Page 65 of Second Chances

“Okay, then tell me more,” Effie demanded.

His hand caressed her smooth back. “She made my dad breakfast.”

“Oh, how romantic! Henry loves breakfast.” Josh nodded. “What’d she make?”

“Breakfast casserole.”

“Ooh, I love that stuff!”

“I know you do. I almost called you over, but thought that might be weird. It was really sweet because she had made up containers of leftovers for my dad⁠—”

“And you ate some.” Josh nodded again. “I know my fiancé. You’re so sexy when you’re hungry,” Effie moved her hand to his waistband. “So, what were he and Charlotte like this morning?”

“Happy. Giddy, practically. After Charlotte left, though, he got tense…god, this sucks.”

“What? What is it?”

“Well, he told me my mom called him this morning-”

“When Charlotte was there?”

“Yeah, but she didn’t know. He told her it was a customer from the shop.”

“I thought he blocked her ages ago?”

“He did, but apparently, she started calling the shop and then hanging up, so he unblocked her on his cell so she’d stop annoying him at work, and boom, she immediately restarted her cycle of emotional abuse: texting him, saying she wants to meet up with him, but won’t tell him why.” Josh spoke rapidly, irritated with his mom.

“Oh, no. Do you think it’s about the wedding? Do you think she knows?”

Josh had agonized over inviting his mom to their wedding. Would he regret not having her there? For years, he’s assumed she’d walked away without a backward glance, but after he’d first come home to South Dakota, he’d learned that she had been keeping tabs on him through his grandpa, so obviously, she cared about him or at least hadn’t forgotten about him. “I don’t see how, since Grandpa swears he hasn’t said anything.” Josh inhaled deeply, knowing this next part would be troubling. “But Dad told me that Charlotte doesn’t know about Mom contacting him. In fact, she assumes that he hasn’t spoken to Mom, I think, since she left.”

“Oh, no—that’s so not good, Josh! They can’t start a relationship with him hiding this from her! Remember how upset I was when I found out about your secrets? This is the same thing,” Effie declared. Josh flinched, but she was right. Two years ago, after first encountering Effie, he’d been working as a mechanic in his dad’s shop. Keeping two truths from her: that he was a surgeon and that he lived in New York City, had almost come between them. “I can’t believe Henry isn’t being honest! That’s so unlike him.”

“Except for when we moved to Beverley, and he let everyone believe he was a widower.”

Effie nudged his arm. “Joshua Livingston, you know why he did that! He was trying to help you!”

Laughing, Josh shook his head. The way Effie loved his dad was one of his favorite things about her. “Settle down, mama bear. Before we solve part one of the bad news, I need to give you part two. So while Dad was upstairs talking to my mom on the phone, with Charlotte cooking breakfast in the kitchen, your mom showed up at his house. And Charlotte answered the door.”

Effie sat up. “Oh, hell no!”

“Yep, he’s right.” In unison, Josh and Effie turned to Hamilton, who was peeking out from the sliding glass doors.

“What the hell, Ham? Ever hear of ringing a doorbell?” Effie chastised her younger brother.

“For your information, I did, but no one answered, so I figured you two were…indisposed. But I’m glad to see you’re both wearing clothes, unlike last time. You guys really need to learn how to lock your front door.”

“And you need to learn how to call first, not just pop in.” Effie shouldered past her brother on her way into the house. Josh followed, closing the door behind him and nodded in greeting to his future brother-in-law.

Hamilton opened a bottle of orange juice, drinking it straight from the container, then flinched when Effie hit him on the shoulder. Hamilton flinched. “Ow, what was that for?”

“You’re gross. Use a glass!” Effie slammed one down in front of him. “Did you know Mom was in Beverley this morning? I haven’t heard from her in a week.”

“You mean she didn’t tell you?” Hamilton rubbed his flat stomach. “Hey, Sis, where are those waffles you made last week? I’m starving.” Josh could never imagine what it was like to have the good looks of someone like Effie’s brother and figured himself to be a six on a scale of ten, but whenever he said as much to Effie, she assured him he was a twenty. The discussion usually ended with the two of them having sex.

“They’re in the freezer…here, let me look,” she insisted, elbowing her brother aside, finding the frozen waffles in a matter of seconds. “I’ll heat these up for you, but please tell me what’s going on.”

Sighing, Hamilton slumped into a chair. “Dad saw the cardiologist the other day in Sioux Falls. He needs a pacemaker.”