29. Broke The Ice

29

brOKE THE ICE

“ S o what is going on with Sloane?” Mel asked him when he picked the kids up the next day.

“What?” he asked.

“I asked what was going on,” Mel said. “Don’t you think I should know? The kids know about her. I’ve been trying to help out when they bring her up.”

“Do they bring her up often?” he asked. Tiffani did once in a while but not much. It’s not as if his daughter was ignoring the fact, but just had some questions like what they did for fun or if she could go back and get a pedicure soon.

He was thinking of doing that and sitting there for it. But Sloane didn’t do pedicures so it’s not like it’d be her doing it and he’d have to sit there with her staff wondering what was going on.

That would be even more confusing in his mind for his daughter.

He shut the door and moved out to the front porch to talk to Mel while the kids were inside.

“Her mother passed away suddenly last week.”

“Oh,” Mel said. “I’m sorry. Were they close? ”

“No,” he said. He wouldn’t lie. “They didn’t talk often.” He figured he better add the part about Shiloh. No reason to keep secrets. “She was left custody of her half sister who is five. There was a lot to take care of and deal with between social services.”

“Why social services?” Mel asked, frowning.

“I’m not going to get into it all because we don’t know much. Her mother passed away at work. She was a single mother, no father in the picture. They put Shiloh in foster care, as their workloads are high. They found Sloane listed as the guardian, but in their due diligence they couldn’t just release the child without doing a thorough background.”

“And it’d look real good if her doctor boyfriend showed up with her,” Mel said.

It was the tone of voice that he caught.

The one that said Sloane was right and this was pure jealousy.

What he couldn’t figure out was why it was there to begin with.

Mel got everything she wanted out of their situation. She had no right to cast stones or judgment in his life now.

“Does it matter?” he asked. “Her lawyer took care of everything that needed to be done prior to us getting there. I was there for support and maybe some help. Whatever is going through your mind for whatever reason should end, just for the fact that this child—who is Tyler’s age—lost her mother and the only family she knew. Shiloh is now going to live with a stranger and has no choice in the matter.”

“Sloane never met Shiloh?” Mel asked, frowning again. And judging like she often did.

“No,” he said. No reason to say anything else. “Shiloh did know of Sloane through their mother and pictures. ”

Which explained why the little girl rushed to give Sloane a hug when the door was opened.

He’d found the whole thing touching and knew Sloane did too.

It broke the ice of what was still a very tense and upsetting situation.

When he saw how little the child had, he’d been ill over it all.

He’d stayed last night at Sloane’s even though she’d told him he didn’t have to.

In his mind, he did. She needed support on a number of levels.

The fact she didn’t fight him much told him what he needed to know.

“That’s something, I guess,” Mel said. “And now things will get even messier. Tiffani is going to be upset if she thinks another child is getting attention from you.”

He let out a sigh. “I’ll deal with it when the time comes. I’d like to think you’d help some knowing the situation. Don’t you think it’s the least you could do?”

Mel seemed to hesitate. There was a shocked look on her face too.

“What is going on with you?” Mel asked.

“What does that mean?”

“It means this is the second time you’ve said things to me that you normally didn’t. You’ve put me on the spot to help you out and now you’re getting defensive.”

“Oh, I don’t know,” he said, trying not to snap. “I’ve been doing it for you for years. I do everything I can putting the children’s comfort first. I’d like to think you’d do the same thing for the sake of the kids.”

The door opened behind them before Mel could even answer. “Dad,” Tiffani said. “I didn’t know you were here. I saw your car in the driveway.”

“Mom and I are just talking,” he said, smiling. “Can you give us a minute and then we’ll go? It’s a nice day and Aunt Chloe invited us for a cookout. Grandma and Grandpa will be there too.”

“Yay,” Tiffani squealed. “I’m getting my suit on now.”

“So you’re going to drop them off and go spend time with your girlfriend?” Mel asked sarcastically.

“No,” he snapped this time. “I’m not. First, she has things she has to figure out and get straightened. I’m giving her the space to do that, but she knows she can call me. Second of all, I don’t do that with my children. Maybe you do, but I don’t. And third, I never ask you what you’re doing when you’ve got the kids unless you volunteer it. Even then, I don’t make comments on it.”

Mel pursed her lips. “I can see a change in you. I think the kids are going to notice it.”

“Then I’ll deal with it if that happens, but I’ve noticed nothing when I’ve had them since I told them about Sloane two weeks ago. Tiffani even asks questions about Sloane, as she knows she can. Does she ask you things about Ethan?”

He knew that was low, but he was losing his patience. After seeing what his kids had and how little Shiloh did, he knew there were more important things in the world to focus on.

“No,” Mel said. “But she’s a girl and won’t care that much about Ethan.”

“I’d think she would since she has made comments in the past that you are spending time with Ethan and not her when she’s here. But let’s talk about Tyler. Does he ask about Ethan? You know, boy to man? ”

“No,” Mel said shortly. “He talks about you in front of Ethan.”

Now they were getting somewhere. “Is Tiffani talking about Sloane in front of you?”

“I know she met Sloane and you didn’t tell me that,” Mel said, crossing her arms.

“Nope. Not going there and not getting into an argument over it. She met her long before I did. She was with my mother and Chloe. Did she also tell you that she is the one who had the idea to give me the gift card there and why?”

Mel’s lips thinned out and he knew damn well that happened.

That is what was pissing his ex off.

That even when the kids were with their mother they talked about him.

“It doesn’t matter,” Mel said.

“No,” he said. “It doesn’t. The kids haven’t met her as my girlfriend. I’m letting them get warmed up to it. You had to know the day would come I would find someone, or did you think I’d stay single forever?”

“Of course I didn’t think that,” Mel said.

“Could have fooled me,” he said.

Mel couldn’t say another word because the door opened and both kids were there with their bags on their shoulders and their suits on.

Guess they were ready to go.

“I want to swim,” Tyler said. Both kids were running off the porch towards his car.

“Come back and give your mother a kiss and hug,” he said. He’d keep the comment back that his kids must not have an issue with him since they were in a hurry to go. Enough that they weren’t even saying bye to their mother.

When they got to Chloe’s twenty minutes later, his kids were out the door of his SUV and running toward the back gate. His parents’ car was in the driveway and he wasn’t expecting that.

It wasn’t even ten in the morning at this point and he felt bad he was just coming over rather than going home first.

But Chloe knew what was going on with Sloane. He’d talked to her since she helped get Trent so fast by talking to Megan.

He was guessing that his sister had filled his parents in.

Both of his kids ran over to get the sunscreen, then came back with it while they took their clothes off and got down to their swimsuits.

He sprayed them and they went to the kiddie pool where Royce was in with Willow. “Don’t splash the baby,” he yelled.

“We won’t,” Tyler said.

“Fill us in,” his mother said when he walked over to sit at the table with his sister and parents.

He told them everything that had happened. Some of the emotional things that bothered him and he knew did Sloane.

From how little the child had to how much food she ate and not going to the bathroom until the last minute.

“Do you think she’s behind in her development?” Chloe asked.

“I’m not sure yet,” he said. “I’ll get her medical records this week with any luck. Sloane is going to schedule an appointment. I don’t know if it will be with me or not. Not sure it’s a good idea.”

“If she’s comfortable with you,” his sister said. “It’s the best thing to do.”

“I thought of that too. I’ll talk to Sloane about it, and if she wants that, then I’ll make sure it happens. They have to get her set up with school this week. Today Sloane is taking her shopping. The child needs a whole new wardrobe.”

“How is Sloane holding up?” his mother asked. “It’s got to be hard just losing her mother let alone now being an instant parent.”

“She’s holding it all in,” he said. “I can see it, but it’s not like we’ve had a chance to talk. She can barely catch her breath. I wanted to stay with her today.”

“You can go,” Chloe said. “We’ve got the kids.”

“No,” he said. “Mel knows. She asked.”

He told them about the conversation with his ex. “She’s a bitch,” Chloe said.

“Chloe,” his mother said. “That’s not nice.”

“It’s the truth and you know it. She’s being selfish because it’s not what she wants or thought is going on. Don’t deny it.”

“I’m not,” he said. “I’m starting to see more of it now.”

Tiffani got out of the water and came rushing back. “Aunt Chloe, can we get a pedicure again? Did you know Dad is dating Sloane? She owns the place. I met her there.”

He was stunned Tiffani brought that up. And said it like it wasn’t a big deal.

“I did know that,” Chloe said. “How do you feel about it?”

Tiffani shrugged her shoulders. “I don’t know. I haven’t seen her again yet. Only that once. But it sounds like Dad has a lot of fun when he’s with her.”

“I think he does,” his mother said. “You do know if we get a pedicure there, it won’t be by Sloane.”

“I know,” Tiffani said. “But maybe I could just see her again.”

“Are you ready to meet her?” Dane asked gently. No way he was the one pushing this .

“I don’t know,” Tiffani said. “But I do want a pedicure.”

Chloe laughed. “How about I get you after school on Tuesday and we can get it done if I can get an appointment for us?”

“Thank you, Aunt Chloe.”

Tiffani took off running. “I think Sloane is off until Wednesday getting things in order.”

“It doesn’t matter,” Chloe said. “It’s the fact she wants to see her and this is a way to do it. It might be better if Sloane isn’t around. Her interest will be piqued and it’s a step in the right direction.”

“I’m not sure if that is a good thing or not, but at this point I can barely focus on more than one thing and I hate that feeling. I don’t want my kids to suffer.”

“They never will,” his mother said. “Don’t you dare let Mel get in your head. The kids will understand, but you need to be there for Sloane too.”

“I will be,” he said. “I just hate that I can’t be for the next few days, but I wouldn’t have seen her much anyway.”

“You can still talk to her and I’m sure you will,” his mother said. “Now relax and enjoy the day after the weekend you had.”

“I’ll try to do that,” he said, but his mind was on his girlfriend and how she was doing.