“He seems nice.” Rose’s sister peered over the edge of a cooler, into which she was placing all manner of granola bars and dips from the stores of Rose’s single-person food.
Rose kept her eyes on the backpack, into which she’d shoved all the necessities she could think of. Laptop, charging cords, coconut lip gloss…
“Have you guys been together long?”
Rose tried on different answers in her head. Yes, I’ve loved him for a decade. No, it’s all so new. It doesn’t matter because every time we get together the universe seems to have other plans.
“It’s more of an on-again, off-again kind of thing,” she said. “Might be more off for the time being.”
“From what I overheard, it sounded very, very on.” Her sister placed the lid on the cooler. “There. We’ve got everything from hummus to carrots to vegan jerky. Didn’t even know that was a thing. Any chance we can stop for a burger along the way? Ron was all about plain chicken breast and vegetables, so I wouldn’t gain too much weight.” She rolled her eyes. “I would seriously kill for something fatty and bad for me, just this once.”
Rose smiled sadly at her sister. “Honey, just as soon as we get out of here, you can get whatever you want.”
The light on her sister’s face was worth everything.
“Hey. Lil?”
Her sister placed the cooler by the door and looked up. “I know what you’re thinking. I won’t go back to him. I promise.”
Experience told Rose promises weren’t everything. Nothing she could do about it now except hope. She pasted a smile on her face and put her bag by the door. “Okay. I’ve got everything I can think of in this bag. Suitcase full of clothes upstairs. I put a hold on my mail, and we have food. I think we’re ready.”
Her sister reached out for a hug. “I can’t thank you enough. Really. But Rose?”
She looked her sister in the eye. “Don’t. We don’t need to get into a big thing now. We’re both sorry. It’s fine.”
“It’s just…” Lily looked around. “You’re coming back here, right? I mean, you can’t just leave. You’ve got a home here, and a job, and that guy seemed to really be into you, off or not.”
“If Ron is as intense as you say he is, then I want to stay with you and make sure you’re able to settle someplace safe. I’ll be too worried about you if I don’t, and he might come here looking for you.”
“I just don’t want to create more problems for you. I’ve done enough of that already.”
Rose waved her off, ignoring her churning stomach. “I’m sure it’ll all work itself out. Besides, even if you hadn’t shown up, nothing with Josh was certain. He and his son live in Colorado, and they were going back. So it is what it is.”
Lily shook her head. “I know I stayed with the wrong guy for way too long, but I’d hate to see you pass up Mr. Right.”
“If he were Mr. Right I wouldn’t have to contort my life to be with him.” It sounded good even if she wasn’t sure she believed her own logic. “Now let’s drop it, okay? I’m grateful to have my sister back. I wish the circumstances were better, but I’m happy you’re here all the same. So let’s find you a quiet corner of nowhere so that asshole can’t bother you.”
Her sister swiped a hand under her eye. “Thank you.” She brightened. “Hey, let me get started loading the car. You said the suitcase is upstairs?”
“Yeah. I pulled the car into the garage, so you can take it all right down through the basement. Thanks.”
Rose used the moment alone to slide into the kitchen pantry to have a quiet mini-breakdown. She was glad to help her sister, but this thing with Josh… She’d had hope. For the first time in a long time, she’d had hope. And now they were in limbo. It didn’t seem fair.
A paper caught her eye on the floor. The same one Josh had carried in his pocket that day at the hospital. How did he keep losing this thing? She hesitated a moment, before pulling out her phone to dial his number. The letter had seemed important to him. He’d want it back. She’d take a moment to let him know she would leave it for him in the mailbox, and then she would say a quick goodbye.
“Hey,” he said when he answered. “I didn’t think I’d hear from you again so soon.”
She smiled and pushed away from the door. “I didn’t think so either, but I wanted to tell you—”
A thunderous pounding at the door made her drop the phone.
“LILY! GET YOUR ASS OUT HERE.”
Rose’s breath caught in her throat. Slowly, she retrieved the phone. “Josh,” she whispered. “I have to go.”
“Wait! What’s going on?”
Not now. “I have to go!”
“LILY!”
“I hear yelling. Is that your sister’s ex? He found her already?”
“Yeah. I need to go.”
“Rose. Wait. Rose!”
Whatever else might happen, she didn’t want Josh caught up in this trouble. She hung up the phone, pressed it to her chest, and stepped out into the hall to answer the door.
They were seated at a round table. Even so, Josh couldn’t shake the feeling that his brother and half-brother were on one side, and he on the other.
“Thanks for finally agreeing to meet,” Michael said. “It’s my understanding that Dave was forced to use a cattle prod and some tranquilizers to get the job done, but I appreciate the effort all the same.”
In his history of meetings, this had to be the most ridiculous Josh had ever experienced, save the time he’d tried to attend therapy with his mother. They’d folded Harrison’s sleeper sofa and crowded around the little table on which Josh and his son had been eating their meals.
While Harrison played a video game nearby, Josh studied his two brothers. “If this is about the company, I’ve told Dave I’m not interested. I’m not angry, I’m not holding a grudge. It just isn’t something I can do. I’ve got my kid, who still needs a lot of my time and attention, and I’ve got my job, which includes the kind of healthcare that’s hard to find these days. I can’t put in the kind of hours I know you guys do. My son is my priority.”
And Rose, but that was looking a little less solid than it had a day ago.
“About that,” David said. He glanced at Michael with a meaningful look.
Who then took over. “David has mentioned that you aren’t thrilled with your job.”
Josh glared at David.
Who glared back at Josh. “I didn’t think it was a state secret.”
“At least one for local municipalities.”
Dave and Mike looked at each other with apparent confusion.
“You didn’t need to spread it around, is all I meant. Never mind, the joke doesn’t work if I have to explain it to you.” Josh threw up his hands. “My boss is a dick, but it really is a good job. I’ve got coverage for Harrison’s needs and I’m paid well enough to take care of him. Selling off part of that horse farm has me covered for retirement and Harris’s college fund, but I still need to be able to keep a roof over our heads.”
“Horse farm?” Michael looked confused.
Dave piped up. “Our grandmother was really into horses. Whaddyacallit? Dressage? She had a place on the outskirts of Orlando, back when the outskirts of Orlando was nothing but sod farms and whatnot. Josh sold it off to a neighboring cattle operation.”
“Part of it, anyway.” Josh cracked his neck and shucked the light jacket he’d worn in from outside. “The house and some of the land was being rented by a woman who ran an animal rescue. Abandoned dogs or whatever. Transient state, she said. Lots of people move away and ditch their pets. Begged me not to kick her out, so the house and a few acres are still in my name. She’s had to go into a home last I heard, so I should probably get rid of the place.”
One of the many things on his to-do list, the one that seemed to function like one of Harrison’s video games. The second he crossed an item off, two more would pop up, this time with spikes and lasers. The faster he cleared them, the faster they came.
Michael nodded thoughtfully. “We could really use you, Josh. I’ve seen your marketing stuff and it’s fantastic. Having someone to manage HaleStorm Engineering’s marketing department would be invaluable. We have great insurance. I would give you a stake in the company, and you could have flexibility in terms of hours. You need to do what’s best for you, but I think we could make it work.”
Josh shook his head. “I don’t think so. I have to be honest, I don’t love the congestion and pace of this area. The other night it took me an hour to drive five miles.”
He’d been willing to consider living in the dense, fast-paced city for Rose. But if things didn’t work out…? Without her, he didn’t want to stay.
He stood, hoping the action would signal an end to the meeting. His brothers stood but didn’t move.
“Look,” Michael said. “I really want us all to have a share in the company our dad started. And I know being a single father is a challenge. Not firsthand, but I’ve seen enough to get the feeling. I can’t make up for what our dad did, but I can help you secure a future for you and your kid.”
Dave rubbed his eyebrow and looked at Josh. Josh gazed up at the ceiling, unsure of what to say.
“It’s weird for me, all right? The idea of going into business with the guy whose mom our dad had an affair with. I just don’t think I can.”
Michael nodded. Grim and resigned, but he didn’t argue.
Josh sighed. “So…you know, Mike? We’re good. I’m glad you and Dave are turning things around. I really wish you all the best with the company.”
Dave’s face lit up. “It’s more than back on solid ground, Josh. We’re expanding, we’ve taken on new employees, new projects, and our forecast for the next five to ten years is solid.”
Josh’s phone rang. Rose. “Listen guys, I need to take this. I appreciate the offer, but we’re good. After the baby comes, I need to get Harrison back home to our life.”
He turned away from his brothers. “Hey,” he said into the phone. “I didn’t think I’d hear from you again so soon.”
It hadn’t been more than a few hours, but she sounded good. Hearing her voice made his day instantly better.
“I didn’t think so either but I wanted to tell you—”
A thunk and clatter sounded in his ear, as if she’d dropped the phone.
“LILY! GET YOUR ASS OUT HERE.”
Seconds later, Rose was back. “I have to go.”
“Wait! What’s going on? What’s that noise?”
“I have to go.”
“LILY!”
“I have to go!”
“I hear yelling. Is that your sister’s ex? He found her already?” What the hell was going on over there?
“Yeah. I need to go.”
“Rose. Wait. Rose!”
He gritted his teeth and resisted the urge to throw his phone. “Fuck.” The ended call blinked up at him from the screen.
“Hey, Mike? You really want to help me out? Watch Harrison for a few minutes.”
“Uh. Sure. Everything okay?” Josh’s half-brother looked as if he’d been asked to juggle stemware.
“No. Dave, come with me. Please?”
Dave nodded. “Tell me what I need to do.”
“I’ll drive. You can start by calling the police.”