“What?”

“Dog ate it,” Joe told me, pulling my cell out of my purse.

“He ate it?” I breathed, wondering, if he had dog bed in his stomach, if that meant a vet bill in my future.

“Not all of it but he did a number on it.”

“Shit,” I whispered.

Joe tossed my phone on the bed then got in after he did that, grabbing the dog, stretching out on his back and pinning the puppy to his bare chest.

“Call your girls,” Joe ordered as Mooch licked Joe’s jaw.

I stared at Mooch licking Joe’s jaw and the way Joe accepted this without looking angry or sinister or badass. Well, he still looked badass but not angry or sinister and I felt my belly go warm and soft again.

“Honey, the girls,” Joe prompted when I didn’t move.

He was calling me honey a lot lately and, stupid me, I liked that too.

He taught me a lesson (twice), a lesson that burned so deep I thought I’d never forget that night in his house with him in that chair, telling me he f**ked someone else.

But here I was, right back where I began.

And I liked that too.

“Right,” I whispered, snatched my phone from the bed and slid it open.

Joe moved the dog from his chest to the bed and Mooch started gnawing on his fingers. This Mooch did a lot and it didn’t feel great. It started off okay but if Mooch got into it, it hurt.

As my phone rang Kate’s I noticed Mooch was getting into it but Joe didn’t push him off or even wince.

“Hi Mom!” Kate called cheerfully into my ear and I heard instantly that Dane was right, she was faking it.

“Hey baby,” I replied.

“Everything okay?” Kate asked.

My eyes went from Mooch to Joe to see his head was to the pillows, one arm cocked, his hand behind his head and he watching me.

“Not really,” I said to Kate, moving my eyes from Joe’s face to Joe’s feet, which were crossed at the ankles and bare under the hems of his jeans.

Kate’s voice grew concerned and she asked, “What’s up?”

“Well… I don’t want to, um… it’s just that… do you think you and Keira could come home a bit early?”

“Are you okay?”

“Yes, I’m fine I just kinda want you guys home with me. Do you think Dane’s folks’ll mind?”

“No,” she said immediately, “they’ll understand.”

Yes, my girl wanted to come home.

It was now confirmed. Dane was a good kid and I was forced to like him, even love the guy.

Shit.

“Dane can um…” Damn! I looked back at Joe and widened my eyes at him but he just lifted his brows and then I said, “If his parents’ll let him, we’ll look out for him. I know he’s seventeen but he can stay with us, sleep on the couch and I’ll keep him fed.”

“Seriously?” Kate breathed.

I stopped looking at Joe, dropped my head to my knees and said, “Seriously.”

“I think they’ll be cool with that,” she told me and she sounded genuinely happy now.

I turned my head, putting my temple to my knee and saw Joe was smiling at me.

There it was; I’d done the right thing.

“Good, honey, but enjoy today. Get your fill and then come home tomorrow.” I told her, “but do it safe and slow, yeah?”

“Okay.”

“Call me before you leave so I know when to expect you.”

“Okay.”

I decided to give her more to look forward to and shared, “Your Gram and Gramps are comin’ down next weekend.”

“Killer!” she cried and I smiled, my eyes dropping to Mooch who was going to town on Joe’s hand and, not thinking, Kate at my ear, I spoke to Joe.

“Joe, your hand is not a chew toy.”

“Baby, he’s fine.”

“We don’t let him chew our hands like that.”

“He’s fine, Vi.”

“Stop him.”

“Honey, I said… he’s fine.”

The way he said this made me look at him and clamp my mouth shut. He was definitely done telling me Mooch was fine.

“Is Joe with you?” Kate asked, sounding beyond happy now, sounding freaking thrilled.

I jerked my eyes from Joe and realized I was na**d in bed with Joe and Mooch, talking to my daughter, who was thrilled Joe was with me.

God, total slut.

And also, totally screwed.

“Um… yeah.”

“He’s stayin’ with us, you know, while his house is renovated. Did he tell you?”

“Yeah.”

“Keira and I think it’s great.”

“Keira does?”

“Yeah.”

“Really?”

“Yeah.”

The hundred dollars.

“How much of Joe’s money she have left?” I asked and Kate laughed.

“We gave Dane’s folks the money you gave us for food and stuff but we haven’t had time to go shoppin’ or anything so all of it, I think.”

“You get back, whatever you have left, you return it.”

“What?” Kate asked.

“What?” Joe rumbled.

I ignored Joe and told Kate, “When you get back –”

I didn’t finish because Joe sat up, reached in, pulled the phone out of my hand and put it to his ear.

“Money’s yours, girl. Don’t listen to Vi.”

“Joe!” I snapped.

He nodded and said, “Yeah. Everything’s good here. Tell Dane to remember the speed limit and that he’s got precious cargo. No screwin’ around.”

My anger vanished, my body stilled and my mouth dropped open at listening to Joe sounding just like a Dad.

“Right, see you tomorrow. Later.” Then he slid my phone shut.

I stared at him then at my phone then my eyes went back to him. “I would have liked to say good-bye.”

“Yeah, and you would have liked to say other shit,” Joe said as he turned and tossed my phone on my purse.

“Like what?”

He turned back, his brows drew together and he got that sinister look when he asked, “Givin’ my money back, Vi?”

“Two hundred dollars is a lot.”

“No it isn’t.”

“Yes, it is!”

“No, it f**king well isn’t.”

He was getting pissed but I figured I was getting more pissed.

I turned to him and declared, “Joe, you can’t buy my girls.”

His body went still and his face got hard and he didn’t speak for long seconds, seconds I didn’t realize he was using to gain control.