“I’ll have to take her with me.”
“We’ll be fine. Do not worry,mein Schatz.”
But I did worry. I’d been worrying ever since Anna had showed up at the game. I didn’t want to leave Josie. She was so little. What if Anna decided she wasn’t going to go through the long, drawn out court proceedings and just take her? Gunner went wherever I did, so if I left them alone they would be without his super human strength and scary growl.
“What if she comes over?”
“I won’t open the door.” Oma looked determined. But we both knew she had no chance should Anna decide she wanted to take Josie.
“You can’t take Josie with you. What are you going to do while you’re at work?”
“I’ll stay here then.”
“Don’t be such a fat head.”
“I’m not being stubborn. I just don’t want to risk it. I’m calling Rhett and telling him I can’t make it to work tomorrow and that’s that.”
Oma knew when I’d gone off to crazy land and stopped arguing with me. Instead she got back to cooking, Josie helping her with rapt attention.
I walked outside to our back patio and closed the door to call Rhett. He answered on the second ring.
“What’s wrong?” he asked.
“Why would something be wrong?”
“You never just call. Now tell me what happened.”
“Nothing. Absolutely nothing. I just can’t come to Denver for work this week. I have to watch Josie.”
“Why can’t Oma do it? Is she okay?”
I would never admit to him that I had been so paranoid about Anna taking Josie away that I’d taken her to work with me every day this week. She loved it, playing in a fort she built underneath my desk and entertaining Claire and Martin with her quick wit and adorable dimples. They were putty in her hands and didn’t she know it.
“Oma is fine. She just can’t watch Josie.”
“Why not?”
“Because.”
“That’s not a reason.”
“I can’t make it. Just email any work you have and Claire will get it done for you. That’s the beauty of the internet. And the foundation Cassandra’s company is built on. She has clients all over the world and they manage just fine.”
“Be here tomorrow or I’m voiding the contract.”
“I can’t leave Josie behind.” My voice took on a pleading tone, much to my dismay.
“Figure it out.”
Asswipe. I’d figure it out all right.
I hung up on him, too mad to say anything in return. What the hell had happened to him? He was bitter and cold. Nothing like the Rhett I grew up with.
I went back inside and parked my ass on a kitchen chair. “We’re going on a trip to Denver tomorrow, little bean.”
“Denver, Denver, Denver,” Josie chanted and waved the spoon she had used to stir the salad dressing up in the air, spraying herbs and oil everywhere.
“So he agreed to you bringing her?” Oma asked.
