Page 68 of My Turkish Fling
“Okay.” I unlocked the door, taking a tad longer with my brand-new key, then led him inside the house. “I’ll be right with you, and we’ll talk this through, but I have someone in the car. He’s a friend of a friend who’s been staying here, helping on the farm. You know my colleague, Aria? I’m hosting her engagement party in a few days, and this is her fiancé’s brother.” I took a breath, feeling like I was babbling.
“What? Who?” His brow wrinkled. The low lighting threw shadows under his sulking eyes, making him look simultaneously younger and older.
“His name is Emir. He’s Turkish. I like him.” I sucked in my lips,waiting for his reaction.
His lips puckered defiantly. “Don’t tell me you’re having a baby and starting a new family, too?”
“Dear Lord. No.” I patted his arm. “I’m just saying… he’s my friend, so be nice.” I tried to smile instead of wincing. There was no way to save this, probably. I could have been hosting Santa Claus and Josh would still be wary of the other guy in the house. He’d come here for his mom and didn’t want to share. “Why don’t you take your bags to your room and get settled. I’ll make us all some tea. Then Emir can go to bed, and we’ll talk.”
I looked at him until he nodded, took his bags and dragged them down the hallway. I ran back outside and found Emir leaning on the car door, browsing his phone. He looked up, worried. “What happened?”
I lifted my shoulders. “Not sure. But it sounds like he needs some Mom time.”
“Of course.”
“I told me I’d make us some tea and then have a chat with him.”
“I don’t need tea. Don’t worry about me. Go talk to him.”
He gave me a look full of compassion and something in my chest tugged, hard.
“I’m… sorry.” I turned around, but he grabbed my arm, forcing me to turn back.
“You’re not sorry. I’m not sorry. We both have lives. We both have… non-negotiable responsibilities. That’s no reason to back down. We deal with it.”
“Like adults, you mean?”
“Yeah.”
“I hate adulting.” I made a face and laughed a little. He didn’t join me but nodded in confirmation.
Giving him a grateful smile, I slipped back inside. I found Josh in his room, lying face down on his bed spread, with Gru nuzzled by his side.
“Hey, Josh.” I guided the dog on the other side and sat on the edge of the bed, rubbing his shoulder.
He turned his head enough to allow for some red-rimmed eye contact. The crescent moon shaped night light cast a glow over his face.
“Dad doesn’t see me anymore. It’s just baby this, baby that. And Kelly… she’s buying and buying these… baby things. I can’t even walk through the house anymore; I stumble over all this sh… crap.”
I nodded. “Well, she’s pregnant. It’s called nesting.”
“What, like a bird?”
“Yeah, like a bird.” I bit my lip.
“Well, if she’s a bird then she’s a big, fat, dumb… chicken.”
I had to a smile at his sulky pout. “Chickens are not that dumb. Mine are hiding the eggs so well I think I miss half of them.”
“I’ll help you find them, Mom. Just let me stay.”
I sighed. “We need to sort things out with your school. You can’t just disappear. Does your dad know where you are right now?”
“I left a note.”
I reached into the handbag still perched on my hip and plucked out my phone. Five missed calls from Josh, none from my ex-husband.
“He hasn’t called.”
