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“Rocco’s place?” Tony asked, as Rhys chuckled. Their group of friends had a standing joke, referring to Tony as “the mayor” because they were convinced that he knew every single person in the city of Philadelphia. It was impossible to go out with Tony without him stopping to chat with no less than half a dozen people he knew from God only knows where.
“Yes. You know him?” Jess asked.
Tony nodded. “My dad’s got a bunch of buddies who get together for a monthly poker game. Rocco’s always there. The guy is shit at—” Tony paused as he remembered Jasper’s presence, too late to clean up his language but making the attempt anyway. “He’s crap at bluffing.”
“What’s bluffing?” Jasper asked.
“Lying about the cards,” Tony explained.
Jasper was clearly still confused, but he didn’t press for a better answer.
“I don’t have time to sleep,” Jess repeated. “I really need to get to work. I can’t miss.”
Tony looked ready to argue the point, but that would only serve to agitate Rhys’s patient. “You said you have to be there in a couple hours?”
Jess nodded.
“Then you can lay down for one hour. Get some rest and warm up while Tony and I—”
Before he could finish, the door to their apartment opened, a female voice calling out. Jasper and Jess both jumped, but neither he nor Tony were alarmed when Aunt Berta hustled into the living room.
Tony’s aunt Berta had free rein of the place, and no doubt the unusual, early morning call for an electric blanket had been the equivalent of throwing up the Bat Signal. She fussed over them like the most loving of mother hens, and while Tony pretended to be annoyed by it, Rhys felt nothing but gratitude for her efforts on their behalf. He worked extremely long hours, his work always coming first, so he appreciated Aunt Berta taking over the household chores, buying groceries, doing the laundry, preparing meals.
They’d tried to convince her that wasn’t something they expected from her, but Aunt Berta had confided in him shortly after moving in that they’d given her a purpose after losing her beloved husband, who’d been the previous recipient of all her attention. Aunt Berta was only happy if she had someone to take care of and, according to her, they were filling that need.
“What do we have here?” Aunt Berta said, her arms laden with three hot water bottles and an electric blanket. Her curious gaze landed on Jasper first, then morphed into one of genuine concern when she saw Jess huddled under the blanket, her feet in the water.
“Oh my heavens,” she said, crossing the room to stand next to Tony. “Is everything alright?”
Tony took over the introductions. “Aunt Berta, this is Jess…” He paused. “I just realized I don’t know your last name, Jess.”
“It’s Monroe,” she replied.
“Jess Monroe,” Tony continued. “And her son, Jasper. Jess is a waitress at Paulie’s. She usually has the misfortune of having to wait on me and Rhys and the rest of the guys every Wednesday.”
Jess laughed. “It’s not a hardship. You’re good tippers.”
“I’d read him the riot act if he wasn’t,” Aunt Berta added. “I brought up the electric blanket.”
It was obvious Aunt Berta was dying of curiosity about why a waitress from Paulie’s, and her son, were in his and Tony’s apartment this early in the morning, but she didn’t ask. Rhys knew she’d corner one of them later for all the details.
“Thanks.” Tony took the blanket and plugged it in. “Jess was just going to lay down for a while. Then we have some work to do in the kitchen. We promised this little man some of your award-winning pancakes.”
“And bacon!” Jasper practically shouted.
“Jasper,” Jess said, putting her hand on his knee.
Aunt Berta lit up. If there was something she loved more than anything else, it was feeding people. “Absolutely bacon. There’s no way I’d serve pancakes without it. Would you like to help me, Jasper?”
Jasper hopped up instantly, then seemed to reconsider. “Mommy,” he said, “can I?”
“I’d welcome the help,” Aunt Berta said when it became obvious Jess was resistant. Now that she was warmer, she was plotting to escape once more.
“Please?” Jasper pleaded.
Jess relented, obviously too tired to put up much of a fight. “Okay. But be on your best behavior. It’s very nice of Miss Berta—”
“Aunt,” Berta interjected. “You call me Aunt Berta, sweet pea,” she said to Jasper, who seemed more excited about a new relative than the promised food.
