“I’ll believe it when I see it.” She fanned her face with one hand. “At this point I honestly just want him here when the baby comes, even if he walks in the door when it’s coming out of me.”
I winced. “He’ll be there.”
“I hope you’re right.” She shifted again. “In the meantime, you need to come visit me. I need someone to paint my toenails.”
“I’m grounded,” I reminded her. “Maybe ask Gordon?”
She groaned. “Oh, God. No thanks. She’s terrible with polish. Gets it everywhere. Besides, all she’s doing is moping around since you left anyway. She’s so pathetic Roo had her holding a ladder for him the other day.”
I blinked. “A what?”
“I looked out there,” she said, “and he’s got her supporting the ladder while he climbs, like she’s going to keep it steady or something. As if! She’s ten. But you should have seen her face. You would have thought he’d trusted her with the world.”
Ladder buddy, I thought, smiling. And in the next beat,what Bailey had said: if you really want to know someone, look at what they do when they don’t know you’re watching. Oh, Gordon.
“She saw me,” I said, remembering all over again. “When I was drunk. I feel awful about that.”
“Yeah, well.” Weirdly, I appreciated that she didn’t tell me I shouldn’t, or that it was okay. It wasn’t. “It won’t happen again.”
“No,” I said. “It won’t.”
We were both quiet for a moment, the only sounds the distant puttering of a motorboat and some kid shrieking from the beach.
“Just get back over here,” Trinity said suddenly. “Okay? We need you. Or, my toenails do.”
“I will,” I promised. “And thanks.”
“For what?”
Even though I’d been the one to say it, now I wasn’t so sure how to answer this question. “Just being there.”
“I’m bedridden,” she reminded me. “Where else would I be?”
After hanging up, I walked back to the window. It was now three p.m., and the beach was crowded, almost every chair taken. Earlier, Tracy had invited me to go for a late afternoon swim with her at the pool, something I supposed she’d cleared with my dad. At the time, I’d said no. But Trinity and Bailey were right: this wasn’t a bad place to be stuck at all. I went to look for my swimsuit.
I’d just put it on, and tied my hair back, when my phonebuzzed again. It was another number I didn’t recognize, so at first I just ignored it, assuming it was a spam call. As it kept ringing, though, I got curious and answered it.
“Hello?”
“Good afternoon! My name is Chris and I’m calling from Defender Storm Shutter Solutions. How confident are you in your window protection?”
Nope, I thought, moving my finger to the END button. Just as I was about to push it, though, he spoke again, much more softly this time.
“Saylor. It’s me.”
I blinked, startled. “Who?”
“Roo.”
Roo? I almost dropped the phone. “Oh, my gosh,” I finally managed. “How are—”
He cleared his throat, then said loudly and confidently, “Well, then it’s a good thing I called! For just a moment of your time, I can tell you why Defender Storm Shutters are the best choice for your home.”
Slowly, I was starting to understand. “Hold on. You’re selling storm shutters now?”
“Yes!” he said in that same loud, cheerful voice.
“What are you up to, now? Six jobs?”
