“I said a lot of things a year ago. But I didn’t know you then. I know you now. I know you, Elise, and I know your daughter and I cherish you both. If you’ll let me, I have no plans to stop.”

“Oh.” She blinked up at him.

“Just so we’re clear.”

She nodded and he couldn’t help but grin.

25

Elise sat on a lounge chair and watched Rennie and Nina swimming with Brody and Adrian. Erin, now fully showing and happier every day, sat across the pool with Ben and Todd, laughing with everyone. It had been a lovely summer day. They’d come over to Erin’s to swim and then they’d have a picnic on Erin’s terrace afterward.

It had been wonderful until Raven showed up. Elise noticed the crowd was split between the Raven lovers and the Raven haters or distrusters. Adrian was firmly in the anti-Raven camp, and it didn’t seem like Ben liked her much either. Over the last month or two, she’d noticed Brody having cooled toward her considerably. She’d left town, and Elise had been looking forward to a few months of peace, but she returned just a few weeks later.

And now she’d decided to take the seat next to Elise. “How’s it going?” Raven said after they’d both been silent for a few minutes.

“Good. You?”

“So everything with whatever personal shit Brody’s all caught up in, that’s all fine now?”

Elise whipped her head around for a moment, but then moved her gaze back to Rennie. “What the heck are you talking about?”

“Brody was going on and on about having to be present for you and the kid, so he couldn’t go out with his friends and stuff. Stuck at your place or something.” Raven shrugged.

Elise was struck dumb for several moments as she weighed what Raven had said. She knew it wasn’t true, but deep down it had been a fear of hers, she could admit it to herself.

“What’s your problem?” She took another quick look at Raven before looking out over Rennie again.

“I don’t have any problems. I just call ’em like I see ’em.”

Elise snorted. “What a crock of crap. You know what kind of people are fond of saying things like that? People who like to confuse blunt with mean and petty. So why don’t we just cut the aforementioned crap and you tell me what your deal is.”

“Oh, so f**king perfect, aren’t you? You come here with your education and your money and you waltz right in using your kid to get attention. I know your game.”

It was so absurd it cut through her fears about Brody and cleared her head. And left her fighting mad. It was time for a Come-to-Jesus with this bitch.

“My game? I don’t have a game and I didn’t use my kid for anything. Brody is with me for me. That’s your deal. You managed to convince him he was better off with fleeting, no-strings relationships so he’d always be available to you when you got bored. Now he’s not and you can’t handle it. Brody wants me and not you, and even though you slept with all those people, you can’t stand it that you can’t have him.”

“I can’t have him? Really now?” Raven moved so that she leaned into Elise’s vision.

Elise put an arm out and pushed her back. “I’m watching my child in the pool, don’t get in my way.”

“Don’t you touch me. You’re a fake and a phony. You play it up for sympathy.”

Ben interrupted, approaching them. “What the hell is going on?”

Raven turned to him. “Little Miss Perfect is just full of shit. If she touches me again, it’s on.”

“Drama much? If I wanted to hit you, I’d have hit you.” Elise rolled her eyes but kept her voice down.

“That’s enough, Raven. If you upset Elise, I’m going to kick you out of here. Just chill.”

“Just perfect. Then she’ll have her way. This is bullshit. Why can’t you people see through this act?”

Elise didn’t bother responding; Raven had ramped up on her little tirade, and Elise had done the tirade thing enough over the course of her life. She wasn’t going there again. It had caught Brody’s attention, though still he kept with the kids. She appreciated that, even though she knew he was dying to come over and intervene.

Not so encumbered, Adrian climbed from the pool, inserting himself between them. “There are children here. Keep it down,” he said to Raven.

“Oh sure, blame me. We used to have adult fun, now there are kids everywhere and we have to watch our mouths. Boring. By the way, Brody kissed me not too long ago. Don’t think I can’t have him if I want. I have had him. I’ll have him again. You can’t hold him, you have nothing to offer.”

Raven stood up and headed for the door.

Elise turned to Adrian. “Please watch Rennie.” She hurried away as Brody called for her. “No. Stay here with the girls. Keep playing. Let me handle this.”

She caught up to Raven near the elevators. “Wait up. We’re not done.”

“I don’t have anything to say to you.” In the light of the windows nearby, Raven was pretty, but she wore her anger like a garment. Elise felt sorry for her, wanted to see what Erin and Brody saw in her, but that didn’t mean she’d be taking any more crap. Raven punched the elevator button repeatedly. Elise had her effectively trapped. Good.

“I have. You don’t love him. You just don’t want anyone else to have him. And that’s selfish. If you cared about him, why wouldn’t you be happy he was happy? They still care about you, you know. I’m not displacing you.”