At Peace (The 'Burg #2)(167)

“Honey, let’s… go.” He was still talking gentle but this was mingled with his “I’m not going to repeat myself” tone.

Kate looked at me then at Joe then, wisely, she nodded.

He slid an arm around her shoulders and led her to the door.

“We’ll be back for me to cook the brats. Do not cook them yourself,” Joe ordered as he walked by me.

I didn’t know if he ordered this for me to conserve my energy or because he didn’t want me to ruin them. It didn’t matter either way since my mind was on the fact that I was obviously not invited on this ride in Joe’s Bullitt car and even though he seemed to be doing okay, I wasn’t sure Joe had the skills to handle this volatile situation without me being mediator.

“Joe,” I called as I followed them.

“We’ll be back in awhile,” Joe said but he didn’t look back at me as he guided Kate down the hall.

“Joe, I think –”

He looked back then and he did it to say, “In awhile, buddy.”

I bit my lips again. Then I nodded.

I stopped in the living room, my eyes following them through the windows as they walked to Joe’s house and Keira got close to me.

“Where they goin’?” she asked

“No idea,” I answered.

“Is Katy okay?” she asked.

“Nope,” I answered.

“I hope she doesn’t break up with Dane. He’s the hottest guy in school and he’s nice. That means you both have the hottest, nicest guys in school and in town. This means good things for my future because I’m up next.”

I stopped worrying because I started laughing.

Then I looked at my last born and kissed her cheek.

Then I said, “They may be hot and they may be nice but they’re also men. And men can be idiots. So it isn’t smooth sailing, honey, and it never will be.”

“I can handle it,” Keira blithely assured me, so ready for her first boyfriend it wasn’t funny.

I, on the other hand, was not ready for Keira’s first boyfriend. If my sweet, quiet, mellow Kate could throw a scene like that, Keira’s first drama would probably blow the roof off the house.

“I hope so,” I muttered then said, “let’s sit on the deck. Summer’ll be over soon, we need to get our deck time in.”

“Yeah, let me get a pop,” Keira replied.

She got her pop and her phone and I grabbed my wine. We sat on the deck and she told me about the possible boyfriends she had lined up for freshman year. She did this while she texted, lining up those possible boyfriends, multitasking.

While she did this I sipped my wine and fretted about Joe and Kate.

Thirty minutes later, the sliding glass door opened, I twisted in my seat and saw Joe with Kate tucked close to his side walking through. Her face was still red but it was dry.

Kate disengaged from Joe and came to me, bending down to give me a hug, she whispered, “Sorry, Mawdy. I was ticked.”

“That’s okay, baby,” I told her, hugging her back.

Then she let me go, threw herself in a chair and I looked at Joe.

“It’s cool,” he said calmly and walked to the grill, ordering, “Keirry, babe, help me out, yeah? Go get the brats.”

“Sure, Joe,” Keira replied, jumping up, eyeing Kate but doing as Joe asked.

“Joe’s car is the bomb,” Kate told me when the door slid closed behind Keira.

I ignored the comment and asked, “Are you okay?”

She looked away then back at me then she said, “Yeah.”

“Sure?”

She shrugged, looked at Joe who was standing by the grill, eyes on Kate, hands on hips. Then she looked at the yard.

“He messes things up with me, his loss,” Kate told the yard then sighed and looked at me. “And he loses, he loses huge.”

My eyes went to Joe, he shrugged and said, “They may be in high school, buddy, but not a lotta girls like Kate in this world. Dane doesn’t get that, he’s f**ked. He’ll spend the rest of his life thinkin’ ‘bout the one who got away.”

For longer than was necessary, I stared at Joe after he finished speaking.

And I did it thinking, Fuck, but I love this man.

I sighed through that thought then looked back at my daughter.

“What’d he do?” I asked, Kate’s breathing hitched again, my eyes slid to Joe and Joe shook his head. “Forget it, I don’t wanna know,” I finished quickly.

Kate nodded and looked at the yard.

Keira returned with the brats. Joe cooked them while Keira brought out plates, cutlery, buns, condiments and bowls of store bought macaroni salad and chips.

We ate on the deck.

Tina didn’t attempt to spy which I thought was an added bonus to having a man who could be threatening and in your face (could and would).

Kate stayed silent and thoughtful throughout dinner. Keira filled the silence with chatter and I helped her. Kate did the dishes on her own, the rest of us giving her space and then she disappeared in her room.

Keira put in a movie and she and Mooch camped out in the living room.

Joe and I sat on the deck with beer and wine.

“Tell me,” I demanded.

Joe looked at me then back at the yard then he took a pull on his beer.