Full Moon by Mari Carr Page B

Unfortunately, before she could state her reasons for denying him, her words were drowned out by Tommy’s squeal of delight.
    “Daddy! Are you sleeping over?”
    “Oh Tommy. Wait.” Josie tried to figure out how she could get out of this without looking like a heartless bitch to her son. “I don’t think—”
    “Daddy can stay in my room. My bed’s big enough for both of us.” Tommy had already started reaching for Tony’s suitcase. “Come on. This will be fun.”
    Tony glanced at Josie, not moving. She was trapped and she knew it. “One night,” she said softly.
    He nodded appreciatively, but there was something in his face that told her he expected to change her mind on the time limit. “Thanks, Josie.”
    She regretted giving in the second he walked over the threshold. This was bad. Really bad.
    Meanwhile, Tommy was so excited she expected him to start bouncing off the walls. “You can see all my models. Mommy made me a shelf for them.”
    Tony followed Tommy up the steps, disappearing around the corner at the top of the stairs.
    “Fuck,” she muttered. “Fuck, fuck, fuck.”
    She paced around her living room trying to figure out where she’d gone wrong. She needed to get Tony out of here. Tommy’s happy chatter drifted downstairs to her.
    He was too young to understand why she didn’t want Tony here. How could she explain it without painting his dad in a bad light?
    “Fuck.”
    Footsteps sounded and she watched Tony and Tommy descend. “What’s for dinner?” her son asked.
    Josie shrugged. “I guess that’s for you and your daddy to figure out. It’s his night, remember? I’m going out.”
    “Out?” Tony’s eyes narrowed, but she was in no mood for his jealousy games. He was already pushing her patience to the limit tonight.
    “Out.” She refused to give him any more details, happy to let him think whatever twisted thoughts he could conjure. Unfortunately, Tommy spoiled the game.
    “Oh yeah. You’re going to Aunt Laura’s for your girl night. I forgot.”
    Tony’s face cleared and he grinned. “Girl night?”
    Josie picked up her bottle of wine and the bag of chips she’d grabbed from the grocery store on the way home from work. “Don’t wait up.”
    She left by the back door, slamming it harder than she intended. So much for keeping her cool. She practically stomped all the way across the commons until she reached Laura’s.
    “Damn. Who peed in your cornflakes?” Georgie asked as Josie walked in. Thanks to Tony, she was later than usual. Although, glancing around the room, she noticed Kristen and Zoey still weren’t there either.
    “Small crowd tonight?” she asked, handing Laura the bottle of wine she brought.
    “Kristen is working late and Zoey may be a no-show. I saw her earlier and she’s having a rotten day. Feeling pretty sick.”
    Josie felt guilty for her bad mood when she considered how rough things had been for Zoey lately. Chemo was kicking her friend’s ass. When she put it in perspective, the little problem of an unwelcome houseguest seemed small in comparison. “Oh. Shit. I’ll stop by tomorrow and check on her. Maybe we could all chip in and make her and Rob dinner one night this weekend to give them a break.”
    “Sounds like a plan.” Laura handed her a glass. “So why did you look like the hounds of hell were chasing you when you walked in here?”
    Josie snickered. “Because I felt like they were. Tony’s at my house right now.”
    “Doing what?” Shelly asked.
    “Unpacking probably.”
    Georgie put her wine glass down. “Whoa. Hold the phone. What?”
    “Janice kicked him out.” As far as explanations went, hers sucked. Josie wasn’t sure what else to say. That she was a pushover, an idiot, a weak-willed woman who let her ex-husband walk all over her.
    Shelly leaned closer. “So?”
    Josie shrugged. “So, he didn’t have anywhere to stay.”
    “And naturally your place seemed like the perfect answer.” Laura didn’t look pleased.