to the sound of a single car puttering its way along Main Street. “It’s still keeping him awake. But tonight, both he and X are rostered off.”
“So pot roast.”
“Pot roast,” she agrees. “Be safe tonight, honey. I won’t tell anyone where you are.”
“Appreciate it.”
I step through the building’s front entrance amid the click-click-click of my heels, and glance around at the bank of mailboxes, and a long bench seat that also kind of doubles as a plant holder. Or, well, a plant holder that doubles as a bench seat. The walls inside are brick, the stairs concrete. Not very upmarket or fancy, but certainly secure and clean.
When my line beeps to indicate another call incoming, I check the screen and draw a heady breath. “Mom, I have to go. My other line is ringing, and I’m already inside the building.”
“Love you, honey. I trust you to be able to judge a situation and remove yourself if you have to.”
“Thank you. And I can,” I tack on. “I can take care of myself. Goodnight, Mom.”
“Night, baby.”
As soon as that call goes dead, I accept the next and begin up the stairs. “Hi, Brenten. I can’t talk for long, I just arrived at Mom and Oz’s for dinner.”
“Oh…” Despite the fact he was yet to speak, I can still tell that his voice drops a few tones from excited to that “oh”. “Dinner with the parents tonight?”
“Yup. Pot roast, and Ben’s about to give me the beady eye, so…”
“So you just… alright. Dinner with the parents. Didn’t think to invite me?”
I turn at the top of the first flight of stairs, and begin onto the second. “Would you like to come to dinner, Brenten? Mom is making pot roast, but it’s not quite done yet, so you have time to head on over if you like.”
“Hart twins there?”
I drop my gaze to the floor to hide my smile – from who? I don’t know – and shake my head. “Yes, they’re here. You need to understand that the Hart guys are family to me. We’re all family, so you’re gonna have to get used to it, and stop asking me if they’re around.”
“Stop asking?”
“Yes. From here on out, let’s just assume that they’re always around. That way, there are no awkward surprises when they actually turn up, and you get to practice not being afraid of them. They’re really not so bad, you know?”
“I’m not afraid of them!” he snaps. He’s totally afraid of them. “I just don’t want to eat dinner with a couple of guys who’ll happily set me on fire if it means they can get rid of me and their convictions.”
“But they’re my family, which means if you and I are meant to be forever, then they’ll be at our wedding. If you don’t bury the hatchet now, then it’s super likely they’ll hijack the wedding and make a scene that includes a keg stand and ping pong balls. You need to choose where and when you want this showdown, Brenten, and if you know what’s good for you, you’ll make sure it’s not during a family wedding.”
I turn at the next flight of stairs, and continue up. “They’re really not so bad, you know. I could send them to your place right now; they could bring pot roast in Tupperware, you guys could hang out and play cards, get to know each other in a real, genuine way. Their mom is like, five feet tall. What’s so scary about that?”
“No thanks,” he grumbles. “Maybe another day.”
“Another day?” I smile and slow at the end of a long hall. “You busy tonight?”
“Yeah. I think I’ll stay in and do a little work. I’ve always got something to do, so I guess I’ll do that, you do dinner with them. Will you come to me after?”
“Um…” I begin moving again and slow in front of an apartment door. “I don’t think so. I think I’ll be here awhile, and after that, I’d rather just go to bed. But maybe I’ll see you tomorrow.”
“Maybe,” he sighs. “Hey, listen, Liv. Before you go?”
“Mm?” I bring my hand up in preparation to knock, but don’t make contact just yet. “What’s up?”
“What do you know about Larkin Pryor and the local law enforcement’s relationship with him?”
“You are not seriously asking me that right now,” I demand. “Dammit, Brenten. I am not your middleman or a well for information. Do your job, do it on your own steam, don’t ask me again.”
“Geez,” he hisses.