“Ha ha. And yes, I did.”
“Five?”
She felt a smile tug at her lips. “One, but it was a very good massage. Can I talk to her?”
“Oh, um... well. No, not exactly.”
Claire sat up straight. “Excuse me?”
“She’s indisposed.”
“Indisposed? What does that mean?”
“It means she can’t come to the phone.”
There was the hint of a laugh in his voice, and it made her wish she could transcend space and time and strangle him right here and now. Her pulse started racing, her mind swirling with all the scenarios of why her daughter wasindisposedat ten thirty at night.
They’re at some wild party with Josh’s baseball bros from high school.
They decided to take a road trip and Josh left Ruby at a gas station.
Josh completely forgot that she was spending the night and dropped her off at Claire’s house and someone kidnapped her off the front porch and now Ruby was in the clutches of—
The bathroom door opened, and Delilah stepped out dressed in nothing but an oversize white cotton tee that fell at mid-thigh, herhair up in a clip. The sight jolted Claire back into the room and cleared her head. Delilah gave her a weird look—Claire was definitely huffing like a hyperventilating rhino—and froze on the spot.
Claire waved a hand as if to sayI’m fine.
“Josh, put my daughter on the phone right now.”
“Claire.”
“I don’t care where you are or what the hell you’re doing.”
“Claire.”
“I swear to god, I will take a dull knife to your manhood if you so much as—”
“Jesus, Claire, she’s asleep.”
Claire stilled. “Asleep.”
“Yes.”
“In a bed?”
“Seriously? Yes.”
“In her bed atyourapartment?”
He sighed. “Yes.”
She closed her eyes, warm relief spreading through her body.
Quickly followed by a chilly irritation.
“Then why the hell didn’t you just say so?” she said. “Goddammit, Josh.”
“I’m sorry. I was just playing around. I didn’t think you’d freak out that much.”
