“I should let you go.”
“I’ll text you when we’re heading home, okay?”
“Drive safe, Ingrid.”
“I will.”
Mom hangs up and I take a sobering breath. I don’t care about my room or Isla’s selfishness or the fact that Wilder concealed the truth.
I want to go to New York. I want Wilder to chase his dreams. He’s always taking care of everyone else. He should do something for himself for a change.
I know he’s worried about the money, but we’ll figure it out.
Money isn’t the end-all be-all. We will find it one way or another.
The moment I slide into the booth across from Wilder and Cash, our food arrives. French Toast, fruit, pancakes, bacon, sausage and the fluffiest biscuits I’ve ever seen in my life.
“Does everything look good?” the waitress asks.
I nod my head as the boys dig in.
“Everything looks great,” I tell her.
“What did your mom say?” Wilder asks me, his mouth full of food.
Shrugging, I say, “Harvey left Isla.”
Wilder pauses mid-bite. “Are you serious? Grandpa Harvey left her?”
“Leftcon Two,” I say.
“What does that mean?” Cash interjects.
“It means Frank the Fornicator left Isla last summer.” I exhale. “And Harvey the Hobbling Senior Citizen left her this summer. Two men left her.”
Wilder eyes me, his face hard to read. “Is she okay?”
“I don’t know,” I tell him honestly. “She sounded pretty disturbed in the background. Something about a hammer and trying to get into my room.”
“That can’t be good,” Wilder says quietly.
I want to tell him that we should seriously consider New York, but I don’t want to have that discussion in front of Cash.
So, I change the subject.
“Are you nervous or excited to meet Britta?” I direct to Cash.
He blows out a long breath. “Both?”
Wilder nudges him with his elbow. “You’ll be fine. You’re Cash Freaking Allred.”
“Yeah,” I say. “You’re Cash Freaking Allred.”
Cash rolls his eyes. “Stop.” Then, his face pales. “I think I need to use the restroom.”
Wilder slides out of the booth to let him out.
“It’s been a while since Cash has gotten the nervous shits,” Wilder says as he slides into the booth next to me and kisses me quickly on the lips.
