“No, I’m fuckin’ around,” I replied sarcastically. “Yeah, seriously. Gotta go down and pick up a friend and her kids. They’re gonna be stayin’ with us for a while.”
“At Uncle Draco’s?”
“No, smartass. Got us a rental.”
“When did that happen?”
“Today.”
“I didn’t even know you were looking today.”
“Well, I figured we’d be pretty cramped at your aunt and uncle’s.” The lie made my stomach burn. I didn’t lie to my kid if I could help it, and I hadn’t had reason to in years.
“What’shappeningright now?” Dylan muttered. “So, all of a sudden, you found a house, and some lady is moving in with us?”
“Thought you’d be happy you wouldn’t have to sleep on the floor of your cousin’s room,” I joked.
“Wait, who is this lady?”
“You don’t know her,” I replied. “Just an old friend.”
Dylan was quiet, but I could still hear road sounds, so I knew he hadn’t lost service or hung up on me.
“Just wanted to let you know, in case I wasn’t here when you got here,” I said after a while. “I’ll be back late tomorrow night.”
“So, I could’ve just stayed another day,” he grumbled. “You’re not even gonna be there.”
“I want youhome, and Eugene is home now, bud. We agreed, yeah?”
“Yeah.”
“I’m gonna let you drive,” I said as Draco rounded the picnic table. “Call me in a few hours and check in.”
“Yep. Bye.”
He hung up on me.
“That went about how I expected it to,” I mumbled as Draco dropped down beside me. “Fuck’s sake.”
“What’s goin’ on?”
“Leavin’ at four a.m. for Sacramento to pick up my old lady,” I told him, laughing with disbelief. “Had to let Dyl know that I might not see him until tomorrow night.”
“Back up,” he ordered, looking at me like I’d grown an extra head. “What old lady?”
We sat on the table watching as men went home for the night as I explained. By the time I was done, Draco was shaking his head in disbelief.
“She hot at least?”
“You’re fuckin’ jokin’, right?”
“I mean, might make things easier.”
“She’s gorgeous,” I admitted. “But it doesn’t fuckin’ matter because it’s all for show.”
“You’re gonna be livin’ with her,” Draco pointed out. “No one’s gonna believe that you moved a woman into your house if she’s gross.”
“Speakin’ of that, you can’t tell Kara.”
