“This is Jude. I’m a friend of Roni’s.” I glanced at Roni, who was standing there inshock.
“Oh?” Roni’s momsaid.
“Sounds like we’ve just confirmed our plans for tonight,” I informed her. “Havin’ dinner over at Jessa Mayes’ place. Kind of a pre-Christmas thing. Few people. You’re welcome to join, if you’refree.”
Roni’s mouth floatedopen.
“Oh. Well… yes. That would be nice. I haven’t seen Jessa in a longtime.”
“I’m sure she’d love it if you came. Have you met the babyyet?”
Roni snapped out of her shock and made a grab for the phone. I held her off with onearm.
“No,” her mom was saying. “No, Roni mentioned she had a little boy, and I sent a card, you know, but I haven’t seen her in solong…”
“Great. I’ll let her and Brody know you’re coming.” I gave her the address, then hung up and handed the phone back to Roni. “That sohard?”
She glared at me. “What did you justdo.”
“I invited your mom to Christmas Evedinner.”
She sighed and started typing on herphone.
“What’re youdoin’?”
“I’m telling her it’s a potluck, so she better bring something nice.” She sent the text and stuffed the phone back in herpurse.
I studiedher.
“You don’t want to see your mom atChristmas?”
“You don’t understand. She made no plans to seeme.”
“AtChristmas?”
“Jude.” She looked up at me, hands on her hips. “This is what she does. Whatever plans she had for tonight must’ve fallen through. And I promise you, if she did have plans, they were with a man. I’m her last minute backup on Christmas Eve. I’m always her last minutebackup.”
“You don’t knowthat.”
“Trust me. I know. If there was any chance she was getting laid tonight, she wouldn’t be callingme.”
I took hold of her and gathered her into my arms. Girl looked frazzled as fuck, and I’d really never seen Roni frazzled. “She’s your mom, Roni. It’s Christmas Eve. Maybe she’ll surpriseyou.”
She laid her head on my chest. “No. She won’t. She will be incrediblyunsurprising.”
“Maybe she’ll surprise me.” Roni peered up at me and I grinned. “I’ve never mether.”
“There’s a reason,” she muttered. “Do you have any idea what you’ve just initiated? Cindy Webber in a room full of rock stars?Christ.”
She looked exhausted just consideringit.
I gave her a squeeze. “I work security for Dirty, babe. Think I can handle one randy woman in a room full of rockstars.”
She looked at me like I was an idiot. “You haven’t met thisone.”
“If she’s anything like you, darlin’,” I said, with a healthy dose of sarcasm, “putty in myhands.”
Chapter Twenty-Three
