Chapter 136

Beau leans back and looks at me, affronted, like I’ve horribly offended him. “Oh, I see what’s happening here.”

“Good,” I say, grateful that he’s finally come into some self-awareness. It is incredibly inappropriate to take a baby into a bar to meet a random hook-up date.

“You’re jealous,” he says.

No! He missed the mark!

“That is absolutely not true,” I say too quickly.

Beau narrows his eyes at me as he considers me with suspicion. I’m afraid what he’ll find if he stares too long, so I fling it all right back at him.

“I’m pissed you want to take a little baby into a bar to meet some random woman!”

“Like I have some other choice!” Beau says back, matching my tone. “Do you have any idea how rare this opportunity is? I can’t pass this by! But I’m also not going to shirk on my duties to Chloe and this family.”

“You could cancel,” I say, incredulous.

“Gods, if you could see my date, you would understand.”

“What is that supposed to mean?”

He holds his hands up in front of him, like he’s mimicking… breasts?

“She has the best pair of tits I’ve ever seen in my life,” he says. “They are so big, and if you could see her run… I can only imagine how much they’ll bounce when I’m cock-deep in –”

“Language!” I say quickly. I shield one of Mia’s ears. I can’t reach body while I’m holding her. “Mia doesn’t need to hear about your conquests.”

He shrugs, but thank Gods at least stops talking. As I look down at Mia, I can’t help but notice my own breasts for comparison. I’m a little bit curvy but I’m not perfect. I’m not big.

Not that I care who Beau dates, or how much of an hourglass figure they have. It’s not my business. He’s a boytoy. He’s probably slept with half the women in this town, if not more.

None of my concern.

“Whatever,” I say, and it sounds crueler than I mean it to. My mood has taken a turn for the worst. “Do what you want. But you can’t take Mia to Larry’s.”

“So you’ll watch her, then? Thanks, Chloe!”

He leans down, kisses Mia on the cheek, and then runs out the door, all before I can realize what he’s doing.

That asshole dropped his baby-watching turn right on me.

“Beau!” I call after him. By the time I reach the hallway, he’s long gone. I go to the window in time to see his motorcycle peel away.

How did he get to the garage so quickly? Did he shift into a wolf just so he would outpace me?

“What a horrible little schemer,” I grumble.

Mia giggles, and I give her the attention. It’s not that I mind spending time with Mia. I don’t. And I didn’t exactly have other plans for the night, so I’m not even inconvenienced. But Beau is shirking his responsibilities again.

I sigh because there’s not a hell of a lot I can do about it. I’m certainly not about to run to Neil to complain about the schedule. The poor guy needs rest.

Maybe tomorrow morning, I can properly reprimand Beau.

Not that he’ll listen to me.

It will feel good to yell at him though. I like when his attention is on me, instead of some big-breasted mystery woman that he’s probably going to bring back here and –

No, Chloe. Don’t do that to yourself. This is fine. I don’t care who Beau fucks. I don’t like him romantically at all. He’s hot. That moment on the mountain was a trick of the light or sleep deprivation or something. It had nothing to do with feelings.

I focus on that thought, that feelings are out of the equation entirely, and take Mia back to the playroom. Unfortunately, that thought doesn’t block out the burning discomfort in my chest.

I set Mia down near her blocks then quickly check my front and profile views in the nearby view. My boobs aren’t that small… right?

Later, I meet Steven in the kitchen to practice feeding Mia. He’s got a container of mushed up peas and a small plastic spoon. Mia is in her high-chair. Most of the peas are on her chin or her bib. At this point, I’m not sure she’s swallowed even the equivalent of one pea.

It’s good practice for both Steven and Mia though, so there’s no harm in letting it continue.

Plus, despite my many, many attempts to focus, I can’t help thinking about my own mediocre breasts. What sort of fertility goddess is Beau going out with tonight that her tits would be as big as he indicated?

“Chloe,” Steven says.

I shake myself from my thoughts to find both Steven and Mia looking at me curiously.

“Is something wrong?” Steven asks.

“No,” I say. “I’m fine.”

Steven narrows his eyes. But, eventually he does look away. He scoops one tiny spoonful of mushed peas. Then he abruptly looks back at me.

“You just did it again,” he says.

“Did what?” I ask.

“You’ve been sighing repeatedly,” Steven says. “Nearly every thirty seconds for the past five minutes. If something isn’t bothering you, you may wish to consult a doctor –”

“I don’t need a doctor,” I say quickly, stopping that train of thought right there. I can only imagine. Hey, doc, do you think my tits are average?

I cover my face and groan.

“I won’t push you if you don’t want to talk,” Steven says. “If it’s an emotional matter, I might not know how to help. However, if it’s logical advice you need, I can attempt to give that.”

It’s decidedly not an emotional matter. No feelings! None whatsoever!

Maybe logical advice is exactly what I need.

“Okay.”

“Okay,” Steven says. He feeds Mia the last of the mushy peas. She gets most of it in her mouth this time, then smacks her lips together. He smiles fondly at her while he wipes her face with a soft towel. He’s gentle with it, with Mia. He’d make a good Dad.

I shake the thought away. What does it matter to me? I’ll be gone in three weeks.

The breasts issue, though. That one will haunt me long after I leave here. If I’m under-average, I should really know now, so I can temper my expectations.

Steven takes the container and spoon to the sink. Then he returns to me. He sits again on a stool beside Mia in her high-chair, across the kitchen island from where I stand.

“I’m ready,” he says. He folds his arms neatly on the table. He’s so professional, a true scientist ready to dissect my question. It makes me a little embarrassed to admit what it is.

But, no. A logical piece of advice would surely set my mind and heart straight.

“Steven,” I say, then take a breath. “Would you… er… Scientifically speaking…” I’m losing my nerve. Maybe this is a terrible idea after all.

“Yes?” Steven asks, and he looks so earnest, like he genuinely wants to help.

So squeezing my eyes shut, I shove all the words out at once, “Do you think my bust size is bigger or smaller than average?”

I wait, but there’s a moment’s silence. Then another. And Another.

Finally I peek my eyes open.

Steven sits there, mouth agape. His face is as red as a cherry tomato.