11
Just after dinner two days later, Jilly's phone rang. She had a pile of dirty dishes on the counter and was unloading clean dishes from the dishwasher.
Happy for the distraction, she grabbed her cell from the kitchen chair where she'd left it.
It was Aiden.
She was confused but she picked up.
"I'm calling on Noah's behalf."
She laughed her disbelief. "You've got to be kidding me." She and the kids hadn't been to his house in two days, thanks to a rainy spell that had made painting impossible. They didn't have much left. What could Noah be complaining about now?
Aiden hesitated. "I'm sorry?"
"Noah asked you to call me again?" She couldn't help it if a little anger seeped out in her tone. She'd really thought they were past this.
"If Noah has something to say to me, he can call me himself. Or better yet come over here and say it to my face."
"Ms. Tatum—"
"I told you to call me Jilly."
"Yes, Jilly. I'm sorry. Noah insisted I call you."
"Well, you can tell your employer… Actually, you know what? I'm going to tell him myself."
Aiden started to say something, but she couldn't hear him because she was already hanging up the phone. She mashed two buttons and raised the phone to her ear to talk to Noah.
"Hey." His voice was a mellow drawl that reminded her somehow of sweet honey, just like it had the first afternoon Noah had read aloud for the boys' benefit. A pulse of awareness went through her, and she had to close her eyes against it.
"I thought we were past the whole using-Aiden-as-a-middleman thing?"
He laughed softly, and the sound sent a shot of adrenaline through her. She quashed it ruthlessly.
"Got you a little riled up, did we?"
He sounded almost proud of himself. Certainly amused.
"You did it on purpose," she realized. The nerve.
"I don't see why it's necessary for you to involve Aiden in your plans to irritate me." Two plates clinked together loudly as she removed them from the dishwasher. "You do it just by breathing, you know."
He laughed again, completely unperturbed. "Hang on. Don't hang up. I have a legit reason that I need to talk to you."
She waited. She refused to give him the satisfaction of asking what.
"I need your help."
"With what?" Had he said he needed help? "I didn't know you could actually string those words together."
"Ouch!" He didn't sound hurt in the least. "Can you and the kids come over for a little bit?"
She rubbed the pounding spot on her forehead. It had been a long day of laying out the irrigation lines for the huge community garden she planned. Then, the kids had come home from school with bad attitudes. She was ready to give them their baths and put everyone to bed and maybe cue up Pride and Prejudice, the 1995 Keira Knightley version.
"Please." He sounded serious now. "It won't take long."
"Fine."
