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“You’re still mad I never told you what I did. What I really did in my job.”
“Mom and Dad would be ticked too,” Maureen said. “It could be dangerous.”
“It’s not,” he argued. “Because I don’t know enough for it to be. I recover data; I hack into systems to do it too. But I don’t have all the pieces of the puzzle. The government isn’t stupid. They break it up the way they do so that it doesn’t get traced back to one person putting it together.”
“Do you even know where everything you do goes?” Rob asked.
“Nope. I don’t ask and don’t want to know. Life is easier that way. I collect my paycheck and go about my business.”
“One big paycheck it is too,” Maureen said. “I saw it.”
“What are you doing looking at my things?” Then he wondered if she really did or not. And if it mattered. He wanted to get back to the matter at hand. “Anyway, my life is under control. I’m happy. You can see it. Vivian understands me. I get her. Sammie and I are in a routine and she hasn’t destroyed too many of my things. She doesn’t talk back to me like you two do either.”
Maureen laughed. “It’s always been my job to talk back to you. Rob had to take over when I left.”
“You seem to be doing fine without me,” Rob said. “My feelings are hurt. It’s almost like you aren’t grieving that much now that you are out of your cave.”
“Ass,” he said to his best friend, letting out a laugh. “I miss your mug every day and you know it.”
“Good to know. And because you are so happy, there is no reason to look into Vivian. If there is something you want to know, ask her,” Rob said. “I’ve told you that a thousand times.”
But he didn’t know how. It was in his gut there was something more he couldn’t see. But he supposed Rob was right and it was early yet.
He and Vivian were having fun together, but there wasn’t any solid commitment in his mind. Or he didn’t think there was from her and he wasn’t so sure he was ready to let his heart feel more when it’d been crushed enough in life.
“Fine,” he said. “If that is all you two came here to say, then let me get some sleep.”
“Answer the phone,” Maureen said, grinning, then the two of them faded away as fast as they’d come.
He heard the ringing in the distance and finally focused himself to open his eyes, then find his phone on the bedside table.
“What?” he said when he picked it up.
“Is that any way to answer the phone?” his mother asked.
“It is when you call so early and wake me up.”
“Early?” his mother said. “It’s almost noon. You’re sleeping? Are you okay? Are you sick? Do I need to come there because I know you won’t go to the doctor’s?”
“Huh?” he asked and pulled his phone back to look at it. Damn, itwasalmost noon. “Sorry, I had no idea the time. I didn’t get to sleep until around three this morning. The day before was more of the same and I was up early.”
“What are you doing to be up that late?” his mother asked. “Don’t tell me you are working.”
“Fine. I won’t tell you.”
“Brent. That isn’t healthy. I can’t believe there is anything that important that you need to work that late. I knew having you work from home was a mistake. If you were in an office there would be no way you’d be there that long.”
He wasn’t going to argue with her. He’d worked that late a lot of times when he was in the office and in other divisions. When someone knew they could find you, they came and got you and pulled you in. Only a few contacted him now and that was more than enough.
“Was there something you needed?” he asked, sitting up. Sammie was stretching and he was shocked the dog let him sleep as long as he had, but she jumped down and he knew she’d have to go out so he threw the covers back and looked around for his jeans on the floor.
“I wanted to check in with you. We haven’t talked more than twice since you brought Vivian to dinner. That was well over a month ago.”
“Not much to check up on,” he said. “Come on, Sammie. Let’s go out.”
“At least you’re caring for your dog,” his mother said.
“I have since you brought her home. I’m shocked she let me sleep this late.” Though he did let her out again at three before he crashed for the night. She hadn’t been so happy about that, but he must have realized he was going to sleep in.
