“What do you think, Linc?” she asked, smiling at her clone.
“Cool beans,” he replied, looking around with wide eyes. “And loud.”
“Yeah, it gets noisy,” I agreed. “But not as loud as the shop.” It’d be a wonder if I could still hear at forty.
“Luke fixes cars,” she noted, nudging Lincoln’s shoulder.
He lit up with a huge smile. “I love cars!”
“So do I,” I chuckled. “Always have.”
If it was fast with wheels, I loved it. Hell, it didn’t even need wheels. As long as I had the wind in my hair, I’d be in heaven.
“I like boats too. We rode one to watch whales but didn't see any, and Mommy threw up.”
A deep blush spread across Josie’s cheeks despite her tan, her eyes flipping towards the ceiling to avoid my gaze. “Thanks, Linc.”
“Seasick?” I asked, grinning. “Or one too many?”
“Seasick,” she muttered. “I guess I’m getting old.”
She was hardly old, but I wouldn’t flatter her. She knew how gorgeous she was.
“You can see pilot whales from my dock,” I offered. “Relax on it anytime you want.”
Linc spun excitedly, yanking on Josie’s arm. “Mommy! Can we go when we get home?”
“He has company, honey.” She didn’t share his enthusiasm, her soft lips in a line with her yes as flat as her voice.
As much as we disliked each other, she should take the offer. God knows sitting there had been the only thing to get me through the years. I learned to talk to the waves instead of someone else, replacing the chats she and I shared long ago.
“You’re free to visit. Jason and Ethan don’t bite. Elena might, though.” I grinned. “You run into them yet?”
I was curious how it went since I hadn’t mentioned she lived in Mrs. Sutton’s house, let alone that I invited her to the opening. I didn’t need to stick her in VIP or pick her favorite flowers for the centerpiece, but I did because it was the right thing to do. She wrecked me, but she was important, one of the many people that propelled me to work harder. To do better. To keep my head up.
Her hand gripped her purse strap as she shot me a patented Josie death glare. “Yes.”
Shit.
I hoped Ethan behaved himself. While I was proud to be the wild Barrett, Ethan was the fiery one, as fierce as he was beautiful. And God help you if you called him that to his face.
“Been a while.” My brothers once loved her as much as they loved me. A love she walked away from.
She pulled Linc close, looking ready to strike. “Yeah, it’s like they think I did something wrong.”
I cocked my head, feeling the vein in my neck ticking. If her son weren’t standing with her, I would have gone there, but I didn’t. “No comment for now.”
I’d watched my parents argue when I was a kid, and it was something I wouldn’t repeat. No one needed those memories.
“No need to comment ever,” she mumbled. “Lesson learned.”
I crossed my arms, close to letting loose, more than ready to let her know what I thought about her. She had a lot of fucking nerve. “Ditto.”
“Funny how the truth bends as some see fit,” she sighed. “Anywho, thanks for the invite. It’s beautiful. Congratulations.”
It was amazing how she could boil my blood and look so good doing it, storming off with her son in tow, the little boy turning to look at me again. “Bye, Mr. Luke!” he called.
“Bye, buddy!”
It hurt to see him stuck in our battle. He was a cool little guy that was too innocent for any of the rage between us. All he wanted was fun and cornbread.
She didn’t wait for the elevator, choosing the stairs. She kept her eyes to herself, but I watched the pair the whole way, Lincoln glancing back a few more times before they disappeared from view.
How could she act like she’d done nothing wrong?
Josie
Once home, Linc was desperate to visit the dock, and we did, only because Luke wasn’t back.
I kept my eyes glued to the road as we headed over, wary about the big black truck that carried trouble.
As we watched the waves for signs of life, the serenity of the sea extinguished the anger and tension that smoldered. Each gust of wind sent my skirt and hair dancing, further blowing the storm clouds from my mind.
There were no whales, a playful seal in the surf our only company, leaping and diving through the water.
Strong.
Happy.
Free.
Everything I craved.
Jeez, I was envious of a seal.
Linc loved every second, cheering the seal on as he played, bobbing and flapping his flippers before disappearing from view and popping up seconds later.
Linc’s smile made it all worthwhile, draining the dread that flooded my mind, nothing mattering more than his happiness.
Afterward, we headed home to play catch in the backyard, my lack of skills forcing poor Linc to chase the ball like a dog as it landed everywhere but near him, not that he seemed to mind. One day I’d master throwing in a straight line. Until then, we steered clear of the house to protect the windows from wayward balls.
All it took was an hour of playtime, and he was exhausted, taking a shower without being told and putting himself to bed as the sun started to set. I followed suit with a shower but ventured to the back porch with rosé, ready to forget it all.
The small square was my favorite part of the cottage and also my office whenever possible, free of the musty smell that lingered inside. I still hadn’t given up on ridding the place of it, but so far, air fresheners and open windows weren’t doing jack.
I settled in with my laptop, propping my legs up on the other Adirondack chair to craft a makeshift desk, ready to knock out projects. I had a dozen design requests along with a healthy backlog, but
