Loving the Ice Queen

Chapter 29

Ryan

"Who was at the door?" Eleanor asked, her cheeks as flushed as Jeremy's.

We were sitting at the back porch table. Jeremy and Eleanor pouring hot chocolate down their throats like water.

"Billy. He's gone now," Barbara said, dunking a ginger cookie in a fresh cup of coffee.

Eleanor didn't comment, but I could see the need to curse on her face. I guess she didn't like Billy much either.

I smiled when Barbara bit the soggy cookie and dunked the rest of it again. "And you find my dunking fries in ice cream disgusting?"

She gave me a look. "That's a completely different matter. Cookies are supposed to be dunked in hot drinks. It enhances the flavors."

"May I try?" Jeremy said, chocolate smearing his left cheek.

I nodded, and Barbara moved her glass closer. Jeremy dunked a chocolate chip cookie in her cup of coffee.

"Wait until it's just the right texture," Barbara said, her. Head close to Jeremy's as they looked at the cookie in the coffee. "If you take it out too soon, it's like you did nothing, if you leave it in for too long, it'll be too soggy and fall into the coffee."

"When should I take it out?" Jeremy asked. "Now?"

"Wait a little longer."

"But it's going to break!" Jeremy said with a giggle.

Barbara smiled. "Okay now!"

Jeremy took out the cookie. It was too soggy. It almost broke.

"Quick, quick, quick!" Barbara said, grinning from ear to ear. Jeremy managed to bite it before it fell off. Jeremy tried to swallow past his laughter, making Barbara laugh. She wiped his cheek with her finger and brushed her hands off as if it was the most natural thing in the world.

I realized I was smiling. I caught Eleanor's eyes. She was looking at me, and it wasn't the hostile look she'd given me when I first showed up here. I raised my brow. She just looked away.

We had our snack of cookies, then Jeremy was off to play again.

"Is it okay if he dips his feet in the water?" Barbara asked, taking off her shoes then socks.

"Sure," I said.

She jumped to her feet and skipped down the steps to join Jeremy and the dogs on the beach. Pointing at us, she said something. Jeremy jumped in his spot, then settled down to take off his shoes and socks, and Barbara helped him roll his pants up, and off they went to the water.

I didn't know who looked more excited, Jeremy or the dogs.

Eleanor turned to me. "If you're not serious about Barbara, piss off."

Well, that didn't take long. I raised my hands in surrender. "I am serious about her. You think I'll let anyone spend time with my son?"

Her green eyes narrowed to slits. "What about your ex?"

"What about her?" I asked.

"Barbara might not go on social media much, but I do, and I see all your ex-wife's posts and hints about getting back together with you," Eleanor said. "What's going to happen once she's here again? Are you just going to push Barbara off to the side the way you did before?"

I sighed. "I can't control what Miranda says on her social media. And I frankly don't care as long as it doesn't affect Jeremy. Miranda is Jeremy's mother. Nothing more. Nothing less. We're not getting back together. I am serious about Barbara. I'd be lucky to have her in my life. I fucked up once, and I'm not planning to do it again."