Page 30 of Nothing to This

“Why not?”

“Do you have sex with Lotta every time you share a bed?”

Shaking her head, Brenna caught some dressing as it dripped from a salad leaf.“That’s different.Lotta and I live together.We share a bed every night.You and Baxter only see each other every two weeks.”

“We see each other more than that.”Sometimes.Rarely.“We go for dinner if the twins are with you or your mom.”

“And you’ll be able to see each other more now Jamie is in town… Do you want to go apartment hunting tomorrow?”

“You moving?”

“No.My brother can keep the kids, freeing us up.I say we go for a penthouse, a duplex maybe.How many kids do you want?You’ll want at least four, right?”

“What’s wrong with the two I have?”she asked, enjoying her salad a little more.“I’m not ready to trade them in yet.”

“You might lose them to JD.”

That stopped all thoughts in their tracks.“Why would you say that?”Panic was inevitable.“What’s he said?”

“I meant their affection,” Brenna said, reaching over to pat her hand.“He’d never take custody from you.You’re an amazing mommy.”

She relaxed.“He’s had their affection since they first blinked up at him in the hospital.He’ll always be their number one, I admitted that to myself years ago.”

“And you have his, so I guess it balances out.”

“What is your obsession with JD and me?”

Brenna put down her fork.“Oh, come on, he comes back into town without telling me or Mom and suddenly you’re living together?”

“What do you think is going on?I’m with Baxter,” she said.“JD knows it.We’re figuring out how to co-parent, that’s it.”

“That’s it, hmm?”

The jeering was beginning to grate.

Leaning back, appetite gone, she pushed the plate away.“You know, he’s been back in town for two days and my life has been turned upside down.Why does everyone assume we’re going to hook up?”

“Uh, maybe because the only other time the two of you have been alone, you made babies.”

“And why am I the only one suddenly dealing with grief and harassment from every quarter?”

“Count yourself lucky that it’s suddenly.Mom’s been giving him grief and harassing him about you for five years.”

That brought her up short.“She’s what?Your mom barely mentions JD to me.”

“Because she never wanted to point out his absence.Mom is always upset with him for not making more of an effort to be present… At least she says that, but she loves having sole responsibility for them.I think she always sort of wished you two got married.”Brenna picked up her iced tea, took a long drink through the straw, then put down the tall glass.“Why didn’t you get married?”

“We don’t love each other, Bren.Why would we get married?”

“The babies.”

“You have never talked so much about your brother in the five years we’ve been friends.”

“I’ve never seen you two together for more than like ten seconds.I think I want to.”

“You’ve seen me with Baxter.”

Brenna kept eating; her expression didn’t change much, but she didn’t back down.