Happily Divorced

(14) Ex-wife

Chassie George

"Ethan seems to enjoy all that gardening." Kathie flops down the bar stool next to me. "How long have they been out in the garden?"

I crane my neck to face her. "A while."

"All afternoon?"

"I've been slathering Ethan with sunscreen for quite a while too, so maybe, yes."

"And Nathan is rocking the overalls." She laughs. "Doesn't he have work?"

I grinned. "He said he cleared his schedule. They're enjoying the time with dad."

"That would explain it." She nudges my shoulder with her elbow and jerked her chin to the laptop I'd been hunched over the entire day. "Interesting screen saver. Is that Nathan's laptop?"

I nodded. "It's old. Screen saver's understandably unchanged."

"What about your laptop? Does it have your face as a screen saver or just this one?" She made a crowing noise.

I gave her a look. "Drop it."

She smirked. "What are you up to?"

"I've been trying to remember some guys back in high school." I propped my elbow on the kitchen counter, opening a new blank document."

"What for?" She scoots closer.

I smiled wryly. "For second chances."

"Oh?" Her brows knitted together in puzzlement, then shifted back to their delicate perch below her forehead when the idea sank in. "Oh. Mom," she called out – more like "screeched" – over her shoulder.

I winced. "Jesus, Kathie. Try to keep your voice down. I'm just listing some guys."

Mom appears in the doorway, eyes wide. "What is it? Something burning?"

"Chassie's listing down the boys she rejected before. This is more riveting than whatever you're watching in the living room."

Our mother's gaze advances to me in excitement. "Is that true, sweetie?"

"Yes."

She scurried to my side, dropping herself on the stool to my right. "Okay. Who do we have so far?"

"Um. None."

"I have one." Kathie squealed. "There was this guy in your class who asked you out on a date and you canceled on him at the last minute. Wait, I think it was in the last second because he's already pulled into our driveway when you texted him that you're not going after all."

"Tom Evans?"

"Yes, right." She nodded aggressively.

My fingers that were hovering over the keyboard, typed in his name in a rhythm that was both thrilled and hesitant. My heart did a little dance when I recalled two more guys.

1. Tom Evans – The boy whom I canceled on in the last 'second' as Kathie put it.

2. Hunter Anderson – The boy who made me a painting of myself. He crept me out (mostly because he had sketches of me in his notebooks.)

3. Adam Roswell – The boy who won the basketball game because I told him I would only go out with him if they win. He was a narcissist, by the way.

"Are you sure about Adam Roswell? I seem to remember him being a jerk." Kathie scrunches her nose thoughtfully.

I flick a hand dismissively. "It's fine. He'll stay on the bottom of the list."

"Oh, sweetheart, I think I remember one." My mom clutches my elbow in excessive enthusiasm.

Kathie and I both turned to her expectantly.

Mom holds up a finger and paused dramatically. "How about Nathan?"

"Really, mom?" My shoulders slumped. "That boat sailed a long time ago."

"Why not? You used to like him."

I shake my head. "I did. That's why I rejected all these guys in the first place." Besides, the man is dating someone. Let's give him a break.

"No?"

"It's an absolute no," I replied flatly.

"Okay, then. Good luck finding someone else who looks good in overalls." She shrugged casually.

I gaped at her. "Mom."

"What? Your dad looks good in overalls. And I've never been happier with my life choices."

Kathie laughed. "Let's just move on to the next."

"Oh, and speaking of." Mom turns to the three shadows entering the kitchen from the garden. "Hi, guys. How's the gardening?"

"Garden's looking great, babe." Dad winks.

I gambled a glance their way. Ethan was naturally cute in their matching overalls. His hair is a muss on his head from the hat I told him not to take off. Dad is a little dirtied up, but he's always liked the outdoors. And then there was Nathan.

It should've been hilarious and awkward to see a grown man in overalls, but it was just... amusing. For some reason, labor doesn't do the trick to ugly him up. There were still beads of sweat on his forehead, his hair in a curling mess like Ethan's – which made the resemblance unmistakable. There were dents on his plain, white shirt, accentuating the hard planes of his delectably muscled chest and shoulders.

Nathan works out, I know that. I just hadn't acknowledged the fact that he has an amazing body. I gulp, my gaze meeting his blue eyes.

His brows twitched up, the movement is sexy and slow.

My cheeks heated.

"Doesn't he look handsome in his overalls?" Mom asks in a sing-song voice.

I blink, fixing my gaze on Ethan. Which is not much of a safe zone because I still see the same baby-blue eyes. "Yep, really cute," I hear myself say.

Book 4

Once upon a time, Kylie Preston had a semi-exciting life. Until her spitfire attitude sparked the interest of notorious playboy, Christian Parkinson. And no matter how many times he was rebuffed, his flowers made it to her desk every single day. Although a cocky nuisance, his persistence advances him past her defenses. And then slowly, but surely, she finds herself stepping out of those defenses.