“What did he say?” I asked her hair.

“He said, ‘sure, girl’,” she muttered, her lips tipping up in a drowsy smile and she cuddled deeper into her pillows.

I was going to f**king kill him.

“All right, baby, go to sleep,” I encouraged but it was a wasted effort, she was already asleep.

I turned out her light, left her room and closed her door.

Joe was dumping my purse on the kitchen counter, my pumps on the floor when I limped into the living room and then through it, right to him.

I leaned in and hissed on a whisper, “You’re not spending the night.”

He took me in for a moment then replied, “Promised Kate.”

“Then it’ll suck, you needing to break your promise, because you’re not spending the night.”

“Yeah, Vi, I am.”

“No, Joe, you’re not.”

“Baby –”

I leaned in further and demanded angrily, “Don’t call me that.”

His hand came to my neck and I was so furious, I jerked free. His hand stayed suspended in mid-air then both his hands moved quick, grasping my hips. They yanked me forward, my body slammed into his and his arms locked around me, one low at my waist, one high up my back. Caged.

“Let me go,” I ordered, pushing against his shoulders.

“We gotta talk.”

“Yeah, we do, later, when I don’t wanna rip your head off, we’ll talk. There’s a few things I wanna say to you. Now, you’re gonna go.”

“Nope.”

“Joe!”

“Shut it, buddy.”

I tried a different strategy. “The girls are both going with Dane and his parents to the lake early tomorrow. They’ll be gone by eight. That’s four hours away. I’m sure we’ll be safe for four hours.”

“I am too,” he replied and I knew what he meant.

“Joe –”

“Go to bed, Vi.”

“Joe –”

His face came close and I stopped talking.

“You can go to bed or you can stay in my arms and argue. I’ll tell you right now, baby, I’m tired and need sleep so I’m not arguin’. You stay in my arms, I’ll be forced to find creative ways to stop that mouth of yours. You want that?”

He could just not be believed!

“We’re over,” I reminded him.

“I didn’t agree to that decision,” he shot back and I felt my body turn to stone.

“What?” I whispered.

“Go to bed, Vi.”

“But, Nadia… you said –”

He cut me off, threatening, “Should I get creative?”

I clamped my mouth shut and shook my head.

Joe held me awhile, staring at my face in the dark.

Then he leaned in and kissed my neck, lifting slightly, he whispered in my ear, “Sleep.”

Then he let me go.

I instantly turned and walked (okay, limped) as calmly as I could to my room.

I was trembling as I got ready for bed, my mind too full, too active, too crazed, I didn’t even think when I pulled Joe’s tee out from under my pillow and, after I took off my suit, brushed my teeth, washed my face, I slipped it on.

Then I got into bed.

My mind so active, so crazed, I thought I’d never sleep.

But I did.

And I did it soundly.

But I woke up when I heard the muted noises of the girls moving around and I felt him there, his shoulder against my cheek, his arm curled around my waist, my thigh thrown over his.

I didn’t have a chance to react when he slid out from under me carefully then pulled the covers over me while I acted like a chicken and feigned being asleep. Nearly silent, he got dressed and left the room. But he left the door open partway and I heard the girls and Joe murmuring. Then I heard the doorbell, Dane’s murmur mingled with theirs then the door closed.

Then silence.

I kept my eyes closed, waiting, but he didn’t come back.

Somehow I fell back to sleep, telling myself that whole thing was a dream.

Now I was awake, hoping the same. But I knew he’d gotten into bed with me.

The bastard.

I stared at the ceiling wishing I hadn’t encouraged the girls to go with Dane and his parents. They’d wanted to cancel and Dane had said it was okay, even that he’d stay and not go with his brother and parents to the lake which they’d done every year since he could remember.

But a month ago, when they asked Kate to come along and to bring Keira that was all either girl could talk about. I hadn’t been able to give them a summer vacation and Dane’s parents rented a cabin for four days, Thursday through Sunday. It was all water-skiing, tubing, lying out by the lake and getting a tan, fishing and barbeques every night. An end of the summer blast. A vacation, not a long one, but it sounded like a fun one. Something, not much, but it was something and I wanted them to have as many somethings as they could get.

They didn’t want to leave me and I didn’t want them to, but I didn’t want them to miss it either. I didn’t want them to miss out on anything in life. I wanted them to live their lives while they had a chance and remember it could be a blast. Even now. Even so soon after Sam.

Especially so soon after Sam.

And Sam would want that too.

Now I realized my mistake. It was too soon, way, way too soon for me and, probably, for them.

I looked at the clock again.

They were probably already there or close. I’d call them after I had breakfast.

I got out of bed and padded to the bathroom, using it, washing my face, brushing my teeth, I padded back out and into the kitchen. There was a note by the coffeemaker. I picked it up and read it.

Hi Mawdy,

We left. We didn’t wake you. Joe said to let you sleep. Call us, you need anything. Love you to pieces.

xoxoxoxox Kate

PS: Coffee’s made, just flip the switch.

PPSS: Joe made it.

I gritted my teeth.

Fucking Joe.

Under that:

Hey Momalicious,

I’ll keep my phone with me, even on the boat.

Love you.

xxooxxooxxoo Keirry

PS: Joe gave us each a hundred dollars! Isn’t that cool?

PPSS: Don’t forget to go get Mooch.

Fucking, f**king Joe!

He was buying Keira which would work in a flash and the bastard knew it.

I pulled in breath and, instead of screaming, I sighed, dropped the note and flipped the switch on the coffeemaker.

Bobbie had given me until Monday off paid which was nice. Being hourly, she didn’t have to do that.

However she had also talked to me a couple of weeks ago about making me a manager. That salary would mean I’d get paid regularly what I got paid overtime which would be good, having that kind of money steady. But it also came with a load of responsibility which meant I’d still be working the overtime and have a bunch of headaches to go with it.