cheat at Scrabble. Come on. We’ll play with our clothes on.”
The next day, Lil walked into her boring little house and tried not to be offended when Joseph whistled through his teeth and asked, “Where’s the pictures?”
“I don’t have pictures. And don’t be mean. I didn’t actually invite you.”
Joseph laughed and walked back to her kitchen. “Yeah, yeah, yeah. I remember. I’m here as your baby sitter.”
She was going to kill David. Kill him. “No you’re here to help.”
“That’s me. I’m all about helping,” Joseph said before popping the top on one of the beers that had been in her fridge for God only knew how long.
“Go ahead and make yourself at home,” she teased and he laughed.
“For what it’s worth, I’m glad you and David hooked up again. He needs you. You’re the only one who gets him, you know?”
This was killing her.
She tried to smile, said thanks and then ducked into her bedroom.
She should probably say something about it being a little early for beer. But that would be butting into business she didn’t belong anywhere near.
Joseph had been her student three years earlier when his father had died. She liked him a lot. Enough that it bothered her to lie to him about her relationship with his brother. But today he was a grown man. He didn’t need her mothering him. Like she would have a clue how anyway.
She grabbed a few clothes and tossed them in the suitcase because she had to make this look real.
The truth was she’d needed to get away. Last night had been too much…everything.
She needed to get out of David’s space and remember the truth about who she was and who they weren’t.
Only David had insisted she bring Joseph along. So getting away wasn’t an option.
“You bringing the magnetic poetry over to David’s?” Joseph asked, and she laughed.
“Why? Are you going to compose odes to your brother?”
He laughed back. “Nah. But he’d get a kick out of it.”
That was the truth wasn’t it? David got a kick out of just about everything.
Last night’s game of Scrabble had lasted hours. She’d never laughed so much in her life.
It would be so much easier if she just lusted after David instead of liking him.
“Woo hoo.” Nancy’s call echoed through her house. “Joseph Martinez, it is way too early in the day for you to be drinking beer. And why weren’t you at church today?”
Lil laughed at the uncomfortable silence followed by a quick, “Uh, hello Ms. Valdez.”
Then there Nancy was standing in her door with Joseph behind her, the beer glaringly absent. “If Ms. Valdez is going to be here, I’ll just go on home.”
Nancy crossed her arms over her chest and raised an eyebrow. “You go on home. I’ll see you at church next week. If you’re home from school.”
With that Joseph was gone and Nancy was left to shake her head. “That boy’s headed for trouble.”
“Nancy, he’s a kid.” Lil remembered something about being twenty-one. It wasn’t easy. “So what brings you by?”
Nancy brushed her hands down her burnt orange jacket, the rings on her fingers glinting in the sunlight. “I saw your car and thought I’d stop by. You taking more stuff over to David’s?”
More lies. Lil nodded. “A few more things. You’re welcome to help.”
“Of course I’ll help,” Nancy looked at the suitcase and frowned. “Are you sure about this Lil?”
Oh great. “Sure about…?”
“This. David. Moving in.”
“Yeah,” Lil nodded, smiled tightly. “I mean definitely. I’m absolutely sure.”
“It’s just he really broke your heart last time.”
Yeah. He really did. “That was then.”
“And he’s still a playboy, you know. Not the settling kind.”
Lil wanted to groan. “Nancy, David is not a playboy.”
Nancy shrugged. “Not in the traditional sense. He doesn’t go around with a bunch of different girls tossing them aside like nothing, but he’s not ready to grow up. He spent too many years
The next day, Lil walked into her boring little house and tried not to be offended when Joseph whistled through his teeth and asked, “Where’s the pictures?”
“I don’t have pictures. And don’t be mean. I didn’t actually invite you.”
Joseph laughed and walked back to her kitchen. “Yeah, yeah, yeah. I remember. I’m here as your baby sitter.”
She was going to kill David. Kill him. “No you’re here to help.”
“That’s me. I’m all about helping,” Joseph said before popping the top on one of the beers that had been in her fridge for God only knew how long.
“Go ahead and make yourself at home,” she teased and he laughed.
“For what it’s worth, I’m glad you and David hooked up again. He needs you. You’re the only one who gets him, you know?”
This was killing her.
She tried to smile, said thanks and then ducked into her bedroom.
She should probably say something about it being a little early for beer. But that would be butting into business she didn’t belong anywhere near.
Joseph had been her student three years earlier when his father had died. She liked him a lot. Enough that it bothered her to lie to him about her relationship with his brother. But today he was a grown man. He didn’t need her mothering him. Like she would have a clue how anyway.
She grabbed a few clothes and tossed them in the suitcase because she had to make this look real.
The truth was she’d needed to get away. Last night had been too much…everything.
She needed to get out of David’s space and remember the truth about who she was and who they weren’t.
Only David had insisted she bring Joseph along. So getting away wasn’t an option.
“You bringing the magnetic poetry over to David’s?” Joseph asked, and she laughed.
“Why? Are you going to compose odes to your brother?”
He laughed back. “Nah. But he’d get a kick out of it.”
That was the truth wasn’t it? David got a kick out of just about everything.
Last night’s game of Scrabble had lasted hours. She’d never laughed so much in her life.
It would be so much easier if she just lusted after David instead of liking him.
“Woo hoo.” Nancy’s call echoed through her house. “Joseph Martinez, it is way too early in the day for you to be drinking beer. And why weren’t you at church today?”
Lil laughed at the uncomfortable silence followed by a quick, “Uh, hello Ms. Valdez.”
Then there Nancy was standing in her door with Joseph behind her, the beer glaringly absent. “If Ms. Valdez is going to be here, I’ll just go on home.”
Nancy crossed her arms over her chest and raised an eyebrow. “You go on home. I’ll see you at church next week. If you’re home from school.”
With that Joseph was gone and Nancy was left to shake her head. “That boy’s headed for trouble.”
“Nancy, he’s a kid.” Lil remembered something about being twenty-one. It wasn’t easy. “So what brings you by?”
Nancy brushed her hands down her burnt orange jacket, the rings on her fingers glinting in the sunlight. “I saw your car and thought I’d stop by. You taking more stuff over to David’s?”
More lies. Lil nodded. “A few more things. You’re welcome to help.”
“Of course I’ll help,” Nancy looked at the suitcase and frowned. “Are you sure about this Lil?”
Oh great. “Sure about…?”
“This. David. Moving in.”
“Yeah,” Lil nodded, smiled tightly. “I mean definitely. I’m absolutely sure.”
“It’s just he really broke your heart last time.”
Yeah. He really did. “That was then.”
“And he’s still a playboy, you know. Not the settling kind.”
Lil wanted to groan. “Nancy, David is not a playboy.”
Nancy shrugged. “Not in the traditional sense. He doesn’t go around with a bunch of different girls tossing them aside like nothing, but he’s not ready to grow up. He spent too many years
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