Page 72 of Call You Mine
He has always put his crew first—they’re his family. He never married or had children of his own because the station became his life. Even though we’re related by blood and don’t let that interfere with work, it’s still nice having him so close now.
Except maybe it’ll make keeping this secret even harder.
When I don’t say anything to answer him right away, he clarifies, “You haven’t said much since that day you left to pick her sister up from school, and your mom didn’t say anything about you two when she called me yesterday, so I just wanted to make sure everything is okay.”
“Shocking,” I deadpan, but I’m instantly relieved. He’s not asking because he’s suspicious. He’s just asking. “But I’m sure my mom told you all about what the twins and Auggie are up to.”
Uncle Artie huffs out a laugh. “As a matter of fact, I did hear all about Alex’s new cat and Archie’s plan to propose to his boyfriend. And it sounds like Auggie’s got some sort of job.”
I raise a brow. “Really?”
I haven’t talked to the twins since I called them about my engagement—fakeengagement—and my last conversation with my youngest brother was a few days ago, when he was asking me how many refills are included with my mom’s new pain medication prescription.
He didn’t tell me anything about a new job.
Chief Sanders nods. “Your mom said he’s been helping out with groceries and filling up her gas tank after he borrows her car.” He shrugs. “She seems pretty happy about it, enough to call me and tell me all about it yesterday.”
I sigh, crossing my arms over my chest, a familiar feeling, too akin to jealousy for my liking, makes my vision blur along the edges—or maybe it’s the exhaustion, both from this shit with my brothers or just because it’s been a long twenty-four hours. “She does have a habit of applauding mediocrity.”
Chief’s lips quirk, but he rubs a hand over his mouth. “My sister and my other nephews are not what I called you in here to talk about. I wanted to talk about you.”
“There’s not much to talk about.” I lean back, crossing my arms.
“Seems like there is,” Uncle Artie says, a furrow in his brow. “Jack said you and your girlfriend are getting married and adopting her little sister? That sounds pretty serious to me.”
I feel my cheeks heat, like I was caught with my pantsdown. I rub the back of my neck with my palm. “I was going to tell you.”
Jack says ten words a daymaximum, and he uses them to tell my unclethis. Thank fuck he didn’t tell him about Ava wanting to get married when we’re in Vegas, something she mentioned the day she and Georgie moved in.
I’m still trying to wrap my head around the fact that Ava and I will be fuckingmarriedby this time next week.
“I will say, it was a little awkward when he talked about it a few days ago as if I already knew,” he says, but he doesn’t sound annoyed or upset. Instead, his face softens. “I’m assuming your mom knows?”
His gray eyes stare into mine, and I find myself looking away when I answer. “I told her a few days after Ava and I got engaged.”
“I figured,” my uncle says on a sigh, but I still don’t look up.
“Maybe she just forgot.” My voice comes out hard, but there’s a prickle in my nose. I’m struggling with who exactly I want to defend right now, myself or my mom. When I called and told her about Ava, the call went similarly to the one with my brothers. She was surprised and a little upset at first since she didn’t even know I was in a relationship, but that was short-lived.
The conversation turned into her asking if I could talk to Auggie about maybe going to the fire academy since he couldn’t find a job—I remember wanting to tell her that you can’t find a job if you don’tlookfor one, but I kept it to myself. By the time we hung up the phone, my news was nowhere near the front of her mind.
“Anderson,” my uncle starts. “I know it’s not really any of my business, but you gotta stop doing that.”
“Doing what?” I ask, even though I know he’s about to tell me the same thing my therapist does.
“Defending her.” His jaw tightens. “Your mom didn’t just forget. She didn’t care to really listen in the first place.”
The words feel like a betrayal on the first impact, but then it’s like it’s breaking down walls I’ve built up around these feelings about my family. Like it’s finally okay to actually feel them.
“She’s working full-time, and her arthritis pain is getting harder and harder to manage every year. And, it’s not like Alex, Archie, or Auggie make it any easier for her. She’s got a lot on her plate.”
“And so do you.”
I look up, and my uncle holds my stare. “You got engaged. That’s a big damn deal. And somehowyouare the one explaining why she didn’t remember it when I asked what was new with all four of you.”
My throat tightens.
“It’s always the twins or Auggie, always something to celebrate or something to fix when it comes to them.” He puts his elbows on his desk, leaning forward. “But when it comes to you?” He points to me, and I feel my lips purse. “You’re the one planning the birthday party or celebratory dinner or swooping in to clean up whatever mess one of them made.” His voice is rough, but it’s not unkind. “And you let her be. You’ve been letting her be since you were what—eight?”
