Shock - Marie Johnston Page 0,24

that we’re working.

The wedding dance was different. His mom was there and we were out. Now I’m in his house, waiting to meet the mom of his kid.

I know all about Cass, but I’ve never been introduced to her. She won’t come near the ambulance garage and I doubt we hang out in the same places.

“Since she’s the main reason why we’re doing this…” He sweeps his hand out. “Have a seat.”

I pad forward, my footsteps swallowed by the banging of plastic blocks. Jayden has zero interest in me and since I have no clue what to do with kids and this visit is turning out more momentous than planned, I’m okay with that.

After dropping into a surprisingly comfortable couch, I stick my hands between my knees to keep from fidgeting. I don’t know how else to act and that’s the last feeling I’m used to around Ford.

Ford doesn’t take a seat next to me but drops onto the floor next to his son. “Jayden, this is my friend Lia.” Jayden gnaws on a block. Ford smirks. “He says hi. How was the shift?”

“Pretty normal.”

“Normal’s good.”

“Yeah.”

Is this conversation only one-sidedly painful, or is he cringing on the inside, too?

To make it worse, the doorbell rings. We both tense and Jayden waves his little arms around.

“That’s probably her.” He unfolds his big body and I can’t bring myself to ogle him as he goes to the door. “Hey.”

“Sorry, the meeting ran long and since it was a video I couldn’t text you without being obvious.” Cass breezes past him, shoving her aviator sunglasses on top of her perfectly wind-blown blond hair. Her suit manages to look California-chic and professional at the same time. She’s paired wide-legged black pants with a loose suit jacket that’s not meant to button. Her cream shirt is expertly knotted above the waist. All she has to do is strike a pose with her hands in her pockets and she could walk right out of a fashion magazine.

She stops short when she sees me. “Oh.” Emotions play across her face, every one playing through her green eyes. Confusion. Surprise. A hotter emotion bordering on anger, then grim acceptance. “Lia?”

I rise and stretch out a hand. Ford is in shorts and a T-shirt too, but I feel sorely underdressed. “Hi, Cass. Finally, we meet.”

“Right. Finally.” Her hand clasps mine for a millisecond before she snatches it away. She turns and squats in front of Jayden. “Hey, buddy. How was playing at Daddy’s?”

Ford produces a diaper bag from behind the couch. “He cut his nap an hour short so he’s been kind of cranky.”

“An hour?” Cass lets out a long-suffering sigh. “It’s that thing you use. It’s not his crib.”

“I tried laying him down with me, but he was just distracted.”

“I guess he’ll have to go to bed early tonight. I hope he doesn’t also wake up early since his sleep schedule’s thrown off.”

She might just be voicing her concerns, but her tone makes it clear that it’ll be all Ford’s fault.

My phone chooses that moment to start buzzing. Vibrate is not silent and it echoes between the three of us. Four if I count Jayden, but he’s more interested in the shoes Cass is trying to stuff on his feet.

I’m tempted to ignore it but I don’t get many calls and my curiosity wins. My parents or Samuel? Mom. “Excuse me.”

I give Cass a quick smile, but she eyes me like I’ve failed some unknown test she was conducting.

I shoot an apologetic look at Ford. He shakes his head like it’s no problem, but his shoulders hang like he knows he’s failed his own test. He should also know that it wouldn’t matter. I’m sure seeing me amped up Cass’s Ford-criticism factor.

Ducking into the hallway, I answer. “Hello?”

“Aurelia. Hi.” Mom’s businesslike tone drifts over the line. I imagine her dressed much like Cass, only with a properly mature tucked-in blouse and her highlighted walnut hair in a French twist. “Listen, your father and I are going to be in Sunnyville this weekend.”

“What?” They haven’t been here since Grandma died. Mrs. Rosenthal evicted her deadbeat tenant when she heard I needed a place to stay. I’d have been on my own if I had needed movers too. It was my parents’ passive-aggressive way of teaching me a lesson.

It’s only thanks to Mrs. Rosenthal and her nose for good deals that I even have some furniture.

“Yes, dear. We haven’t been out there to see you yet and I have a