When she finally went back downstairs, Cary was sitting on the couch. He had one leg bent, his ankle on his knee. His cap was resting on his other knee. His head was leaning back, and his eyes were closed. He was still holding the beer.
Shiloh hit a creaky stair, and he looked up. She waved at him. He sat up a little and waved back.
Shiloh sat down on the couch next to him. “You tired?”
“Still jet-lagged, believe it or not.”
“I’ve never been jet-lagged.”
“We need to get you out of Omaha.”
Shiloh shrugged.
“I need to see Mikey’s kid while I’m here,” Cary said. “What’s his name?”
“Otis. And I’m sure Mike will understand if you don’t make it over.”
“I want to, though. And I can’t sit in my mom’s hospital room twenty-four hours a day. I can’t stand being there when Jackie and her husband, Don, are there—but I can’t exactly forbid them from visiting. They’re there every night.”
Shiloh brought her feet up onto the couch, folding her legs and facing Cary. “Well, Otis is cute—fat, bald, no teeth—you won’t regret meeting him.”
Cary smiled. “I heard you’ve been hanging out with Mikey and Janine...”
“A little.”
“Good.” Cary rearranged his hat on his knee, looking down at it. His smile faded into something more thoughtful. “Your ex-husband seems like... a handful.”
Shiloh laughed, a genuine laugh. “Oh, he is that. Definitely. But I’m not going to say terrible things about him, because it just makes me look stupid.”
“Sorry, I didn’t mean—”
“No. You’re fine. And you’re correct. He’s a lot. He’s a high school drama teacher.”
Cary laughed and looked up at her with his head still tipped down. “Really?”
“Yeah.”
“Damn. Those kids got it from both directions.”
Shiloh laughed and kicked him—she was wearing socks. Cary’s hand immediately settled on her ankle.
He turned his head to her. “Did you meet in some production?”
“Yep. In college.A Midsummer Night’s Dream.”
“What’d you play?”
“I was a tree.”
“Was he Puck?”
“Shut up.”
Cary laughed into his beer. “That’s a yes.” He lifted the can up to get the last of it.
“Do you want another beer?”
“No.” He set the can aside. He started rubbing Shiloh’s ankle.
