Disasterology 101 (39 page)

Or like Cedric imagined a scorned woman would look.

Although he had grandmothers, a mother and two sisters, women still remained a mystery to him. Lord knew he wasn’t familiar with that particular facial expression, but he could’ve sworn Jenny looked scornful… and maybe even jealous.

That didn’t make sense, though.

He had to be reading it all wrong.

She’d been the one to ask for a divorce, and Kevin mentioned at some point she was very supportive when he told her about his homosexuality, so what was her problem?

Cedric racked his brain for an answer, but as off-kilter as he felt, he couldn’t come up with anything. It was difficult for him to analyze situations, and keep himself together at the same time when he felt threatened… almost impossible if he was still reeling from something unexpected. The past two hours had been momentous. Much had been said and implied, and not only hadn’t he had the time to process all the details, but he was about to meet the woman who’d been his lover’s wife for almost fifteen years, and their children on top of it.

Lord, have mercy.

If things worked out between him and Kevin, Cedric would be a stepfather. He’d be expected to take care of kids. How was he supposed to do that when he needed so much care himself?

Cedric stayed a couple of steps behind Kevin, took several steadying gulps of air, and concentrated on studying Jenny.

Brown eyes, long blond hair, medium height, and low body fat percentage.

Dazzling—albeit careful—smile she only directed at Kevin.

Very pretty… and extremely good at making people feel like a maggot under a microscope.

Clearly Cedric’s presence made her uncomfortable. Most likely it caught her by surprise. He doubted Kevin had informed her he was seeing someone, and she hadn’t been prepared for it.

He should’ve waited in the car.

She had a say when it came to when and where her kids got to meet her ex-husband’s
friend
, and Cedric didn’t want to be the cause of an argument between her and Kevin. On the other hand, he didn’t feel like making himself scarce either. Whether former Mrs. Morrison liked it or not, she was the ex, and Cedric was Kevin’s current partner. He had every right to stand next to Kevin and bloody hell, he wasn’t going anywhere.

He wanted to walk up to her. Make some serious noise, and stake his claim. But for his lover’s sake, he needed to be tactful.

Jenny was important to Kevin. He admired and respected her. He even admitted to loving her, but not once had Cedric gotten the impression there might be any lingering feelings of the romantic sort on his part. From what he’d told Cedric about his marriage, it’d be safe to say they never existed to begin with. But there was a strong connection. They had met in their teens. A solid friendship paved the way to marriage, and they’d procreated three kids together. It made sense that they wanted to remain friends, and after listening to what Kevin said in the car, Cedric didn’t have a problem with it.

Parents and friends; that’s all they were.

Jenny wasn’t a scorned woman, and Cedric had nothing to worry about in that regard.

It was all in his mind.

But did she have to stand so close to Kevin? Did she really need to put her hand on his shoulder like she owned him or something? Did she have to whisper in his ear?

Back off, lassie. Back the fuck off.

Not daring to look at the kids just yet in case he lost it right then and there, he tugged on his lip ring, and held Jenny’s gaze when she looked at him without letting her see how nervous he was.

He inhaled and exhaled slowly.

He prayed for control of his anxiety, and hoped not to say anything too stupid or embarrassing. He had to come across as a responsible adult. Someone she could trust with her children, even if he didn’t quite trust himself.

Please, God. Please.

Being introduced to Kevin’s little ones was an honor—even if he’d forced the situation—as well as a necessity. Something Cedric had to do if he wanted things between him and Kevin to go any further. Only time would tell if that was viable, but in the meantime it was important he didn’t mess up in front of their mother. In order to accomplish that, he had to remove as many triggers as possible.

First thing on his list was to block out his surroundings, and the fact he was standing in front of a hospital full of sick people carrying all kinds of germs.

Make sure his skin wasn’t exposed.

Stay away from the children as long as possible.

Ignore their little voices, and the where were you’s, and what took you so long’s for a few more minutes.

Let the impact of his presence sink in with all parties involved.

Try to not be one big, raw, exposed nerve when he said hello to them.

No shaking in his boots while he got measured and assessed by one fiercely protective blonde… and no running away when Jenny and Kevin got into a brief but clearly heated argument under their breath.

She looked hurt, and confused. Kevin seemed apologetic as he talked back to her, but when Jenny shook her head, his expression promptly changed. He grabbed his little girl from her mum’s arms, and cradled her against his wide chest. He was very careful, but he looked like he couldn’t be bothered with whatever his ex-wife had to say.

Cedric took a step back, then another. He didn’t want to be the cause of an argument. Not in front of the children anyway. More than willing to hide in his SUV until Jenny had settled, he turned away, and ran into the oldest girl. She was a soft-looking, sweet, female miniature-version of Kevin.

He grabbed her shoulders, and steadied her automatically, then retrieved his hands before her germs could get to him. “I am so sorry,” he apologized earnestly, looking down into dark blue eyes that were exactly like Kevin’s. “I didn’t mean to hurt you.”

“You didn’t.” Her smile was shy, but dazzling. Cedric was a goner. “You sound like the characters from Harry Potter.”

Cedric’s chuckle took him by surprise. He couldn’t decide if he was amused, or about to freak out. “You sound exactly like your father,” he said while backing off some more. “He told me I sound like the characters from Doctor Who the first time we met.”

“Me and Daddy love British shows and movies,” she informed him.

“That’s not proper grammar, Brianna.” Cedric heard Jenny say. He didn’t look at her. Couldn’t. It was hard enough to deal with the kids.

“Sorry,” Brianna said, not looking away from Cedric. “Daddy and I also like Downton Abbey.”

I know
, Cedric thought.
He likes to watch it while I rub his back
. Out loud he said, “I’m more of a Monty Python chap myself.”

“Dude, that watch’s mad cool.” Cedric looked at the boy. He had Kevin’s eyebrows and smile, and his voice had the same intonation as his dad’s. But he was blond, and looked like his mum. “How much does that cost? I really dig it.”

Dig it?
Cedric tugged his lip ring, and took another step back.
What is that again? Dig it, dig it, dig it… Oh!

“Thank you.” He forced a smile. “I like your jersey, although Beckham isn’t my favorite football player.”

Smartass’s brown eyeballs almost fell out of their sockets. Jesus. Cedric couldn’t call him Smartass, regardless of what Kevin had said. What was the boy’s name again?

“You’re from England, and you don’t like Manchester United?”

He looked so incredulous, Cedric chuckled again. “My favorite football club is Real Madrid.”

TK!
That was his name.

“I can’t believe you don’t like Beckham,” TK grumbled.

“I like Cristiano Ronaldo,” Cedric informed, hoping to not fall out of his future stepson’s grace over a discrepancy in soccer players and teams. “He’s an extremely talented player, and way hotter than Becks.”

Blimey
.

He realized he shouldn’t have said anything when he saw TK frown, and heard Jenny’s gasp.

“Cedric,” Kevin intervened. “I want you to meet my son, Timothy Kevin. He’s my oldest, pride and joy. We call him TK. The gorgeous girl talking your ears off is my princess, Brianna, and this here is Ava, Daddy’s little girl.”

There was no introduction to the ex-wife, which was fine.

Cedric glanced over his shoulder, and took a look at Jenny’s mirror image, only to snap his head around when someone touched his arm.

Brianna.

Trying to shake his hand.

“Nice to meet you.” She pushed her little glasses up her nose, and smiled at him. “Is it Cedric Diggory, like in Harry Potter?”

Cedric gulped. “Like Wilfred’s father in Ivanhoe.” He shook her hand first, then TK’s before wiping his forehead and crossing his arms over his chest.

“What’s Ivanhoe?”

“A novel published in 1820.” Cedric rubbed his hands up and down his arms, and gripped his legs. “It is my mum’s favorite book. She named all her children after characters from the story.”

“What are their names?”

“Wilfred, Isaac, Rebecca, and Rowena.”

“Is it a historical novel?”

He tugged his lip ring, and nodded quickly. He was surprised—and strangely proud—of Brianna’s interest. She was obviously smart and inquisitive, and Cedric wished he could sit and have a conversation about the book with her.

“I’d like to read it,” Brianna said with a little smile.

“Nerd,” TK added. “I can’t believe I’m saying this, but Harry Potter sounds way cooler. At least they have wands and flying brooms.”

“I can lend it to you,” Cedric said to Brianna with an encouraging smile. He felt sorry for the little girl. It must be hell to put up with her older brother’s smart mouth.

“I’d have to approve the material first,” Jenny snapped. “You can’t give anything to my daughter without my consent.”

Cedric glared at her.

“Or he could get
my
approval,” Kevin said, pulling Cedric by the hem of his shirt. Cedric didn’t resist. He needed this. Kevin’s steady presence would make everything better.

The second he stood in front of his lover he felt safe from the kids, their germs, the evil ex-wife, and his own stupidity.

But his new position left him vulnerable to the small, wandering fingers that brushed the side of his face and got hold of his braids.

“I like your hair,” a sleepy voice said. “Iz long, and soff.”

Cedric jumped away and fisted his hands. “No touching!” He didn’t mean to yell, but his heart was thumping loudly, and it was getting harder to breathe.

“Do you have a problem with my kids?” Jenny asked with narrowed eyes.

“No, he doesn’t,” Kevin growled. “Jenny, this is my very
special
friend, Cedric Haughton-Disley.” He stepped closer to Cedric, and rubbed his back briefly. Kevin looked a little pale, and a vein pulsed wildly on his neck, but he looked collected when he turned to Jenny again. “Cedric, meet my ex-wife, Jenny Morrison.”

Cedric straightened fully, his eyes fixed on Jenny’s face. She didn’t offer her hand for a shake, and neither did he. Instead they measured each other up while Cedric screamed inside his head.

What’s your bloody problem? He’s gay, and you didn’t want him anymore. I didn’t steal him from you.

“Your hair’s really pretty,” the little girl said, extending her arms to him. “Can you hold me?” she asked, all innocence and sleepy cuteness, and also a little bit of snot in her nose. “I want you to hold me.”

Cedric stepped backward. If Kevin’s pretty daughter touched him again he just might snap, and he didn’t want that.

“You made a mistake, bringing him here,” Jenny said, trying to take her daughter from Kevin’s arms. “I’ll call my sister. You two can go back to whatever—”