Total pages in book: 71
Estimated words: 70444 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 352(@200wpm)___ 282(@250wpm)___ 235(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 70444 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 352(@200wpm)___ 282(@250wpm)___ 235(@300wpm)
I liked steak, but I had zero appetite at that point, yet I didn’t tell her that.
“Rosie, I have some questions, and I need you to answer them.”
She looked like she’d rather not, but she took a seat beside me and held her hands out in front of her as a ‘get it over with’ gesture.
“Why don’t you live with Hank?”
She looked at me. “You know the answer to that.”
No, I didn’t. Otherwise, I wouldn’t be asking her.
“Humor me and tell me anyway,” I suggested.
She sighed. “I’m not good mother material, Johnny.”
That, actually, was the truth. If there was anyone on this planet who didn’t need to be a mother, it was her.
In the time that I’d been around her and Hank, I had not seen any sort of mother-son bond between them. Now, when the nanny came back? There was more of a bond there between Hank and Brigid than there was between Rosie and Hank.
“So, what’s your endgame here?” I finally asked. “Are you okay with me taking him in and acquiring custody?”
She looked like she’d tasted something sour. “I think it’s a little soon for that, don’t you?”
Yes, kind of. But, he really needed to be with a parent.
“Why is he in that town, an hour away from Benton, instead of near your mom?” I asked. “Or why isn’t he here? Why are you here without him? Despite what you say, you could still be a part of his life.”
She shrugged. “I don’t know, okay? I saw you that night at the Dixie Wardens party after your injury and thought that I was doing you a…” she searched for a word for a moment. “A disservice. I felt like I should try, at least.”
I didn’t know what to say to that.
Luckily, I didn’t have to answer her, because my phone rang.
When I saw the name on the caller ID, my heart sank.
I answered it with zero hesitation.
“I’m…I’m at your door. I need you to come. Now. I’m about to do something really fuckin’ bad, and I need you to come.”
I didn’t need to hear any more. I didn’t miss the desperation in his voice.
I didn’t hesitate to stand and walk to the door. I didn’t say goodbye to Rosie, just waved.
Her face went electric.
She thought it was June. I could tell without actually having her confirm it that she was pissed.
But it wasn’t June, it was the Rosie that I did care about.
“I’ll be there. I’m in town…but I can be there in twenty minutes.”
I got up and left, without taking a single second to glance back.
Which is too bad, because if I had, I would’ve seen that there was something seriously not right with this Rosie.
If I’d paid just a little bit more attention, I would’ve seen her following me out the door.
But my mind was elsewhere—with my friend—who needed me.
***
I’ll never forget what it looked like to arrive to the hallway that led to my apartment and seeing Roland crying in my woman’s arms.
When her eyes met mine, I knew that she knew how sorry I was. She also knew without me saying how much it meant to me that she was giving this man comfort—one of my best friends in the entire world—and allowing him to hold her so tight, even though she was still so wary of a man’s touch that wasn’t mine.
Yet she was doing it for me.
I love you, I mouthed.
Tears filled her eyes.
I love you, too, she mouthed right back.
Chapter 26
Those loud sounds and flashing lights in your rearview mirror aren’t there for decoration or your entertainment. It means you’re being pulled over. You’ve done messed up, now.
-Hostel PD FB page
Johnny
“Are you sure that he’s okay?” June asked worriedly, looking at the closed door of my apartment.
I nodded. “He’ll be okay. I should’ve done this—brought him here—a long time ago. Yet I was so freakin’ caught up in the mess with the other Rosie that I didn’t think to check on him over the last couple of days.”
Her face fell. “That’s my fault.”
I drew her into my arms. “It’s not your fault. You had valid concerns, and I dismissed them instead of taking them seriously. I want you to know that I didn’t totally stop listening, and after tonight and a lot of thinking over the last week, I’m going to take your advice and get a DNA test. Anyway, Rosie is pretty fucked up right now.”
She started to grin.
“Are you talking about Rosie, or Rosie?” she teased.
I rolled my eyes.
“How about we call the male Rosie, Roland, and your ex Rosie, Rosie, so we’re not confused?”
She grinned, but that grin fell just as quickly as it appeared.
She blew out a breath. “How mad would you be if I told you that you didn’t have to?”
I was confused for a few seconds until I realized that we were talking about the DNA test that I had mentioned before she’d gone off on her tangent.