Page 23 of Always You (A Lilac Bay Novel)

“Hey,” Andrew said, stepping forward to kiss her cheek. “We were just about to come in and ask if you needed help.”

“Hewas,” I said, settling on the couch next to Aiden, now happily engrossed in the DS. “I thought I’d stay here, kick my feet up—”

“You’re so funny,” she said, looking to Andrew. “How do you put up with her in that office all day?”

He sighed. “It’s a struggle.”

“Careful,” I told him. “I’m more than willing to withhold candy from you as well.”

“Riley, will you go get Jayden?” Rebecca asked. “He’s moping in his room.” She patted Andrew’s chest. “Come on, why don’t you come in and open that wine for me, and we can complain about how annoying my sister is.”

I found Jayden in the room that he shared with his older brother. Rebecca and Jake lived in a three-bedroom ranch, thoughthree-bedroomwas a bit of an exaggeration. Aiden’s room was barely larger than a closet, while the two older boys shared a room that hardly fit their bunk bed. I found Jayden sitting on the bottom bunk, a coloring book in his hands. He didn’t look up when I entered.

“What’s up there, buddy?” I asked, taking a seat next to him on the bunk. “You coloring?”

“I guess so,” he said, clutching the crayon in his hand a little tighter, but not bringing it to the paper.

“Iron Man, huh?” I asked, seeking at the cover. “He’s pretty cool.”

“Not as cool as Captain America,” he grumbled.

“Oh, absolutely. Cap is the best Avenger.”

Jayden sighed. “I told mom that. Mason is the one who likes Iron Man. But she bought the wrong one.”

I made a mental note to bring Jayden a new coloring book the next time I came over.

“Is that why you’re grumpy?”

“I’m not grumpy,” he said, rubbing his eyes. They looked red and I wondered if he was the one I had heard crying.

“It’s okay to be grumpy, Jay,” I told him, rubbing his back. “Everyone gets grumpy sometimes.”

“Not my mommy.”

I laughed. “Believe me, kid, I lived with your mommy for sixteen years. She definitely gets grumpy.” He still didn’t look up. I wondered what had happened to make him so upset tonight. He was such a sensitive little guy; it didn’t take much to send him off to his room. “Did you know that Andrew came over with me?” I asked. “He gets grumpy a lot.”

He finally looked up, his eyebrows raised. Jayden adored Andrew and Eddie, ever since the Powell twins had taken him out on their boat the summer before for an all-day fishing trip on Lake Michigan. It wasn’t very often that he got to do grown-up things without his older brother around. He had talked about that day for months. I had already told Andrew that he would be repeating the favor this summer.

“Oh, yeah,” I said. “You should see him before he has his coffee in the morning. He’s a major grump.”

“Does he throw temper tantrums?”

“All the time. Sometimes he even stomps his foot and cries.”

Finally, Jayden laughed. “I don’t believe you.”

“Oh, believe it, kid,” Andrew said from the doorway. I looked up to see him leaning against the frame. “One time I even threw myself on the ground and screamed.”

Jayden giggled.

“Your mom sent me to see what was taking you so long. Your dad is home.”

“Daddy!” Jayden cried, all traces of grumpiness sliding form his face. He tossed the coloring book aside and ran from the room. From the living room I heard the cries and laughter that indicated that Jake had arrived.

“I throw temper tantrums, huh?” Andrew asked as I stood.

I shrugged as I passed by him on my way to the kitchen. “Hey, someone had to tell the kid the truth.”