As I get closer, I get a better view of the woman my kids have been talking about. The one that has Sophie so upset. She can’t be more than twenty years old. Hell, I wouldn’t be surprised if she were still a teenager. Jesus, I’d love to know what my ex is thinking he’s doing. Talk about a midlife crisis.
“Hey, kids!” Miles is all teeth and fake charm.
“Daddy!” Sophie is the first one there, of course, throwing herself at his waist, hugging him hard. Jacob stops at the bottom of the steps, waiting for his father to bring him up. I vow to myself that I will use my next paycheck to put in a ramp so that he doesn’t have to do that anymore.
Miles’s attention moves from his children to the other people in the group. “Who’s this?” He detaches the girls from his body and walks toward us. At the bottom of the steps, he stops next to Jacob and holds his hand out. “Nice to meet you. My name is Miles.”
At least he’s not being a total jerk. We arrive just as Jacob is giving him his tiny hand. “My name is Jacob. I’m Spider-Man’s pet crocodile.”
“Really? Cool.”
“Hello, Miles,” I say, trying to sound friendly but not really pulling it off. “What are you doing here?”
“I can’t see my kids on Halloween?”
I shrug. “Of course you can. But a call or a text might’ve been nice.” I look up at his girlfriend for a second before addressing him again. “But maybe that would’ve interfered with your plans to go into my house when I wasn’t home.”
His expression darkens. “Don’t start, Jenny.”
Dev holds his hand out for a handshake, inserting himself into the conversation. “Hey, bud. I’m Dev. Nice to meet you.”
Miles tips his head back to look Dev in the eye. He shakes his hand, maybe a little star-struck, if I’m reading his expression accurately. “Miles. Nice to meet you too.” He narrows his eyes. “Don’t think I’ve heard you mentioned before.”
Dev releases his hand and smiles. “Nope. Probably not. I’m the new guy on the block.”
“What are you supposed to be tonight?” Miles asks, looking Dev up and down. “The Jolly Green Giant?” He laughs at his own lame joke.
Dev laughs good-naturedly. “Close. I’m a green bean, actually.”
Miles shakes his head, but wisely says nothing. He’s lucky, because I’m seriously considering slapping him right now. I just need one more reason. Just give me one more, Miles. Just one.
Miles turns halfway and looks up the stairs at his girlfriend. “Chastity, why don’t you come on down here and say hello?”
The girl, who’s still learning her social manners, apparently, walks down, teetering on very high heels. I have to grit my teeth to keep from mumbling anything unkind. She’s young. She’ll learn eventually how to act, I hope. As long as she doesn’t stay with Miles for too long, anyway.
“Hi,” she says, “nice to meet you.” She gives me her hand, but only manages to get her fingers into my grasp. They’re as limp as a pile of worms.
“Nice to meet you.” I want to say that I’ve heard a lot about her, that my kids don’t like her, and that I think she’s too young to be dating an old man like Miles, but of course I don’t. I just smile and smile and smile. It’s easier to do with Dev at my side.
“I’m going to take Jacob inside if it’s okay with you,” Dev says to me.
“Of course. Go ahead. I’ll be right in.”
Dev gets on with the business of lifting his son and his chair up to the porch, walking backward. I admire the way his muscles strain under the weight, smiling to myself as I picture him under me in the backseat of that stupid Pontiac. He is such a good man. Seeing him here next to Miles makes it that much more obvious. I can’t believe I was so blind. I spent ten years with that turdbasket.
I shift my focus to him, speaking quietly so only he will hear me. “So, why are you really here, Miles? Because I know it’s not to visit the kids.” They’re in the house now, digging into their candy, so I can afford to be honest.
He hisses out a sigh of annoyance. “I don’t want to have another fight with you.”
I shrug casually. “I don’t either. I just want you to be honest. You can do that, can’t you?” I glance at his girlfriend, who’s staring at the ground. Good. She’s uncomfortable. She should be. “Oh wait, that’s not really your forte, is it? Being honest . . .”
“Just shut it, Jenny. I’m here for the watch.”
I frown at him. This is coming out of left field. “The watch? What watch?”