife while I was away on business?”

Forrest laughed and waved a hand, water flying. “No, no.” But of course, he was. “I just meant since you two divorced.” He smiled as he handed over another pan. “But I wouldn’t blame you. I mean, a man has needs.” His gaze traveled once more to the door. “Even with a great gal like Erica.”

Jared stared at him, his gut churning. “What exactly are you trying to figure out with all these questions?”

Forrest pulled the plug in the sink, shook the water off, and grabbed the towel out of Jared’s hands. Then he grinned, his tone mock-conciliatory. “I was just testing you, man. Just wanted to make sure you treated my gal right. You know, before you left her.”

Jared didn’t dignify that with a response. He no longer needed to talk to the kids about this guy. His gut screamed that Forrest was bad news.

“The kids should be ready by now,” he said, stepping away, then walking out of the kitchen, where he called up the stairs, “Scarlett? Liam? You ready?”

Liam barreled down the stairs. “I’m ready, Dad!” He landed with a thud, his socks skidding on the floor. “I just need to put on my shoes.”

Jared glanced at the neat line of shoes by the front door, wondering if that was something else Forrest had instituted.

He noticed now that everyone was in stocking feet, including Erica, who descended the stairs slowly behind Scarlett.

As his daughter passed by, she whispered under her breath, “Oh my God, I am so ready to go, Dad.” Then she grabbed her shoes and sat on the rack to put them on.

Forrest barked, “Don’t sit there—you’ll break it.”

Scarlett actually jumped, retreating to the stairs to sit and slip into her shoes. Forrest wrapped an arm around Erica’s shoulders, and they looked like a team.

Then the kids grabbed their bags and headed for the front door. Scarlett called out, “Is the car unlocked, Dad?”

“Yeah,” Jared said. “You can toss your stuff in the trunk.”

Forrest’s voice turned gruff. “Haven’t you forgotten something, kids?”

They both turned to stare at him. Jared couldn’t be sure, but he thought he saw fear in their eyes. Maybe he was imagining it when all Forrest said was, “You didn’t kiss your mother goodbye, and you won’t see her for a whole week.”