Pitty Party by Lori R. Taylor

Author:Lori R. Taylor [Taylor, Lori R.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Sterling & Stone

Chapter Sixteen

Maggie’s phone rang, startling her out of an after-work daze of exhaustion and frustration.

She glanced down at the screen. Tessa.

Oh.

Oh, crap.

She’d meant to text Tessa today after her shift. Meant to get her out to lunch, and she’d forgotten.

She answered, already feeling the heat of embarrassment creeping up her cheeks. “Hey.”

“Maggie, you okay?”

“Yeah. Fine. I’m sorry, I completely forgot about lunch.”

Tessa was silent for a beat, as if expecting something to follow those words, then prompted when Maggie didn’t have anything more to say: “Well?”

“Well, what?”

“It’s a bit late for lunch, I guess. But what about dinner?”

“Ah.” Maggie looked over at Dad. He sat up, half-smiling at her. Josephine had finally gone, but maybe Jake was home and could look after Dad for a bit if she wanted a few minutes out of the house?

She did. She really, really did. Not that she considered Dad a burden — it wasn’t his fault that he’d gotten so sick — but to escape it all for an hour or two, spend some time with a friend, someone who actually liked her, sounded like paradise in the middle of a desert.

Besides, she’d finished up Princess’ coat and booties an hour ago and was rather eager to pass them along. Dinner with Tessa would be the perfect opportunity to do just that.

“It would have to be something quick.”

“Sure.” There was a note of concern in Tessa’s voice, something that made it sound like she could tell not all was well. But she smiled. “Anywhere you like. My treat if you’ll swing by to pick me up.”

“Course. I’ll be by in a few.”

They hung up. Maggie stood and went to take Dad’s hand. “I’m going to go have dinner with Tessa, okay? I’ll be back in an hour. Two at most. Is that okay?”

Dad smiled. Only half his face moved, but the smile was almost as warm and genuine as Maggie was long used to. He made a motion with his free hand, and it was close enough to a shoo that she couldn’t keep down her smile.

She kissed his forehead, then gathered up the booties and coat she’d made. There wasn’t time to wrap them and make them proper Christmas presents, but then Princess was probably getting cold now anyway and making her wait until Christmas for her sweater would be unnecessary ceremony.

Once out in the hall, she hollered for Jake. “I’m heading out for a bit.”

He opened his bedroom door and scowled out at her. “So?”

“So, you need to look after Dad while I’m gone.”

“Don’t tell me what to do.”

She didn’t glare, didn’t roll her eyes or scowl or knock him in the teeth with one fist or any of the other inappropriate things she wanted to do to him for that answer. Instead, she merely leveled him her longest look until he sighed and shrugged.

“Yeah. Whatever.”

“If something happens to him while I’m gone, it’ll be your fault.”

“I know.”

It was the fact that he didn’t care that was the hard one to understand.

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