Friend? What am I even saying? I mean, I can say my voice is shaky because I’m obviously injured, but these words of mine are like a salad of ridiculousness.
Levi shakes his head and has no time to respond because the back door of the SUV opens. When I glance over, my smile grows wider when I see Duncan waiting there and waving.
“Hey, buddy,” I coo as Levi places me on the seat beside him.
Mary turns in her seat to face us.
“Look,” Duncan says, placing a stack of old comic books in my lap. “Do you see these? I found them this morning when we stopped at the gas station. Comic books. At a gas station! How cool!”
I stare at the comic books. Archie and Friends. “You’ve got great taste, Duncan. These were my favorites when I was a little girl.”
“Really?” He grins at me as he tosses a Betty and Veronica comic book in my lap. “I got this one, too.”
“For me?”
He nods, and as he does, I notice the cookbook is on the floor at his feet.
“Are you studying up on how to make me dinner, too?”
Duncan giggles. “I thought you may like to borrow it while you get settled. I’ll want it back, though.”
“Of course you will, but I thought it was a present?” I flick my eyes toward Mary in the front seat.
Duncan shrugs. “I decided I need to do something else forher.” He looks at the cookbook. “I wanted it because my mom loved Jamie Oliver.”
I pick up the cookbook and place it in my lap. “Then I will take very good care of this and make sure to give it back to you as soon as I’m done with it. Or maybe we’ll make something for dinner together one night. What do you say?”
“Cool,” Duncan says, done now and turning to look out the window.
Up in the front seat, I’ve noticed two heads moving and turning. Mary’s movements seem stunted, as if she’s in shock at the conversation she’s bearing witness to.
“Will you have Netflix at your place?” Duncan asks, turning his attention back to me.
“Probably,” I say with a shrug. “If not today, soon. Why? Do you want to watch something on Netflix?”
“Riverdale. Duh.” He winks at me. “It’s Archie’s show, you know.”
Laughing, I throw my arm around my new little best friend. “We’ll talk to Levi and see what he thinks about you watching it, okay?”
The car slows outside my new building, which I know is mine only because of the photos Levi sent me yesterday so it wouldn’t fully be a “sight unseen” situation. The building is fairly new with retail spaces on the first floor and apartments above, all except one—a three-bedroom unit that takes up both floors. It boasts a fenced-in backyard, much larger than the one I have at my place and perfect for Toto, plus a large balcony stretching across two bedrooms in the back.
Levi opens the door and helps me out, Mary handing me my crutches as he jogs over to help Austin. The Porter brothers race in and out of the building, taking my things inside with Duncan helping as Mary and I make our way up the steps.
We’re at the base of them when she stops me, placing a hand on my arm.
“Okay, I know I said I didn’t want to know any more info, but I have to ask”—her eyes flick toward the building, making sure the boys are not within earshot—“if you really are okay with this fake engagement thing?”
When my eyes meet hers, I see a mother’s worry. Not that I have much experience with it, considering my background, but I have my intuition around what it would be like. Mary’s always been nice to me, but I know she’s protective and loves her sons with all of her heart. I can only imagine that she must be worried for Levi and now Duncan, too.
“It’squid pro quo, isn’t it?” I say as I hand her my crutches again and balance myself, holding the rail so I can hobble up the steps. “I needed a place to stay and Levi needs to look like he’s settling down.”
Emerald-green flecks appear in hazel eyes that flash with curiosity. It’s as if this woman has a way of seeing into my soul. “Is it playing house for you?”
Ooofff. Talk about being put on the spot. “It’s about making sure Duncan ends up with the right person to raise him.”
“And it’s also about getting a free place to crash, right?”
Turning my head to the front door, I look up and find Levi at the top of the steps, one hand on his hip as he stares at his mother. “I told you, please don’t insert yourself into this, Mom. I know you’re not a fan of this plan, but it’s what I’m choosing to do.”
