Page 125 of Timeless

“Your uncles are here and so is your dad.” I went and got a shot glass.

“Yeah, but they aren’t Will. And Will’s rule is you don’t drink from that bottle unless he is here.”

I clenched my eyes shut. “Jack, you and I need to talk.”

The house phone started ringing.

“Can I get it?” Jack jumped off the bar stool.

“No, Jack. I’m off the grid.” And I managed to throw back a shot. Okay. That didn’t even nearly take the edge off how I was feeling.

“What does off the grid mean?” Adam asked. He was sitting on one of the bar stools, with his cigarette packet out.

I had been making them smoke outside, and I had always smoked outside but right now I needed a cigarette.

“Off the grid means Mom is avoiding people.” Jack jumped back onto the bar stool next to Adam. And the house phone kept ringing.

“Hey, can you give me one?” I asked Adam, my hand out for the cigarettes.

He frowned and then handed me the packet.

I tapped the packet on the kitchen bench. “Jack, you and I need to talk.” Okay. I’ll reward myself with a cigarette after I tell Jack about Will and Tae.

“Can Dad be in this talk, too?” Jack spun around on the bar stool.

I opened my mouth to say yes, when my answering machine beeped.

“Amber, pick up.” Will’s voice came from the machine.

My eyes snapped to it. My luck couldn’t be this bad.

“Amber, please pick up. I know you have blocked my number on your phone because my calls aren’t even going to your voicemail.” Will’s voice didn’t disappear like I was hoping.

Jack jumped off the stool, and I knew where he was going.

“Jack do not answer that phone!” I abandoned my vodka and cigarettes and fast walked to the phone. “Jack, do not pick it up!”

He was up on his toes, grabbing the cordless phone. I reached him just in time and just as he put it to his ear, I pulled the cord out of the base, cutting the reception and the power.

Jack frowned at the dead phone. “Mom, why did you do that?”

I took the dead phone from his hand. Okay. I can do this. “We need to talk, Jack.”

“Mom, are you acting weird because of Dad?” Jack frowned, and I spun him around and headed him toward the table.

“A little bit, yeah, Jack.” I was honest and Troy and Cole gave me a reassuring smile, knowing what I was about to do. “Okay, you pick where we talk, Jack,” I said. According to the rules if Jack and I are having a serious conversation, he picks where it happens.

Jack looked up at me. “It’s one of those talks?”

“Yep.”

He sighed. “Then I say table and I’m not listening unless Dad is sitting with me.”

I shook my head. “Jack, you can’t just rope your dad into this.” Will was my problem and I would tell Jack. I wasn’t expecting Jax to be sitting next to Jack when he took the news.

Jack ignored me and had managed to walk to Jax anyway. He still had Jax’s ring in his hand. “I think everyone should have to sit at the table if I do.”

“Jack, you know our talks don’t work like that.”

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