Diamond in the Rough (Diamond J #2) by Lori L. Robinett

Author:Lori L. Robinett [Robinett, Lori L.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Three Creeks Press
Published: 2016-05-14T04:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO

The Watch

Gina unlocked her back door and walked into the kitchen. Sandy and Toby were at the kitchen table, playing a game of Chutes and Ladders. Toby slid off his seat and ran to greet her, wrapping his arms around her and squeezing with all his might. She felt her heart melt as he whispered in her ear, “I love you, Mom.”

Her little boy was growing up. He had stopped calling her Mommy shortly after he started Kindergarten. The good part about him getting bigger was that she didn’t worry about him quite as much when he went with Steve. At least she trusted him to call her now if Steve did something inappropriate. At the thought of Steve, she glanced up at the clock on the microwave.

6:42 p.m.

He was late again. He was supposed to have been over to pick Toby up at 6:30. Of course, she was late, too, and given that fact, she was glad her ex was running late so she could have a few precious moments with her son before he left for his overnight with his daddy.

As if conjured by her thoughts, the back door swung open and Steve stepped into the kitchen. Toby pulled away from her and ran toward his daddy, then wrapped his arms around Steve’s legs in a hug. Steve didn’t bend to meet him, nor did he hug his son. Instead, he patted the boy on the back. She knew he loved his son, and for that she was thankful, but wished he was more demonstrative about it. Men showed affection differently, though. She knew that.

But she didn’t understand it.

Steve said, “Go get your backpack, buddy.”

Sandy scooted her chair back from the table and began putting the game away.

Steve took a step toward Gina, then laid an envelope on the kitchen counter and slid it toward her. He murmured, “Toby told me about the dishwasher. Here's a little extra to help out.”

She frowned and took the envelope, then lifted the flap and looked inside. She flipped through a stack of hundred dollar bills and her eyes flew to Steve’s. He was grinning that same lop-sided grin that had first attracted her to him. Her eyes narrowed as she looked at the money again, then back at him. A reflection on his wrist caught her eye. He was wearing a watch.

An expensive looking, very nice watch.

Not the crappy Velcro strap thing from Wal-Mart that he usually wore.

“Where’d you get this?” she demanded, pointing at the watch.

“Job I did,” he said, the grin fading. He looked away.

She narrowed her eyes and cocked her head. “What kind of job?”

Sandy grabbed her purse off the floor by the coat tree, hurried toward the door, apparently anxious to escape the tension building in the room, and said, “I need to get going. Tell Toby—”

Toby appeared in the doorway and asked, “Tell me what?”

Sandy blew him a kiss and said, “I’ll see you Friday, okay?”

The little boy’s chubby cheeks turned pink and he waved her kiss off.

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