The smirk on Raven’s face fell, and Elise felt a stab of satisfaction. “Oh. Wow. I’m sorry.”

“Me too.”

Erin paused and sat forward, grabbing Elise’s hands. “That wasn’t him on the phone just now, right? If so, you need to record it and call the cops. Todd and Ben used to be cops, they know folks you can talk to. Or let Brody answer the next time. He’ll set that f**ker straight.” Erin shook her head. “I hate abusers.”

Ah yes, a reality check. After that call from Bettina it was hard to do. Things could be so much worse. It could be Ken, high and paranoid, screaming into the voice mail that he loved her and would kill her and Rennie so they could all be together. Compared to that, dealing with Bettina was a walk in the park. Besides, she’d gone head-to-head with Bettina and had won. Her child was out of their clutches. Even the phone calls could stop after Rennie turned ten, if Rennie so chose. They’d still controlled Elise to a certain extent as they played this little back-and-forth. But it was a waiting game and she’d do what she had to to be free of them forever.

Elise breathed out slowly. “No, it wasn’t him. He can’t call anyone, he’s dead.”

“Oh.” Erin started to say more, but just then the game ended and chaos broke over the group as the guys came off the field and the kids ran over and the area overflowed with good-natured trash talk and lots of jostling and laughter.

Rennie headed not for her mother, but to Brody, who tossed her the ball, and she caught it before he gathered her up into his arms. The two of them laughed, and Elise realized she wasn’t the only Sorenson female to have made friends with Brody.

He reached them, and Rennie scrambled from his arms, barreling toward Elise. “Momma! Brody says he’s gonna get a pizza and we can all eat it in his living room! He said we could sit on a blanket on the floor and have a pizza picnic and he’d make root beer floats. Brody is totally awesome, he even invited Nina!” Rennie’s eyes were wide, her face flushed, her hair a disheveled mess.

What a nice man he was. Nina and Rennie both seemed ecstatic about the whole thing. “Brody is totally awesome, you’re absolutely right.”

Rennie threw her arms around Elise’s neck and kissed her cheek. “Momma, can Nina stay over tonight? I’m asking real quietly in your ear instead of asking in front of her and I got all my spelling words right this week. Can she, please?”

Elise nodded. “Yes. But let’s okay it with Nina’s mom too.”

Nina giggled and Maggie nodded. “You sure? They could come to our house tonight. We’re not going to the barbecue anyway.”

“I’ll do it this time, you guys next time. How’s that?”

“You have a deal.” Maggie looked down at the girls. “Let’s go get Nina’s pajamas and toothbrush. I’ll bring them to your place in a few minutes?”

“Great. I’m on my way now. Be good for Miss Maggie, okay?” she asked Rennie, who nodded solemnly and then danced around, singing about crocodiles and monkeys. A sleepover? She was having an extra piece of pizza for this.

Elise looked around Rennie, up into Brody’s face, and smiled. “I’m sorry about this. My house would probably be better since Nina is staying over.”

“Makes sense. Next time we’ll do it at my place. I just need to stop off at my house to grab the root beer and ice cream.” He grabbed his bag and pulled a sweatshirt over his head.

“You sure you aren’t supposed to go to that barbecue? Maggie mentioned it. I don’t want you to babysit us instead of being with your friends. And you did just think it would be me and Rennie. Two six-year-olds together? Whoo. You’re going to have a headache when you leave.” She laughed and sent an affectionate look at her daughter trailing off after Maggie.

“I’ve already told you, you are my friend too. I’ve known Nina since she was born, and Rennie and I are friends now. You three ladies are my dates for the evening. Imagine the kind of brag that’ll allow me.” He winked. “Now, come on.” He began to tug her toward their street. “Honestly, I don’t even want to go to this barbecue. It’ll be loud and people will be drinking from plastic cups and tapping kegs. I want a quiet night.”

“If you’re sure.”

“I’m sure I wish we had about ten more minutes, because you look good enough to eat,” he said in a low voice that sent shivers through her.

“Instead you get squealing and giggling.”

“And pizza. Don’t forget pizza. Anyway, this isn’t my first slumber party. I raised Erin through her teen years.”

Brody sat back and watched how Elise was with the girls. Neverending patience, kindness, a vein of whimsy he hadn’t imagined she possessed. She laughed as she helped him make root beer floats, she knew card tricks and she knew how to kick some serious ass on the PlayStation.

She was so very capable, which was beyond sexy. In his deepest heart, he could admit he found it sexy because she took care of her own shit. He didn’t have to be responsible for her. She didn’t need taking care of, though he did like it when she shared parts of her past with him.

He could enjoy her. He could enjoy their friendship and whatever else they had. He liked her, respected her. She was something he’d never really brushed up against before, so exotic and beautiful to his eye, to his heart.

And that kid of hers, wow. Irene was such a spot of sunshine. Bright, happy, loving. Whatever put that fear in Elise’s eyes, she’d done something spectacular in shielding that little girl from it.