do with her hands that would keep her from throwing a punch at her infuriating ex-husband. In typical fashion, he’d taken her good mood and flushed it down the toilet. She tried to take a deep breath and calm down.
Tony waited for her to say something, but aside from a long stream of expletives, she had nothing constructive to add to this conversation.
“You know, you’re wrong when you say this isn’t any of my business. My son will always be my concern. So I guess what I’m trying to say is that I hope you’ll be careful.”
Her vision went gray at the edges. He’d introduced her son to the home wrecker exactly one week after leaving her. Where on earth did he find the gall to try to lecture her about who she could and couldn’t bring into her son’s life? “I’m going inside before you say anything else asinine to me today. Goodbye, Tony.”
He looked chagrined when she walked into her house, shutting the door firmly in his face. Leaning against the wall, she fought for air, for composure, for some of the peace she’d felt when she woke up this morning in Jake’s arms.
“Mommy,” Tommy called from the living room. “SpongeBob is on. Come watch it with me.”
She closed her eyes and counted to ten. Then she walked toward her son. “Coming.”
Chapter Five
Josie’s Howl List—May
1. Sex with a stranger
2. Sex in public
3. Anal
4. Bondage
5. Spanking
Josie glanced at the clock and tried not to curse. Tony was late. She was dying to head over to Laura’s house for her standing Thursday wine night with the girls. Tony was cutting into her time and she didn’t appreciate it.
Tommy fiddled with his Legos, oblivious to the time. She envied her son’s ability to take everything in stride. Wherever Tommy was, he managed to have fun. In the meantime, she was one big ball of tension.
The only person who’d been able to take away her constant stress—apart from the wine girls on Thursdays—was Jake. True to his word, he’d called her almost daily since the last full moon. Unfortunately, timing and circumstances were not on their side. She’d been wicked busy with work—spending two weeks training her replacement at the department store, then the next two weeks trying to learn her new job at the elementary school.
On top of that, Sam, the other bartender at Blue Moon, had fallen and broken his ankle, leaving Jake to work nearly every night for a month. They’d sworn that this Saturday, come hell or high water, they would see each other again.
She glanced at the clock and blew out an annoyed sigh. Then, at last, there was a knock at the door.
She muttered, “Finally,” and Tommy glanced up, but he kept working on his model. She’d have to grab a plastic grocery bag for the pieces so he could finish it at his dad’s house. Once Tommy got started on a new “masterpiece”, it was like pulling teeth to drag him away.
Josie opened the front door, taken aback by the sight of Tony standing on her porch with a suitcase. “Going on a trip?”
Tony shook his head. “Janice kicked me out.”
Josie worked hard not to laugh in her ex-husband’s face. Instead, she raised her eyebrows. “Wow. I think I’m finally starting to like that woman.”
Tony narrowed his eyes. “I don’t have anywhere to stay.”
Josie shrugged. “There are at least a dozen hotels in town. Take your pick. Tommy will love it. The two of you can pretend you’re on vacation.”
Her ex didn’t appear to appreciate her suggestion. “Josie. Are you going to make me beg?”
She tilted her head, Tony’s intentions suddenly becoming clear. “You must be kidding.”
Tony frowned, confused, and Josie realized he was actually surprised she was turning him away. “I’ll only be here for a few days. A month tops. Just until I find a place of my own.”
“Hell no.”
“Please, Josie. I can’t afford a hotel that long. Why can’t I just stay here?”
“I need to make a list? Fine.”
Tony waited for her to say something, but aside from a long stream of expletives, she had nothing constructive to add to this conversation.
“You know, you’re wrong when you say this isn’t any of my business. My son will always be my concern. So I guess what I’m trying to say is that I hope you’ll be careful.”
Her vision went gray at the edges. He’d introduced her son to the home wrecker exactly one week after leaving her. Where on earth did he find the gall to try to lecture her about who she could and couldn’t bring into her son’s life? “I’m going inside before you say anything else asinine to me today. Goodbye, Tony.”
He looked chagrined when she walked into her house, shutting the door firmly in his face. Leaning against the wall, she fought for air, for composure, for some of the peace she’d felt when she woke up this morning in Jake’s arms.
“Mommy,” Tommy called from the living room. “SpongeBob is on. Come watch it with me.”
She closed her eyes and counted to ten. Then she walked toward her son. “Coming.”
Chapter Five
Josie’s Howl List—May
1. Sex with a stranger
2. Sex in public
3. Anal
4. Bondage
5. Spanking
Josie glanced at the clock and tried not to curse. Tony was late. She was dying to head over to Laura’s house for her standing Thursday wine night with the girls. Tony was cutting into her time and she didn’t appreciate it.
Tommy fiddled with his Legos, oblivious to the time. She envied her son’s ability to take everything in stride. Wherever Tommy was, he managed to have fun. In the meantime, she was one big ball of tension.
The only person who’d been able to take away her constant stress—apart from the wine girls on Thursdays—was Jake. True to his word, he’d called her almost daily since the last full moon. Unfortunately, timing and circumstances were not on their side. She’d been wicked busy with work—spending two weeks training her replacement at the department store, then the next two weeks trying to learn her new job at the elementary school.
On top of that, Sam, the other bartender at Blue Moon, had fallen and broken his ankle, leaving Jake to work nearly every night for a month. They’d sworn that this Saturday, come hell or high water, they would see each other again.
She glanced at the clock and blew out an annoyed sigh. Then, at last, there was a knock at the door.
She muttered, “Finally,” and Tommy glanced up, but he kept working on his model. She’d have to grab a plastic grocery bag for the pieces so he could finish it at his dad’s house. Once Tommy got started on a new “masterpiece”, it was like pulling teeth to drag him away.
Josie opened the front door, taken aback by the sight of Tony standing on her porch with a suitcase. “Going on a trip?”
Tony shook his head. “Janice kicked me out.”
Josie worked hard not to laugh in her ex-husband’s face. Instead, she raised her eyebrows. “Wow. I think I’m finally starting to like that woman.”
Tony narrowed his eyes. “I don’t have anywhere to stay.”
Josie shrugged. “There are at least a dozen hotels in town. Take your pick. Tommy will love it. The two of you can pretend you’re on vacation.”
Her ex didn’t appear to appreciate her suggestion. “Josie. Are you going to make me beg?”
She tilted her head, Tony’s intentions suddenly becoming clear. “You must be kidding.”
Tony frowned, confused, and Josie realized he was actually surprised she was turning him away. “I’ll only be here for a few days. A month tops. Just until I find a place of my own.”
“Hell no.”
“Please, Josie. I can’t afford a hotel that long. Why can’t I just stay here?”
“I need to make a list? Fine.”
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