“Fine. That’s fine. I’m gonna call you later.” I end the call before he can start chattering again.
The cabin of the SUV falls into thick silence. It’s a sound I’m most used to. It should be more comfortable, but all I can think about is making this woman giggle again.
I want the sound of her joy filling the space around me.
It brings the air to life.
“Where are we going?” She pops her head up when Sergei turns into the parking lot.
“Shopping.”
“Shopping? For what?” She leans forward to read the store sign as he parks in front of the best furniture store in the city.
“Tommy’s room.”
For a heartbeat, there’s silence. Then she stares at me with parted lips, color rising to her cheeks.
“You want to take me shopping to decorate a bedroom for my nephew?” She questions, like she wants to be sure she’s not misunderstanding the situation.
“Yes.” I nod.
“I think I’m turned on.”
Quietly and quickly, Sergei pops open his door and hops out of the SUV.
“He needs new furniture, some of those window things. I’ll have the room painted this week to match whatever you pick out. The boy needs something more fit for him.”
She taps her chin with her forefinger. “Yes. I definitely am turned on by that. Weird, huh?”
I laugh. With my whole chest, I laugh. This woman has the uncanny ability to put me at ease and find joy in ordinary activities.
“I don’t think we can do anything about that at the store, but as soon as we get home…”
“You were quiet tonight.” Kaz’s voice reverberates through the silence of the car. “My brothers are going to think you’re not happy with me.”
Rain mists across the windshield, blurring the city lights as we make our way home. Kaz is driving tonight. Outside, the night appears crisp and clear, while inside the car there’s a heaviness that weighs on my chest.
“I was distracted. Your lawyer still hasn’t been able to get his hands on the will?”
“Apparently, the papers weren’t filed properly. He’s looking into it.”
“How can they not be filed properly?”
His grip tightens on the steering wheel.
“My uncle paid someone off, didn’t he?”
“Or nothing was ever filed to begin with because they didn’t think you’d go looking.” He pauses a beat. “We’ll get it, don’t worry,” he says.
He glances at my lap where my phone is cradled in my hands.
“Who are you texting this late?”
“Melody. I just want to be sure Tommy got to bed all right. I hadn’t expected us to be at your brother’s house so late.”
Dinner turned into dessert, which flowed into drinks and a card game that Megan and Vee had to explain several times before I could play unsupervised.
“Has Melody had trouble putting him to bed before?” He shifts gears seamlessly as he takes us closer to home.
