Page 105 of Afternoon Delight
“Oh. I’ll stay in Toronto then. I couldn’t bear for Wanda’s feelings to be hurt.” I sent up a prayer that he’d recognize that was sarcasm.
“Why are you even doing this? It’s the fucking Island. We both couldn’t wait to get away from there. How well do you even know this Zak?”
“How well did I know you, Joel?” I sat down on the stairs and listened to the silence ripen with twenty-plus years of history that had to be rewritten after clerical errors had been discovered.
Was that what this was really about, though? I wondered if the reason Wanda was stung was because Roddie liked Zak.
“Joel, this isn’t about you,” I said as gently as I could. “You and I had a good run. Now we’re doing different things. Roddie’s caught in the middle, but I swear I’m not trying to pull him away from you. If he decides to live with you, I will accept that.” I would hate it, but I would suck it up.
“No—” He swore under his breath. “It’s probably better that he lives with you. Things are really complicated right now. I think Wanda’s mom is going to come live with us.”
“Is she sick? I’m so sorry.” My sympathy receptors went to max level.
“No, her mom’s fine. Everyone’s fine. But yeah, uh... Wanda’s having twins, so...”
She was. Not we. Oh, Wanda.
I bit my lips and actually had to cover my mouth to hold back my laughter. It was mean. I know it was. Babies are a blessing, not a joke, but come on. That was some serious karma for both of them, right?
“I’ll be there in a sec,” Joel said to someone, then sighed. “Either we have to move so Wanda’s mom has her own suite, or she has to take Roddie’s room. Wanda thinks I’m blaming her for him not living with us. At least if he was with you in Toronto, it wouldn’t be as bad.”
“Joel.” I strained for my kindest possible tone. “I’m not going to fix this for you. Talk to your son. Talk to your wife. Figure it out. I’m late for an appointment. But congratulations.”
I meant it, but he took it as sarcasm and choked out a cynical, “Fine. Bye.”
He ended the call.
I rolled my eyes and dropped my phone in my purse, then yelled, “Mom! Guess what?”
Chapter 58
Meg
Mom was due for her shift at the thrift store, so she couldn’t come with me to the viewing. I didn’t mind. I had a lot to think about as I drove into downtown, then across the bridge.
Old parts of me were wondering if maybe I should stay in Toronto. I was taking Roddie away from his new half-siblings. Being close to Mom would be nice, but what did I really have here in Victoria if things didn’t work out with Zak?
I pulled into the parking lot of the condo building and nosed into the visitor stall. As I left my SUV, a man popped out of the alcove entrance to the building.
“Meg? Hi. I’m Greg. It’s nice to put a face to a name.”He offered his hand to shake and held my gaze.
I sensed I was being assessed and that he liked what he saw.
“Nice to meet you, too.” We’d only talked on the phone.
He was taller than I expected and even more of a silver fox in person than his headshot. I didn’t hate what I saw, but?—
“Meg.”
My heart leapt as I turned to see Zak striding toward us. He wore jeans and a T-shirt. His hair was tousled and shaggy, his beard scruffy and in need of cleaning up. God, he was gorgeous.
I threw myself at him. “What are you doing here? I thought you couldn’t make it?”
“Zara came into the shop with Presley and told me to go have lunch with you. I tried calling. You didn’t pick up, but your Mom sent me the address.”
He hugged me, but briefly. His attention was pinned over my head at Greg. His hands shifted to my shoulders, both holding me off and keeping me close.
“What are you doing?”
