Page 39 of This Time Around (The Can’t Have Hearts Club #3)

Allie started down the hall, then rounded the corner and pointed Paige toward the powder room.

The girl scurried in, closing the door behind her.

Allie started to move back toward the foyer, part of her hoping Wade would take the hint and stay put.

Something about having him here felt awkward, and she’d just as soon pretend they hadn’t been in the middle of a secret conversation about stolen cash just thirty seconds ago.

But as they passed the threshold of the parlor, Allie’s hopes sunk. Wade stepped out and greeted the guests with a wave. “Hey, there,” he said, pumping Jack’s hand a few times. “Good to see you again.”

“Yeah,” Jack said, frowning. “You, too.”

Something flickered in Jack’s expression, something so faint Allie might have imagined it. She glanced into the parlor and remembered the window behind the sofa was open a few inches. Had he heard her conversation with Wade? Did he know about the reporting requirements or what that meant for him?

Or was he just annoyed at seeing her alone with Wade?

Wade’s expression was blank, which was no help at all. She studied Jack’s face instead, fighting to keep any traces of guilt from her expression.

But Jack was still looking at Wade. “Haven’t seen you for a while,” he said. “How’s it going?”

“Good, good. How about you?”

“Not bad.” Two thin frown lines appeared between Jack’s brows, but he was still smiling. “I thought Skye said last night that she had a late class today.”

“She did,” Allie said, trying to keep her tone breezy. “Wade just stopped by for a minute to visit with me.”

Jack’s gaze swung back to her, and Allie fought to keep her spine straight. She was determined not to look guilty. Wade was her best friend. She had nothing to feel guilty about. Not the conversation about money or Jack’s hang-ups about her engagement history or?—

“Hey, Wade!”

Paige came bounding out of the powder room, and Allie breathed a sigh of relief.

“Hey!” Wade offered her a high five, which Paige returned with a hearty smack. “How’s my favorite oenophile?”

Paige giggled and twisted her braid between her fingers. “Is an oenophile someone who knows a lot about birds?”

“No, but you’re close,” Wade said. “A bird expert is an ornithologist. An oenophile knows about wine.”

“Oh.” Paige looked thoughtful. “I’ve been learning about birds in my new school and grandma bought me this really cool bird book.”

“Excellent!” Wade replied. “Hey, Albatross—here’s who you need to consult about your woodpecker problem.”

Paige crinkled her nose and looked at Allie. “Albatross?”

She rolled her eyes. “That’s Wade’s nickname for me. Allie Ross the Albatross.”

“The bird who’d rather fly alone,” Wade said, and Allie watched his gaze slide knowingly between her and Jack.

“I haven’t learned about that kind of bird yet,” Paige said. “I’ll look them up in my book. But I’m pretty sure woodpeckers are in there. Do you know what kind?”

Allie shook her head. “I’m not sure, but I know they’re destroying this house.”

“Really?” Paige’s eyes widened, and it occurred to Allie that she was being a touch dramatic in her description of the situation.

“Well, not destroying, exactly,” she amended. “They’re making a lot of holes. And big messes. And loud noises.”

Paige frowned. “You should find out what kind they are. I can bring my book if you want.”

“That would be great,” Allie said. “I guess I didn’t even think about there being a lot of different kinds of woodpeckers.”

Jack put a hand on his daughter’s back, and the pride in his expression was almost enough to mask the darkness that had flitted across his face moments before. “You girls ready to get going?”

Paige grinned. “Yep. Want me to drive?”

“Ha!” Allie said, grabbing her keys off the little hook in the hallway. “Maybe in about six years.”

“Deal!” Paige said, and Allie wondered what the odds were they’d still be in each other’s lives then. Not wanting to dwell on that, she turned to Jack. “How about I bring her back to your house around six?”

“That sounds good. I’ve got some errands to run anyway. Why don’t you just text me when you’re leaving the mall?”

“I can do that.”

“By the way, my mom asked if you could stay for dinner.”

“Oh,” Allie said. “Well, I don’t want to impose?—”

“Please stay!” Paige grabbed her hand. “She’s making paper salmon, and that’s the best.”

“That’s salmon en papillote to fancy people,” Jack said, and for a moment Allie wondered if he was setting her apart on purpose. Fancy snobs like Allie and her ilk, versus regular folk like them. But it was silly to read that much into such a simple comment.

“That sounds nice,” Allie said, not committing one way or the other.

“You can have wine, too,” Paige added, grinning at her father. “What kind, Daddy?”

Jack smiled and took his cue. “How about a rosé? Something cacophonous with hints of expired bathtub caulk and slightly wilted bib lettuce.”

Paige dissolved in peals of laughter as her father reached into his back pocket for his wallet. He pulled out a few bills, folded them over, and handed them out to Allie. “Here. This is for the you-know-whats,” he said.

“Dad.” Paige rolled her eyes. “It’s a bra shopping trip, not a spy mission.”

“I was trying not to embarrass you in mixed company,” Jack said, glancing at Wade.

Wade pantomimed covering his ears. “I hear nothing, I know nothing.”

Allie laughed and stole a glance at Wade. He still had his ears covered, but he gave her a quick wink. She realized he was sending her a message.

I have your back about the money. I’ll keep my mouth shut for now, but you need to deal with it.

Message received. Allie nodded, then looked at Jack.

A dark cloud passed over his face, and Allie felt a shiver run down her spine.

Allie felt like a poorly attired chauffeur driving to the mall in an eighteen-year-old car with a ten-year-old girl in the backseat.

She kept shouting conversational tidbits over her shoulder so Paige wouldn’t feel ignored, but all Allie had managed to do was discover the kid wasn’t terribly interested in the Portland mayoral race or the new windows on the KOIN Center.

By the time they reached the mall, Allie had a hoarse voice, a mild case of anxiety, and a growing sense of unease about how to fill thirty minutes before Paige’s appointment with the professional bra fitter.

“Sorry about getting us here so early,” Allie said as she guided her young charge through the front doors of the mall. “I was expecting the traffic to be worse.”

“It’s okay,” Paige said. “It seemed bad to me. Like when that guy pulled his car out in front of you.”

Allie grimaced. “Right. Can you please not repeat those words I yelled? Especially not to your grandma or your dad or your teacher or?—”

Paige looked up at her blankly, and Allie had the sinking sensation she was the worst person on earth Jack could have trusted with his child for the afternoon.

Honestly, she’d just never been around kids.

The few times she had, there’d always been a parent or some other adult who seemed to know the ropes.

Allie had always assumed her instincts would kick in as soon as she had children of her own.

Since that hadn’t happened, she was left feeling wholly unprepared to be in charge of any creature that didn’t walk on four legs and scratch the furniture.

Spotting a familiar tea shop up ahead, Allie felt a flutter of hope. “Would you like to get some tea with me?”

“Tea?” Paige’s tone suggested a mild suspicion she was being offered crack.

Crap. Was tea not allowed? Caffeine or something?

“You could have herbal tea,” Allie decided. “Chamomile or peppermint or maybe lemon verbena.”

“Okay. Thank you.”

The girl gave her a polite smile, and Allie guided her into the little café.

The smell of coffee and sugar cookies hung heavy in the air, and Allie felt her frayed nerves start to quiet down.

She stepped up to the counter and tried to look confident and adult instead of like someone pretending to be those things.

“What can I get you?” chirped a girl with three rings in her nose and a nametag that declared her name to be Danica.

“Earl Grey, please,” Allie said. “Venti.”

“And you?”

Allie glanced down to see Paige biting her lip. “What’s a venti?” she asked. “I might want one of those.”

“Here.” Allie picked up the laminated menu and scanned the list of teas. “They have a few different herbal teas. Do any of these sound good to you?”

She pointed to the column on the right, and Paige studied the words for a moment. “I’d like the mango one, please.”

“Got it,” Danica agreed, then looked at Allie. “Maybe a short?”

It took Allie a moment to realize she was supposed to make the decision. That a woman walking around with a kid was expected to be adult and authoritative instead of utterly fucking clueless about what size tea was appropriate for a ten-year-old girl. “Oh. Yes, I think that’s good. Thank you.”

“You want room at the top?” the server asked.

“Actually, I prefer a bit of steamed milk blended right into the Earl Grey.”

“I meant on her drink,” Danica said. “For ice. To cool it down so she doesn’t burn her mouth.”

“Right. Of course, yes.”

God, she was supposed to know stuff like this, wasn’t she?

She looked down at Paige, expecting to see judgment or disbelief that her father had let someone this ill-prepared be in charge of her well-being.

But the kid just smiled at her. “Want me to find a table?”

“That would be great.”

Allie paid for the drinks and took a few calming breaths.

This would be okay. She could handle this.

She’d grown up with competent, loving women guiding her through her own childhood.

Her mother and grandmother used to take her out like this all the time.

It’s not like she was an idiot. Just a little new at this, that’s all.