Chapter 12
What happened to keeping busy with work? Not needing a girlfriend at the moment? Being happy being alone?
To distract herself, Edie stacked her paperwork into a neat pile. “Well, I should probably get going…”
“Question,” Joanne said.
Edie stopped shuffling papers and looked at her. “Yes?”
From over the top of her coffee mug, Joanne asked, “What’s Davis Contractors doactually?”
With a shrug, Edie said, “Well, general contracting work, of course. Repairs, remodeling, stuff like that, for commercial or personal properties. I don’t know really what you’d like to know—”
“I’m in real estate,” Joanne admitted. “Just getting started, but so far, I like it a lot. And sometimes my clients ask me if I know anyone who might be handy around the house, or maybe can give them a quote on fixing up a few things. If I can give them your name—”
“That’d be great.” Edie dug out a business card from her pocket and handed it over. “We have a website that details pretty much all our services, but if there’s anything specific you’re looking for, you can always give me a call.”
Joanne palmed the card. A slow smile spread across her face, and she gave Edie a coy look. “What if I only wanted to call to chat? Or, I don’t know, see if you wanted to meet up for a bite to eat? Same number?”
Absently, Edie’s hand strayed to her ponytail again. “Well, it ismy cell…”
It wasn’t exactly encouraging, but Joanne didn’t seem dissuaded. “How about lunch, then? Today? If you don’t already have plans—”
“I don’t,” Edie assured her.
Joanne’s smile brightened. “Great. Let me get these kids off to school and run back home to freshen up, and I’ll give you a call sometime before noon. Just let me know where you want to meet.”
Suddenly Edie’s palms felt sweaty and her pulse quickened. Wait, was this turning into a date? “I…I don’t know. What do you like?”
“Oh, I’m easy to please,” Joanne said with a wink.
* * * *
5
After Edie left, it didn’t take much for Joanne to get the kids dressed and ready for school. She went into what she liked to call “bad aunt” mode though, as Ava pointed out, it was the same as “good aunt” mode only with more yelling. “You’re the only aunt we have, good or bad,” Ava complained as she trailed after Joanne in search of her school books.
“So you’re stuck with me either way.” Joanne found the last of Ava’s books tucked halfway up under the couch, as if the girl had thought that maybe by hiding it, she could have avoided going to school. But no dice. Joanne deposited it with the others in Ava’s book bag.
Behind his sister, Mikey Jr. moaned, “Daddy said we didn’t have to go to school when the babies were born!”
Joanne gave her nephew a mean little grin. She knew that moan of his all too well—his father had used it growing up, too, as a way to get anything hewanted, as well. “Sorry, mister. That might work on your mommy but not on me. I’m immune to your charms. Get your shoes on. We’re leaving in two minutes whether you’re ready or not.”
“But Daddy said—” Mikey tried again.
“That’s just it, sport,” Joanne interrupted, “there areno babies yet. When they come, I’ll pick you up and take you to the hospital myself. I promise. Until then, you have to go to school.”
Ava frowned. “What if they aren’t born by the time we get out?”
Joanne tugged on Ava’s ponytail, which she knew her niece hated. “Then I’ll still come pick you up, how’s that? And we’ll swing by the hospital to see how your mommy’s doing. But don’t worry. She’s going to have the babies today.”
From where he sat on the floor, struggling with his shoes, Mikey didn’t look too convinced. “How do you know?”
“Because when you go into labor,” Joanne explained, “that means the babies are coming. Your body’s getting ready to push them out. Didn’t your mother go over all this with you?”
Ava rolled her eyes. “He’s only eight years old, Aunt Jo. He doesn’t even know where babies comefrom yet.”
“I do, too!” Mikey cried, his voice shrill. With one small foot, he kicked out at his sister, but she dodged him easily enough. “They come from inside Mommy’s tummy!”
“Yeah, but how’d they getthere?” Ava jeered.