“Should I invite Charlene?”
“She’s busy with her packing tonight.I don’t know that she’ll have time.”
“I’ll call and ask.When does she leave?”
“In the morning.”
Jane smiled.“I admire her.Going to Greece.Alone.At her age.”
“I’m not so sure she’s going alone.”
She turned back to the counter and continued dicing the vegetables she’d been working on when he arrived.“Then with whom?”
“I haven’t a clue.Maybe one of her trucker friends.I was thinking about Billie,” he said, approaching her from behind and resting his hands on her shoulder.
“She’s been thinking about you, too,” she said.She tilted her head and rested her cheek on his hand.
“And?”
“She wanted to know about calling you Dad.”She smiled up at him.“I hope you don’t mind that I encouraged her.”
He swallowed.“I’d like that.”
“She said that it would take a little getting used to, but I don’t think it will be all that long.”
He picked up the beer bottle and took a drink.“Speaking of Billie, I thought I’d better bone up on this whole parenting thing.”
“What does that mean?”
“I’ll show you.”He walked into the hallway and returned witha bag from a local bookstore.“I picked up a few books on raising children.Just to give me a frame of reference.”
He spread them out on the counter.She scanned the titles, then wiped her hands on a nearby dish towel and picked up the top one.“Assertive Discipline For Children.Don’t let Billie see this one.”
“She’s going to need a firm hand.”
Jane shook her head.She didn’t like the sound of that.“Billie is her own person.”
“She’ll be a teenager in a few years.”
“She’s only eight.”
“I’ve done a little reading.It’s important to control—”
“Stop.”She held up her hand.“I knowcontrolisyourfavorite word, but it’s not mine.I want you to be a part of Billie’s life, but that means we’ll be working together, Adam.”
“I’ve been thinking about that, too.”
“And?”
“What about her last name?Shouldn’t it be mine?”
First Billie and now him.Did they have some sort of psychic communication she didn’t know about?“I don’t think that’s important.”
“It will be.”He stared down at her.The warm lover who had greeted her with a kiss was disappearing and in his place stood the cold stranger she’d come to fear.“School starts in a few weeks.”
“I’m aware of that.I have a planning meeting next week.”
“My point is Billie isn’t going to keep quiet about me.”
