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"I owe you?" Wilder chuckles.
"You do," I tease him.
We sneak up the front stone pathway and tiptoe around to the back of the house. We enter through the side door, and I quietly shut it as Wilder checks to see if anyone is in the kitchen. Jason and Jill are camped out in the living room, which means we have to sneak past them and up the stairs. Or rather, Wilder has to sneak past them.
"I'll distract them," I whisper. "Watch the third step on the way up. It creaks sometimes."
I dramatically march through the kitchen and into the living room, scaring the living daylights out of my parents.
"Where did you come from?" Mom gasps as I toss my car keys onto the coffee table. "You didn't come through the front door."
Wilder tiptoes behind the couch as I cross my arms over my chest and exhale heavily. "Mom, Dad, we need to have a conversation."
"About?" Dad grumbles as he grabs the TV remote and pauses their show.
"About..." Think, Ingrid, think! "About Mom's dog walking business."
"What about it?" Mom frowns.
"We should get you a website. Help attract new clients. Or we could, uh, we could pass out flyers. Make business cards."
Wilder is halfway up the stairs when Mom leans forward. "Ingrid, have you been drinking?"
"No," I laugh off. "Unless you count the Cherry Coke I had at the diner."
"This late at night?" Dad shakes his head. "You'll be up for hours. What do we always tell you?"
"No caffeine after four," I roll my eyes.
"Can we talk about this tomorrow, Ingrid?" Mom runs a hand over her face. "Your father and I are in the middle of our show."
I make sure Wilder is no longer on the stairs before clapping my hands together. "Yes."
I clear my throat before heading towards the staircase.
"And honey," Mom flashes her eyebrows at me. "If you wanted the neighbor boy to come inside, all you had to do was ask."
My eyes widen in surprise. "What?"
"We could see him sneaking up the stairs in the window reflection," Dad points to the living room windows.
"I'll remember that for next time," I say as my mouth dries.
"You're 18," Mom reminds me. "If you get pregnant, you have to figure it out."
"Yeah," Dad winks at Mom. "We already raised our kids. We're not raising yours."
"You guys are hilarious," I fake a laugh.
"He goes home at midnight," Dad sternly states.
"Or?" I raise an eyebrow.
"Or you'll start paying rent like your sister," Mom grins.
Paying rent in exchange for letting Wilder stay the night on occasion? Sounds like a win to me.
"Is that all?" I ask.
