Ari didn’t dignify the question with a reply. Instead, she pointed out what any rational person would already have noticed. “That’s a long way for a five-year-old to fall.”
Irene tsked. “You’ll keep him safe when you’re up there with him. That’s what Matt pays you to do, isn’t it?”
“Yes, that’s exactly what Matt pays me to do. Which is why there’s no way I’m going to put Noah on a trampoline like that in the first place.” Matt might worry too much, but in this, he would be perfectly justified. “It’s too tall for him to even climb on.”
Irritation flashed in Irene’s big blue eyes. “There’s a rope ladder. Besides, you can boost him up.”
“No,” Ari said emphatically. “Not without netting.”
One of the men scrambled up and began jumping on the trampoline. Noah shouted in excitement. “Can I try, Mommy? Can I, can I?”
Before Irene could get out the word yes, Ari said, “No.”
“I’ll help him,” Irene insisted. Thankfully, though, she wasn’t exactly kicking off her heels and making a run for the trampoline.
“Not while I’m here.” Ari would stick to Noah like glue if that meant keeping him safe from his mother’s dangerous gift. “He could fall off before you had a chance to grab him.” Ari pointed a finger at the delivery man, then jerked her thumb back, gesturing for him to get down. He rolled off the side, his heavy work boots thudding on the ground.
“Party pooper,” Irene said. “You’re just like Matt. He took away the skateboard I gave Noah last year. And the kiddie parachute I bought him. The canopy was a huge Superman.”
“You gave Noah a real parachute?”
“Haven’t you ever jumped out of a plane? There were kids out there jumping, and they had the best time. Free-falling is one of the most amazing sensations ever.” She sighed like she’d just had an orgasm.
But Ari couldn’t imagine that free-falling had anything on making love with Matt.
Oh God, she couldn’t be thinking like that, especially not around Matt’s ex!
She turned her focus back to the issue at hand. “That’s crazy. Children shouldn’t be jumping out of airplanes.”
“Spoilsport.” Irene scrunched her nose. Even then she was stunning. “I can see you’re the perfect nanny for Matt, just as overprotective as he is. And here I thought he only hired you because you’re cute. Come on, if you’re so worried about Noah, we can both get on the trampoline with him.”
Working to ignore how insulting the word cute had sounded, as though Ari were nothing more than a new pet meant to entertain the family, she reiterated, “Not without a net.”
“I’m his mother.”
“And I’m his nanny, hired by his custodial parent.”Irene sighed. “All right, Mary Poppins, you win.”
Ari hunkered down in front of Noah, who looked like his world had just ended. “It’s too big for you, honey. You could bounce off and land on your head.” She smoothed her fingers over the bandage on his forehead. Irene hadn’t even asked about it.
“But I wanna try,” he whined.
“Don’t you worry.” Irene swung him up in her arms and marched back to her car. “I thought your daddy might be too much of a stick in the mud to let you have fun with the trampoline, so I brought you plenty of other prezzies.”
“Ma’am, you gotta sign.”
“Put it right back on the truck,” Ari said, ignoring the clipboard the man held out.
“No can do, ma’am. You gotta talk to the store about returns.”
“Then have her sign for it.” Ari nodded at Irene.
Ari had always assumed that having a loving parent meant everything would be okay. But for the first time she realized things were more complicated than that. Because while Irene clearly loved her son, that didn’t necessarily mean she was good for him. Not when she seemed to bring just as much recklessness and instability with her as she did adoration and love.
* * *
After they’d carried the seemingly endless number of boxes and bags into Noah’s playroom, Irene ordered coffee, which Cookie brought, accompanied by pretty bone china cups and coffee cake on matching flowered plates. Ari apologized to Cookie, saying they wouldn’t need the picnic lunch, and got a knowing smile in return, as if she was used to Irene’s unannounced visits. Noah wolfed down cake with a milk chaser, then dove on yet another present.
“No,” Ari said for what felt like the millionth time when he unearthed an array of firecrackers in a bag that read Catalonia. Talking with Irene was like saying no to a child over and over.
“But I got them in this marvelous town in Spain. They have a wonderful tradition—”
“I’m sorry, Noah,” Ari said. “Those are really dangerous.” Seeing that he was on the verge of a tantrum—heck, Ari felt like having a tantrum herself—she added, “Why don’t you build a giant’s castle out of the new Legos your mommy brought you?”
Thankfully, she was able to divert him before the explosion. But Irene wasn’t at all diverted from her purpose. “You really are a Mary Poppins, aren’t you? I didn’t mean Noah should set off the fireworks all by himself. You and Matt can help him. Before we had Noah, it’s just the sort of exciting thing Matt would have loved to do with me.”
Ari tried to ignore the implication about all the other exciting things Matt had loved to do with Irene. And really, no matter what she thought of the woman—or how much her heart clenched inside her chest—she couldn’t pretend his ex wasn’t stunningly beautiful. What man wouldn’t want to do exciting things with Irene? And for more than just one stolen night…
“If we’d ever gotten married,” Irene continued, “I would have made sure we had the most incredible fireworks show.”
“You two were never married?” Ari couldn’t keep the surprise from her voice.
Irene flapped her hand. “God forbid. Matt’s adorable and”—she fluttered her eyelashes—“we’re still such good friends.” She winked as if to make it perfectly clear just how deep that friendship still ran. “Even with the baby coming along, I wasn’t ready for marriage. But I thought having a baby would be such fun.” She widened her eyes dramatically. “I just didn’t realize they were so much work. And I got so bloated and ugly.” She grimaced. “I couldn’t do anything fun anymore.” Then she smiled brightly. “The baby shower was a blast, though. Even if all the presents were for the baby.” She planted her hand on her chest. “I’m an absolutely terrible mother. Matt’s so much better at the whole parenting thing.” She waved with a flourish.