Page 10 of Last Call

“Oh boy,” Andi said.

“I don’t want to hurt her, Andi. That’s the last thing I want. I love the idea of a baby that looks like Fallon—that holds a part of her family.”

“I understand. I also understand why you’d be reluctant to involve Dean.”

“It’s more than reluctance,” Riley admitted.

“You need to talk to her.”

“What am I supposed to say?”

“Tell her the truth. It’s not my place to have an opinion.”

“But?” Riley asked. “You have some thoughts.”

“Things are complicated and painful for all the kids already. I ran into Pete the other day. He told me Evan is still struggling to talk to his father. He feels pushed aside by everyone. I think Pete is the best thing that’s happened in Evan’s life in a long time. And I could be wrong, but I think he’s also the best thing to happen to Beth.”

Riley smiled. “You noticed that, too, huh?”

“I did.”

“Pete is terrific,” Riley said.

“He is. Talk to Fallon,” Andi advised. “We both know she may bristle at first. But you can’t hold back any of this.”

“I wish that made it easier.”

Andi winked. “That’s why God invented wine, Riley.”

Fallon stopped in her tracks when she entered the living room. She had expected to hear Owen prattling on about something. Riley was seated on the sofa, reading a book, and a bottle of wine with two glasses sat atop the coffee table.

“Where’s Owen?” Fallon asked.

“Beth took him for the night.”

“Why?”

“So we can enjoy some time together,” Riley replied. “And talk freely—without interruptions,” she added.

Fallon’s brow furrowed.

“Don’t start rolling through a million doomsday scenarios,” Riley said. “Sit with me and have some wine.”

Fallon followed Riley’s direction, sitting cautiously on the sofa's edge.

“You look like Owen when he goes to time-out,” Riley observed with a chuckle as she handed Fallon a glass of wine.

“Am I?” Fallon asked.

“Are you what?”

“In time-out?”

Riley laughed. “Should you be?”

“I don’t know. I don’t think so.”

Riley could see the wheels spinning in Fallon’s head, sifting through her thoughts for some trivial infraction like washing her red hoodie with the whites. “Relax,” Riley said. “I just wanted us to have some time alone. When was the last time we hadan afternoon and evening to ourselves? It feels like most of our conversations happen between running to or from someone’s house. Either that, or we’re yawning and trying to stay awake to listen.”

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