Page 61 of Love It or List It
Gavin’s face was pale, his eyes round.He shook his head.
Joe looked at Will.Will was concentrating so hard on his short ribs that Joe thought he might be attempting a molecular breakdown.No help there.
He looked at Meg, who was still furiously red.
She pushed away her plate.“I’m not hungry anymore.”
Fantastic.
“Meg, you just had a swim meet.You need to eat—”
“I said I’m not hungry.”
Fuck it.Joe turned his gaze to Chris and attempted to communicate telepathically,I’ll handle the other three if you take Meg.“Should we get the check?”He glanced around at the half-full plates.“And some takeout boxes?”
It was a long, awkward drive home.Will squashed into the middle of the back seat.All three kids stewed in silence.It smelled like leftovers.
Austin drove in silence, tapping his fingers on the wheel, the radio turned low.The speakers crackled so much Joe could barely make out the tune, never mind the lyrics.
Finally Austin let out a breath.“You know, I hate to side with the kids,” he said, “but if this is your idea of a date, you really do have no game.”
In the back seat, Will made a noise that might’ve been a laugh or might’ve been some kind of audible wince.Gavin howled.
Alex continued to stew.
“Don’t worry,” Joe said.“I’m not in the habit of bringing moody teenage chaperones on my dates.”
His voice carried every ounce of his displeasure.Good.Let it.Alex should know he was pissed.They were going to be having a long talk when they got home.
Actually, fuck that.They could have it now.When they got home, Joe wanted a beer, a shower, a cuddle with the critters, and his bed.
“You want to tell me what your problem is, Alex?”
They huffed.“Of course you’re siding withher.”
Was Joe imagining it, or was there a little extra vitriol on that pronoun?“Uh, yeah,” he said, “because from where I’m standing, you’re being a real asshole for no reason.”He mentally awarded himself two points for not sayingbitch.
“Fine, whatever.Can we talk about this later?I don’t want to get into it with everyone.”
“Maybe you should have thought of that before you made a scene in front of ‘everyone’ at Meg’s big night.”Jesus, raising teenagers was tough when you didn’t have any actual authority.
More silence from the back seat, broken only by the sound of chewing.Gavin had not given up on his french fries, even though they had to be stone-cold by now.
Then a sniffle.
Ah, fuck.
Then an unexpected low murmur from the driver’s seat.“Why don’t you sit this one out?”Austin suggested.“We’ll be home in ten.I’ll get it.”
Joe cast him a sideways glance as they passed under a streetlight.“What?”
“It’s—no offense.”The corner of his mouth turned up in a sad parody of a smile.“Just… I think I’ve got more applicable experience in this case, all right?”He paused.“Plus, you look wiped.”
Joe wanted to argue, but he was, in fact, wiped.He sagged into his seat—God, next time they were taking the truck, even if that meant the kids were even more squished; this car was so uncomfortable—and leaned his head against the window.“Thanks.”
Austin flicked his blinker to exit the traffic circle.“Hey, what are house husbands for?”
Chapter Fifteen
