Gathered Up. Annabeth Albert

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СКАЧАТЬ Renee, I told you to break the study date.” I kept my voice firm, but I knew my parental tone didn’t work on Renee. Neither of us had signed up for this, but we were a team. And our team had rules—like no boys over while she had the kids. We’d had some issues early on with her friends distracting her from the kids’ needs. “Look, I’ll hurry home. You can do a late-night study date. And I’ll do the getting ready for school by myself tomorrow.”

      “Why don’t you want me to be happy?” Tears filled Renee’s eyes. “This is the nicest guy I’ve ever met, and I keep needing to put him off to take care of the kids.”

      Join the fucking club. But of course I couldn’t say that in front of Jonas. I’d planned to be even later than usual by sneaking in some quality Ev groping. That so wasn’t happening now. It didn’t matter if Ev was the nicest guy or the sexiest or the sweetest—the kids came first, something Renee just couldn’t seem to grasp. In the two weeks since our lunch date, Ev and I had managed exactly one other quickie, a lot of nonsexy phone calls, one furtive sext session, and another whispered late night of phone sex. Renee needed to take a number in the I’m-entitled-to-see-my-friends sweepstakes.

      Her tears spilled over and my chest squeezed tight. She was still so much a kid herself. I knew I’d regret it, but I rubbed her arm. “Fine. This one time, Renee. This can’t become a habit. If someone complains, I could get fired.”

      “You won’t!” She waved, already backing out of the store before I could change my mind. Eventually, we needed to have a long, painful chat about this new behavior of hers. I was barely functional as a caregiver for the little kids. I had no clue how to parent a teenager. I tried. I laid down rules, but lately she just blew through everything, like today.

      I didn’t allow myself the luxury of missing Mom very often, but right then, I missed her so much my eyes squished shut and my hands clenched. She would know the right thing to say to Renee. But me? I had no clue.

      I set Jonas up in the very rear of the shop at a tiny table almost no one used, with strict instructions not to leave his chair.

      However, I underestimated Violet and her furniture rearranging crew, who came in a few minutes early. The triplets were wearing what appeared to be purses masquerading as tank tops—thick, bulky yarn in a weird tapestry pattern with leather straps. Even Portland’s penchant for the weird couldn’t make those acceptable fashion choices, but I was more concerned with their looks and clucking.

      “Who lets a child come to a coffee shop on his own?”

      “Do you see a parent, Violet?”

      “We always use that as the head table.” The triplet in the fuzzy olive-green tank shook her head sadly. “Maybe someone should report he’s here on his own.”

      Oh, for fuck’s sake. I was going to have to confess he was with me and that was not going to go well—

      “Ah! Young Jonas! You were dropped off early? How kind of you to wait for me.” Ev breezed past the triplets and Violet. I wasn’t sure how much of their judgy conversation he’d heard, but he sent me a smile as he effortlessly bailed me out. “You will sit next to me, yes?”

      Jonas studied his iPod, chewing on his lower lip. Please say yes, I tried to beam at him. If he balked, this wasn’t going to work. Finally, he nodded. “Can I have a hot chocolate?”

      Way to negotiate, kid. “Of course. Let me go order.” Ev smiled at him.

      Because Ev the almighty had spoken, the women transformed into the other type of hens—coddling Jonas and making sure he was all set next to Ev’s usual seat.

      “Everything okay?” Ev asked in a low voice as he came up to the counter.

      “Yeah—” I started, then stopped. This was Ev, the one person who might get it. “No, it isn’t. Renee couldn’t watch him. He can’t be home alone—”

      “Of course not.” Ev nodded. He’d heard enough Jonas stories from me on the phone that he understood Jonas’s special needs in a way Renee didn’t seem capable of. “You should have called me. I am thinking about doing some children’s classes and projects at the store.”

      “You’re a lifesaver.” My chest expanded at how ready he was to help me. Ever since Mom died, it had been only me and Renee, with no one to call for backup. Hadn’t even occurred to me that Ev and I were that kind of friends—the hey-I’m-in-a-jam kind—but I guessed we were. It felt weird. I’d spent so many hours trying desperately not to need help, to prove to the social workers and the doubters that I was up for the task. But every time I vented to Ev, it felt like a crane knocking away another chunk of concrete from my shoulders.

      “It is nothing.” He waved the praise away.

      “It’s not. And I’m sure Mira agrees—bet she’s thrilled you’re doing more with the store. Everything okay?” I wasn’t sure exactly how to ask how Mira’s treatments were going. Ev never wanted to talk about them on the phone. I hoped eventually he’d let me reciprocate his willingness to help and open up about his worries about Mira like he had that night in the kitchen.

      “I will be around a bit longer. It is okay, though—only some minor setbacks. It is not like I am in a rush, and I’ve thought about doing classes for a while. In fact, I’m going to run back over, get him some big needles and thick yarn—”

      “I’ll pay,” I said, my throat all thick and tight.

      “Don’t be ridiculous.” Ev waved the offer away. “He is my test case. We must see if I am capable of teaching any young people to knit before I start charging for it. He is doing me a favor. You will see.”

      Fifteen minutes later, Ev was back with a large ball of yellow yarn—Jonas’s favorite color—and some thick wooden needles that looked pricey even from a distance and a sign-up sheet for Knit Night members who would be interested in a children’s class. Leave it to Ev to turn my misfortune into an opportunity and further sell the Knit Night ladies on his brilliance. In fact, not a single person complained about Jonas, and Violet and the triplets doted on him. To my surprise, Jonas preened under all the attention. He was a typical middle kid at home—quietly enduring the chaos of the twins as they demanded all the energy Renee and I had to give. But here, he was laughing and actually talking as Mira slipped him pieces of the cookie she was supposed to be eating.

      She looked tired and frail, and I felt bad that Ev was distracted with teaching Jonas instead of focusing on her. I said as much when he came up for more hot chocolate for Jonas.

      “He is the best medicine for her. Not much I can do anymore.” Ev shrugged helplessly. It was the most he’d admitted about her condition, and my teeth clenched hard around expressions of pity he neither needed nor wanted.

      He turned back toward the table, and we both watched as Mira praised Jonas’s efforts, straightening his grip with her own trembling hands. Ev’s eyes flickered with heavy shadows, and I longed to rub his shoulders, get some of the tension out, maybe gift him with a nap to relieve some of the circles under his gorgeous dark eyes.

      Ev turned back to face me, making an obvious effort to smile. “Now, what should I order for me?”

      “Decaf latte,” I said with a grin. I might not be able to give him a nap with a happy ending like I wanted, but I could make him smile.

      The initial drink rush was over, so I could take my time, and I did a careful latte art СКАЧАТЬ