Page 54 of Call You Mine
“What do you mean?” I ask, glancing at the clock and seeing I have thirty minutes before I have to head over to Georgie’s school.
“Again, I don’t want to pry, but this note of yours mentioned taking Georgie with you, and this stuff in these bags looks like it could belong to that sister of yours.”
My mouth immediately parts.
Are you fucking kidding me?
I want to laugh at how ridiculous this all is. And then I want to laugh even harder for thinking this wasn’t something my mother was capable of.
I should’ve known that she was going to do something rash after our phone call, especially in the state she was in when she called.
And no one stoops lower than my mother.
If she thinks I took Georgie to hurt her, someone like her fights hurt with more hurt.
I don’t want to go back on my boundary, but I’m not going to let her throw out all of Georgie’s stuff like it’s trash.
“I’ll be right there.” I hang up the phone, grab my jacket and purse from the back of my office chair, and run out the door.
CHAPTER 16
ANDERSON
The truck pulls backinto the station, and I hop out, following the rest of the crew. We strip out of our gear and fall into easy conversations as we go through the motions of our post-call duties. I’m tasked with restocking medical supplies while others clean and decontaminate our equipment, refill oxygen bottles, and get our gear cleaned.
Jack, as the Lead Firefighter, conducts our post-incident briefing and assigns some paperwork and patient care reports before we fall into downtime between calls.
“What time is dinner tomorrow?” Jack asks as the two of us settle on the sofa in our common area. A rerun of some cop show is playing at a low volume on the TV, the afternoon sun reflecting off the snow on the ground and beaming in through the blinds.
I tilt my head, cracking my neck on one side and then the other. “Isn’t it atyourhouse?”
“For your information, smartass, I’ve been tasked with cleaning the entire house for you fuckers to come over, as if you and my sister are actual guests.” I snort at the way Jack has the delivery of a cranky old man, even though his wordsjust show how thoughtful he actually is when it comes to the people he cares about.
“Aw, are you saying you see me as family?” I can’t help but push his buttons, especially with how easy it is to piss him off. He rolls his eyes. “But seriously, dude. Do you even read the messages in the group chat?”
“You’re uninvited."
I bark out a laugh. “Relax, boss. Dinner is at six o’clock.”
Jack crosses his arms, our gazes on the TV in front of us, watching as the cop on screen tackles some guy in the street. “And what is this super secret news you and Ava have to share with all of us tomorrow?” he asks.
I clear my throat. “Nothing too crazy.” My voice comes out even, and I have half a mind to pat myself on the back for how nonchalant my delivery was.
I’m getting better at this wholetalk about Avathing without blushing like a schoolgirl.
“Then why has my girlfriend been texting me all day to find out more about you andyourgirlfriend?”
My mouth opens to correct him, to tell him that she’s my wife, but I quickly roll my lips together to avoid voicing the ridiculous thought. She’s not even my girlfriend, let alone my wife.
Yet.
And I ignore my mind telling me to add the word “fake” just as my phone vibrates in my pocket.
Pulling it out, I can’t help but chuckle to myself. “Speak of the devil,” I mutter, finding Ava’s name.
“And saved by the bell,” Jack adds as I stand to take her call.
I roll my eyes, my lips curving into a smile too big for something as trivial as an afternoon phone call.
