Rumor Has It by Jessica Lemmon

Author:Jessica Lemmon
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Random House Publishing Group
Published: 2018-05-15T00:00:00+00:00

Catarina

Cartoon sound effects are coming from the entryway of Barrett’s apartment when the elevator doors slide open. I arrived uninvited, but the security guy downstairs made a quick phone call before unlocking the top floor and sending me up.

If Barrett minded me stopping by unannounced, he didn’t convey it via the front desk. He didn’t even ask why I was here. Which is good since I’m not sure why I’m here.

I wrote my column this morning, finished a load of laundry, took a walk to Starbucks and…ordered two cups. A tall, black dark roast for Barrett and my typical Pike Place with cream. Cups in hand, I call out “knock knock!” from the open front door.

The cartoon sounds are interrupted by a child’s voice calling, “Who’s that?!”

I stop in my tracks when I’m confronted with an adorable little boy. His face screws into a question mark, nose wrinkling.

“Who are you?”

“Mattie, that’s not nice.” Barrett, laptop in hand, swaggers to the door looking tired. He sounds it, too. “Hey, Kitty Cat.”

“I was in the neighborhood.” I hand over his coffee and he shuts the door behind me.

“Your name’s Kitty Cat?” Mattie’s laughter is adorable—and I don’t consider myself a kid person. Imagine my surprise when I’m giggling with him.

“My name is Catarina. And you’re Mattie.” I extend a hand and he slaps it. I shake out the sting on my palm, wincing while Barrett watches me with a half smile.

“Buddy, why don’t you try your mom again?”

“ ’Kay!” Mattie takes the offered cellphone and punches the numbers before putting the phone to his ear. He’s wiggling all over the couch, then the chair, his sneakers stabbing into the white leather and leaving dirt marks. I wrinkle my nose.

“Not used to tiny humans?” Barrett asks, watching Mattie with me.

“I’m never around them.”

“She’s not there!” Mattie announces, chucking the iPhone onto the couch where it bounces once and lands on the carpet with a muted thud.

“She’ll be here.” Barrett looks over his shoulder to check the clock on the stove. “Late as usual.”

I inspect Mattie with mild alarm. His red hair is redder than Barrett’s and his hazel eyes aren’t Barrett’s true blue. But they have the same strong chin, and though Mattie’s a child, I can tell he’s going to be tall.

“You never mentioned…” I start, gesturing to the little boy.

Barrett’s eyebrows pinch. He swallows his coffee, follows my gaze to Mattie, and then tracks back to me.

“Why didn’t you tell me about him?”

“I didn’t think you’d care.”

My mouth drops open in offense. “Of course I care!”

“We don’t share that many friendly factoids.”

“He’s a human being. Hardly a factoid.”

“You’re thinking about the column.”

“No, I’m not.” Except I sort of am. “Not in an exploitive way,” I add in a small voice.

Barrett lets out a warm chuckle.

“He looks like you.” I cock my head to the side and study Mattie, who’s rolling around on the floor with an iPad. The loud music has started again, interspersed with electronic explosions to which Mattie adds his own sound effects.

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