being so nice! It makes my behavior look bad!” she exclaimed.
He grinned. “That wasn’t my intention.”
She seethed as she took another bite. “Oh, for heaven’s sake, open the album so I can see your proof and then you can go.”
“I’m in no hurry. Finish your dinner,” he suggested, smiling at her. He already knew she hated the thought of being wrong.
She stood and carried her plate and glass to the sink and disposed of what was left of her dinner. “I’m finished!”
“You’re trying to make me feel bad because I interrupted your dinner, but it won’t work. You’re the one who interrupted me.”
“So show me the damned picture and—” She looked up hurriedly at three pairs of innocent eyes. “I mean, if you’ll please show me the picture, we can both be satisfied.”
Missy stared at her. “My other mommy used to say that word all the time.”
“Oh, she talked about pictures a lot?” Jennifer hurriedly said, trying to cover up.
Nick grinned. He was enjoying watching her squirm.
“No, that dammed word. What does it mean?”
Nick could tell by Steffi’s face that she knew the meaning. Annie just stared at her dinner plate.
“It’s not a nice word, Missy, and none of you should use it. I lost my temper and it slipped out.”
“You were mad at Daddy?”
Jennifer drew a deep breath, growing more visibly exasperated by the second. “Missy, you must not call him Daddy. He—”
But Nick saw Missy’s sad face and interrupted. “It’s okay if we just pretend, Missy. I don’t mind.”
“Well, I do!” Jennifer returned vehemently.
Silence fell over the room.
“Girls, if you’ve finished eating, go wash up and I’ll put on the movie I was telling you about earlier.”
The room cleared almost instantly.
“That must be some movie,” he commented.
“It’s about a circus. An old Doris Day movie that I loved as a child.”
“I remember that one. It was good.”
“Yes. Now, show me the picture.”
And leave. They were words she left unspoken, but Nick heard them.
Without wasting any more time he opened the album and showed her several pictures of him and his family, including his aunt Grace.
Jennifer went over them with a shrewd eye. “I’m not sure that’s really her. It could just be someone who looks like her.”
With a sigh, he said, “We could go visit her in the assisted-living facility. Would that convince you?”
“Yes, but I can’t leave the kids.”
“You don’t have someone who could baby-sit them?”
“No.”
“Not even a friend who could watch them just for an hour?”
She closed her eyes and he gave her time to think over her friends.
“Maybe, but not tonight. I could try to get someone to look after them tomorrow for a little while.”
“Well, if you’ll let me stay in the apartment tonight, then we’ll go visit Grace tomorrow.”
“I suppose so…”
“Are you going to stay and watch the movie with us?” Missy asked Nick as she returned from washing up.
“I’m sorry, sweetie, but I don’t think I can. I haven’t been invited.”
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