Size Matters (13 page)

Bryn clicked on her control panel to deactivate her account. She clicked it and a box popped up.

Are you sure you want to delete your Forever Mate profile?

She clicked yes. Another box appeared.

You may be missing your only chance to find true love. Do you want to continue?

Her only chance to find true love? Is this seriously how they got people to keep their accounts? Preying on their insecurities to get them to stay? Another click on yes.

Please follow the link that has been emailed to the address on file to complete your profile deletion.

Seriously? Bryn went back to her email, followed the link, and finally got a “Sorry to see you go” message. Done. No more crazy Internet guy.

CHAPTER
Twenty-one

O
H YES,
it’s ladies’ night. La-la-la-la-la. Oh yes, it’s ladies’ night. Oh, what a night,” Bryn sang as she got ready. It had been a while since she’d spent any real time with Mia, and she so needed to sit and drink and bitch and girl talk for a few hours. She came downstairs, hair done, wearing a cute top and skinny jeans, just as the doorbell rang.

“Lindsey’s here!” Zach yelled, and ran to the door. The other two followed behind with wide smiles.

Bryn felt good knowing they adored their babysitter so much, especially now that Lindsey and her mom had taken on babysitting the kids full-time. It made it much easier for Bryn to leave them each day for work. And also for the occasional girls’ night out, so she could get back a piece of the sanity she so desperately needed. If she didn’t vent her feelings about the men—and parents—in her life soon, she was going to explode.

She kissed the kids and was out the door, pulling up to Mia and Oliver’s place twenty minutes later. After a lovey-dovey, sappy good-bye, Bryn finally got Mia in her minivan.

“Where to? I’m dying to try that new Latin restaurant with the music and dancers.”

“I don’t know. Wouldn’t you rather go somewhere low key where we can actually talk? What about The Red Brick?”

“No. That’s boring. I want something fun. What about the fondue place?”

“I’m fine with that.”

Bryn headed in that direction. “I invited Penny to come out tonight, but she said no. She’s ovulating.”

“I thought they were taking a break.”

“He is, and thinks she is, too, but I don’t think she ever planned on actually doing it. He doesn’t know she’s ovulating. She was working on some kind of fun seduction thing.”

“She’s playing with fire.” Mia shook her head.

“I know, but she’s desperate.”

Bryn pulled into the restaurant’s parking lot and they headed inside. Luckily there was a table available and they didn’t have to wait. Bryn needed food. And a drink. They ordered fancy martinis and looked over the menu.

“Are you ready for Jax’s party tomorrow?”

“Pretty much. A few odds and ends are left, but I have time before it starts.”

“I heard you invited Troy.”

The waitress arrived with their brightly colored drinks in funky glasses. “Are you ready to order?”

They rattled off their selections then returned to their conversation.

“He told Oliver he’s coming.”

“Yeah, but he was weird with me on the phone the other night. So I really don’t know.” Bryn took a long sip of her drink. “After the whole Jax situation, I’m kinda thinking I might want to get back together with Eli.”

“Really?”

Over the last few days, he was all Bryn could think about. No matter how hard she tried, his face kept popping into her head.

“He came over a few days ago to talk to Jax when I got the call from the school. I didn’t know what to do and he was great with him. I made us dinner and it was really nice.”

“Were you attracted to him?’

“Yeah. Of course.”

“But, like, rip-your-clothes-off attracted to him?”

“Yes. I don’t know. It was cozy and comfortable. And after the weirdness with Troy and the disaster with Joel, maybe there are more important things than great sex.”

Mia’s left eyebrow rose with a who-are-you-kidding gaze. “You, of all people, would be miserable if you gave up awesome sex.”

Bryn signed. “I know.” More martini. “I don’t know what to do.”

“Give Troy a chance. He told Oliver he really likes you. I think he’s perfect. Well, as perfect as someone other than Oliver can be.”

Bryn just shook her head. To be in crazy, all-consuming love. She was so jealous of Mia. “I want to, but we haven’t been able to spend much time together. Forget actually having sex.”

“Try harder.” She finished her drink and Bryn did the same.

“Last time I was on my way to having sex with him, I got vagina blocked. I think I’m cursed.”

“Well, how about this? Oliver and I will take the kids one night so you and Troy can have an uninterrupted night at your house or his. You can order in, have a bottle of wine. You won’t have to drive, so there’ll be no chance of getting pulled over.”

“Sounds heavenly.”

Bryn’s cell phone rang in her purse. Pulling it out, she hoped it wasn’t Lindsey with a kid emergency. “Hey, Penny. What’s up?”

“Where are you guys? I need a drink. A strong one. Maybe a dozen.”

“We’re at Dippers. We’ll order you a martini. How soon will you be here?”

“Five minutes.”

“It’ll be waiting for you.”

Bryn ordered three more martinis, and when Penny walked in, she beelined for their table and grabbed her drink, chugging most of it.

“Whoa. What’s wrong?”

“He’s cheating on me.”

“What?” Bryn and Mia asked at the same time, then Bryn followed it with, “Do you know for sure?”

She nodded. “I was waiting for him to get home tonight and I was playing around on Friendspace. I noticed comments on a bunch of his posts, all from the same woman. So I stalked her profile. Stupid bitch doesn’t even have it set to private. There are tons of pictures of her and Jack.” She downed the last of her drink.

Bryn and Mia looked at each other with stunned expressions.

“Maybe they’re just work friends or something,” Mia said, her tone optimistic.

“I hacked into his account. Let’s just say there were some private messages.”

She grabbed Mia’s half-full drink and downed it. Bryn waved to the waitress and asked for three more.

Penny shook her head, tears filling her eyes. “I couldn’t believe the things I read. The way he talked to her. It was so dirty. He’s never talked to me like that.”

Bryn put her arm around her and squeezed. “We’re here for you. Anything you need.”

“You got a hit man on retainer?” She started crying, huge tears dripping down her cheeks, her petite body shaking. “I hate him.”

Bryn let her cry, rubbing her back. Finally she calmed down enough to dry her eyes with a napkin.

The waitress arrived with the drinks and set them down, but she must have noticed Penny’s bedraggled appearance. Frowning, she asked, “Is everything okay?”

“My husband’s a lying, cheating bastard,” Penny answered, grabbing her drink and gulping it.

“Oh, that’s horrible. Guys are assholes.” She leaned in. “Next round’s on me.”

Penny managed a faint smile. “Thank you.”

Since she seemed somewhat better, Bryn needed to ask. “What are you going to do?”

“I’m not sure. I have to give it some thought.”

Give it some thought? It seemed obvious to Bryn what needed to be done. “He’d be on the fucking curb if it were me and I’d burn every last thing he owned.”

“I don’t know,” Penny said. “I mean, there’s no definite proof that he slept with her, right? Dirty messages about what they want to do to each other might not mean anything. Maybe it hasn’t actually gotten physical yet.”

Mia chimed in this time. “Even if it hasn’t, he obviously wants to. I’m not sure you need to do what Bryn suggested just yet, but you do need to talk to him and find out more.”

Penny nodded as she sipped her alcohol. “You’re right. But right now, I just want to drink myself into oblivion.”

Bryn squeezed her again. “Then we’ll be here to hold your hair while you puke and get you home safe.”

This was so damn tough. Seeing the situation up close like this made Bryn question life and relationships. How does a person ever know if the person they’re with will be completely faithful to them for all of eternity? Penny and Jack had always seemed so happy, so in love. What happened to destroy that? And how could anyone else prevent it from happening to them, too?

Eli was a great guy. A loyal guy. He seemed like the kind of man who would worship her and never look in the direction of another woman. Maybe she could give up great sex for the rest of her life for a man who’d be forever faithful to her. She just never wanted to feel the way Penny felt.

CHAPTER
Twenty-two

I
T WAS
a gorgeous day for a birthday party. Bryn looked out the kitchen window at her sunny yard, soon to be filled with family, friends, and tons of kids.

“Mom, I don’t know what to wear,” Jax said, appearing at her side.

“It’s your birthday, wear whatever you want.”

“But I want to look good. I’m not a little kid anymore. Can you help me?”

Her little boy was growing up right before her eyes. “Of course. Just let me finish mixing this dip.”

He ran off and she gave the bowl a few more spins of her wooden spoon. Snapping the lid into place, she slid the bowl into the fridge and trotted upstairs. She found Jaxson in his room with the bed covered in various items of clothing.

“Have you narrowed it down at all?” she asked.

“No. I want to wear something cool. What would an older kid wear?”

“How about this?” She picked up a shirt with a skull on it.

“Ugh. No.” He looked as if she’d held up a burlap sack. “That’s too babyish.”

Okaaay. Skulls were babyish. Good to know. “What about the plaid shorts with the blue polo?”

“Yeah. I kinda like that, but is plaid even in style anymore?”

Geez. Her kid turned ten and he’d become a fashionista. And technically he wouldn’t even be ten until Monday. “I think plaid is still very much in style.”

“Are you sure? You’re old.”

That hurt. “The plaid is fine, but if you’re not sure, just wear the khaki cargo shorts and pair it with a button-down shirt. If you roll up the sleeves it will look really cool and grown up.”

He looked unsure. “I guess that could work.”

“Good. I gotta go finish up downstairs.” She was so thankful to get out of whatever that was. If he was already this moody, what the hell was she going to do when he actually was a teenager? She really needed someone to help her with this parenting thing.

Back in the kitchen, she finished the appetizers, and with fifteen minutes to spare, headed to the bathroom to beautify as much as she could. It was a ponytail kind of day, and she dusted on some blush as she heard the first guests walk up the driveway.

Mia, Oliver, and Troy stepped onto the back patio just as Bryn walked out of the sliding glass doors. “Hey, guys.”

Mia hugged Bryn and handed over a card that surely held the same gift Auntie Mia always gave the kids—cold, hard cash. “Need help with anything?”

“No, I’m good.” She stepped to Oliver and gave him a quick hug. “There’s beer in the cooler and wine in the house. Help yourself.”

Behind Oliver was Troy. Yum. She’d kind of forgotten how hot he was. “Thanks for coming,” she said as he leaned in and kissed her cheek.

“No problem.” He handed her an envelope, too. “It’s a gift card for that store where you build your own stuffed animal. My assistant said her kids love it there.”

“Oh, thank you. That’s so sweet.” His assistant’s kids must be very young. It’s not really a place ten-year-old boys liked to hang out. But she appreciated the thought. “I should introduce you to the kids.”

“Uh . . .” He swallowed thickly. “Now?”

“Yeah.” She tried to laugh it off. “The party will get busy soon so this might be your only chance.”

Bryn turned and called for the kids “Jaxson, Zach, Cammie! Come here.”

Zach and Cammie ran right over, but Jax lagged behind. “This is my baby, Camryn, and my middle boy, Zachary.” They smiled and said hi. “And this here is my oldest and the birthday boy, Jaxson.”

“Hi. Uh. Happy birthday,” Troy said.

“Thanks,” Jax muttered, barely looking at Troy.

“Are you the man that went on a date with my mom?” Zach asked.

Troy couldn’t look more uncomfortable if he were at a dogfight wearing bacon underwear. “Um . . . yes.”

Bryn watched as Jax took in Troy’s appearance, then shot his gaze at her, eyes narrowed. “You dressed me up like your boyfriend?”

It was then Bryn noticed Troy was wearing khaki shorts and a light blue button-down, rolled to the forearms, just like Jax was. “I didn’t plan it. It’s just a coincidence.”

“I can’t wear this now,” he barked, and ran into the house.

After recovering from the shock, Bryn turned back to Troy. “I’m so sorry.”

“It’s okay. Kids are like that, right?”

“He’s at a weird age. I’m not sure what to do.” She tried to make light of it. “You remember what it was like to be ten? Got any advice for me?”

“No. I don’t know anything about kids.”

“Well, being with me, you’ll learn fast.”

Take that uncomfortable bacon underwear look, multiply it by ten, and that’s what Troy’s facial expression now looked like. “Oh. Um . . . Yeah.”

“I’ll get you a beer,” Oliver said, saving them from the awkwardness.

More guests arrived and Bryn trotted off to greet them. Birthdays in the Harper family were always a big affair. Family, friends, neighbors. She’d even given Lindsey the okay to bring Stinger. The kids thought he was cool. Bryn had actually talked to him a few times and he wasn’t that bad after all. Though she still didn’t see the attraction.

Jaxson returned to the party, now wearing a T-shirt and shorts that in no way resembled what Troy was wearing. She kissed the top of his head as she passed, careful not to mess with his gelled hairdo.

After hugging another cousin hello, Bryn saw her parents walking up the driveway and her stomach sank. She hadn’t seen or talked to them since that horrific day, but she hadn’t the heart to retract their invitation. They came into the backyard and right away found the kids and other relatives to chat with. If Bryn could keep her distance for the length of the party, she’d be a happy girl. This was not the time or place for more arguing.

Music played, kids ran around, appetizers disappeared. The party was a success. Bryn ran into the house to bring out a second bowl of her famous loaded baked potato dip, and when she came out, she saw Eli walk into the yard.

Her belly fluttered and she suppressed a goofy grin—until she spotted Troy out of the corner of her eye. Then her gut started to churn. Who’s brilliant idea was this? Why had it never occurred to her that the ex who she kinda wanted not to be an ex anymore and her new guy would be together at the same event?
Awkward.

If she stayed busy, she wouldn’t have to deal with either of them. She set the dip on the table and refilled the bowl of chips next to it. But her eyes kept darting around the yard. Where was Eli? Where was Troy? Were they near each other? She watched Amelia and Jax standing by the drink table. He had a cup of something and took a sip, trying so hard to be cool. But, of course, it spilled.

“Ah-ha-ha-ha! Jaxson peed his pants!” Zach yelled nearby.” Why don’t you ask your girlfriend to clean it up for you?”

Some of the other kids started laughing, too. Poor Jax. Most of the party guests had turned to watch the spectacle, including Troy. There was a wide grin across his face and he was laughing.

Jaxson threw the cup at Zach and pushed him to the ground. “You’re such a jerk.”

Bryn hurried toward them, but before she got there, Jax turned and ran off into the house.

“Do you want me to go after him?” Eli was at her side, concern across his face and not an ounce of amusement.

Zach was on the ground crying, his hand on his head, and Bryn stooped to help him up. She looked back at Eli, his eyes so warm with concern. “Yes. Thank you.”

He flashed a half smile. “No problem.”

Bryn tended to the bump on Zach’s head, thankful for Eli and his willingness to help. And where was the other man in her life? Knocking back a beer after laughing at her kid.

ELI POKED
his head into Jax’s bedroom. “Hey, Jax, you okay?”

He sat on the bed and quickly wiped his eyes. “I’m fine.”

“Do you want to talk?”

“I don’t know. I guess.”

Eli stepped into the room and closed the door behind him. “Did I ever tell you that I have a little brother, too?”

“No. Is he a jerk like mine?”

“Actually, when we were kids, yeah. He annoyed me every single day. We used to get in fights all the time and my mom would ground us.”

“My mom does that, too. I just wish he would keep his big mouth shut. He embarrassed me in front of everyone at my own birthday party.”

“Little brothers are a big pain in the butt, but someday it won’t be like that anymore. I love my little brother now. We do things together all the time. Sometimes he still annoys me, but I don’t let it bother me.”

“But he embarrassed me in front of a girl. Did your brother ever do that?”

“Lots of times. But you know what I learned to do? I kept cool and he’s the one who looked stupid.”

“Really?”

“Yep. He learned his lesson fast. You’re getting older now and you need to learn how to be a responsible man. And being a man means controlling your emotions. Understand?”

“I think so.”

“Good. Ready to go back to the party?”

“Yeah. I gotta change my clothes though. This is the second time. That Troy guy was wearing, like, the same outfit. I don’t think I like that guy.”

Eli tried not to let his exuberance show. “Why not?”

“I don’t know.” Jax pulled his soda-covered T-shirt off and grabbed a new one from the closet. “He keeps taking my mom places and doesn’t ask if we want to go. You always spent time with us, too.”

“Well, maybe you just need to give him a chance,” he said, hating how the words tasted coming out of his mouth. But he refused to set a poor example for Jax, even if he really wanted to lay into the guy. He was trying to teach Jax to be a responsible man. “Sometimes first impressions are wrong. You might like him once you get to know him.”

“I don’t know. Maybe. But I wish you and my mom were still boyfriend and girlfriend.”

You and me both, kid.
And he was gonna try his damnedest to make it happen again. Because now it was more than just for Bryn. It was for her kids, too. He wasn’t ready to let the dream of a Brady Bunch kind of family go. He was ready to give it all he had.