Something warm twisted inside him. Abby might not want him in their lives, but she was doing her best to ensure it worked. He made a mental note to say thank you. Another excuse to go see her. God, he was pathetic. “Yeah, that’s what happened.”
Jenny cocked her head. “I wouldn’t mind a brother. Then I’d have someone to look after me. Or someone for me to look after. That would be nice.”
He bit back a smile. “You’ve got your mum and me to look after you. Come here.” As he held out his arms, she stepped in close. He hugged her tight for a moment and then kissed the top of her head. “Let’s go get some lunch.”
A little while later they were seated in his favorite pizza place. They gave their order and he sat back. He’d resisted asking on the way here, but now he couldn’t refrain from just one question. “How’s your mother?”
Jenny took a sip of Coke then stared him in the eyes. “I think she’s avoiding you.”
It occurred to him that maybe he should find a safe way out of this conversation that he shouldn’t have started in the first place, but somehow the words just popped out. “She is? Why do you think that?”
“Well, she was supposed to be looking after me today, but she phoned Gran and asked her to come around. She told Gran that work had called and she had to go in, but they hadn’t. She could have waited until you’d picked me up.”
He had no idea what to say to that, but he didn’t have to worry, Jenny was on a roll. “Maybe it’s because she’s got a new boyfriend.”
He looked up, but her expression was guileless. “She has? That’s nice,” he said, lying through his teeth. A new boyfriend? Christ, she was a quick worker. Unless she was already seeing this new guy while she was screwing him. No doubt he was someone suitable, someone responsible, not a tattooed ex-con with commitment issues.
There. He’d admitted it to himself. He had issues. She was right to stay away from him. And he wasn’t going to rise to Jenny’s bait. He really wasn’t. He was quite aware that Jenny was indulging in a few daydreams of a happy ever after between him and Abby, and while he didn’t want to burst her bubble—and he didn’t want to think too hard why that was—he didn’t want to encourage her either.
Jenny didn’t need any encouragement. “His name’s Jack and he’s a detective. She works with him.”
A fucking detective. That was rubbing it in.
“He’s nice.” Jenny added when he didn’t say anything.
“She brought him home?” She’d better not be sleeping with this guy.
“I’ve met him before—they’ve been friends forever. But this was different. They went out for dinner, like a proper date.”
Ha. So much for not going on dates. What else had she lied about?
The food came and they were silent while the waiter placed their pizzas in front of them. Jenny’s was vegetarian as well. Was she trying to impress him? He wasn’t hungry, and he was fighting an almost irresistible urge to grill his own daughter for details of her mother’s love life. He was a goddamned mess.
“He’s not as nice as you though,” Jenny said eventually. Perhaps she realized she was being less than diplomatic. “And he doesn’t have a motorcycle or a dog.” She took another mouthful. “Or any tattoos.”
At least his daughter liked him. Or she liked his bike and his dog and his tattoos.
After lunch he dropped Jenny off at the house Rachel was now sharing with Abby’s father. It was in Chelsea—a much more affluent part of town than the one Abby lived in—a townhouse, four stories high, and probably worth millions. She’d said her father was a lawyer; he obviously came from money.
“Do you want to come in and meet my grandfather?” Jenny asked as he walked her to the front door.
“Another time,” he said, and she leaned up on tiptoes and kissed him on the cheek.
“I think Mum likes you better than Jack,” she said as the door opened and Rachel appeared.
Driving away, he tried to shift his black mood. He should be happy for Abby. Hell, his coming into her life probably gave her more time to see other men. She’d said it had been hard juggling her daughter and her career. Well, whoop-de-fucking-doo. She could go fuck some other man while he was babysitting their daughter. Good to know he had some uses even if he wasn’t good enough to be her boyfriend.
Was that what she was doing now? Something dark built up inside him at the thought, and his hands tightened on the steering wheel.
Okay. Take a step back.
He was losing it. Again. Since when had he wanted to be anyone’s boyfriend? It was entirely up to her who she fucked. Besides, she was at work right now so she couldn’t be out with this new guy. Except they worked together. So who knew what they got up to when no one was looking. On fucking taxpayers’ time. Hardly ethical. Maybe he should report them to someone.