“So shouldn’t you check in with her?”
“Riley. It’s Lenore. You know how she is.”
Riley just looked at him. She knew him pretty well, knew that he took his responsibilities seriously.
He did not want to give in to whatever game Lenore was playing. But there was always the off chance that this time the emergency was real.
He said, “I thought you had something you wanted to talk about…”
“It’s okay, Josh. Honestly. We can talk later.”
They stared at each other as the phone started ringing. Reluctantly, he took the call. “What is it?”
“Josh, I need you to come over here. The power’s out.”
“Check the breaker.”
“I did. I flipped all the switches off and then back on the way you always say. The power’s still out. It’ll be dark in an hour, and no electrician is going to show up here tonight.”
He said nothing. She’d broken up with her last boyfriend four months ago. Since then, as each month went by, she found more and more reasons why Josh just had to come over to talk about Shane—or to fix a leaky faucet or help her move furniture from one room to another.
He truly could not wait for her to find a new boyfriend, though he knew damn well that a new boyfriend wouldn’t necessarily be a solution to the problem. He had to stop enablingher, but he was bad at saying no to her. She was his son’s mom, after all. And he really didn’t mind pitching in whenever she needed a hand.
Most of the time, though, it turned out that Lenore had created the so-called emergency. Her real goal was to get him over to her place where she could offer him coffee and have a little talk during which she would say that she missed him, that she didn’t see him enough and wouldn’t it be nice if they could try a few family activities, just the three of them, now and then?
“Look,” Lenore said impatiently. “I just need you to check the breaker box or the, uh, wiring or whatever. I need you to see if you can figure out what’s up.”
He was silent, his gaze on Riley, who gave him an understanding smile.
“Josh?” Lenore was still there, still working on him. “Are you there?”
“Yeah.”
“Please?”
He drew a slow breath—and gave in. “I’ll be there in ten.”
“Oh, thank you!” She was suddenly all warm and sweet and grateful. “Hurry! Please…”
“Ten minutes,” he said again and ended the call. He met Riley’s big blue eyes. “Sorry,” he said. “The power’s out at her place, and I need to go over there.”
“It’s okay.”
“No, it’s not. She’s impossible. I’ll bet my truck that it’s another manufactured emergency. I don’t want to go.”
She stepped close again and kissed his cheek. “I do understand.”
“Well,Idon’t.”
“Josh. You have to check, and you need to help if you can.”
He pulled her close. “So, Saturday?” He’d invited Riley and Dillon for a weekend at his place a few miles from town. It would be the four of them, an early birthday celebration for Shane, who would be five next Wednesday.
Then the following Saturday, Lenore would be hosting a group of Shane’s friends at her house. Josh would be there to help out with that.
“This Saturday at your place,” Riley confirmed. “We’ll be there. Wouldn’t miss it—and Dillon can’t wait.”
He kissed her. She smiled against his lips. He deepened the kiss.
