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Aithan’s brows arched. “You want me to be the Dieter of this family?” He meant his own biological father, affectionately nicknamed Dieter the Donor by all the Mazur kids.
Straight-faced, Drew replied, “Absolutely. You don’t want my genes in the mix. I’m the sanest piece of fruit on the Saugus Family shrub, and I ain’t one hundred percent.” He tapped his temple. “The rest are rotten in the noggin.”
“Saugus?” Aithan asked.
“My dad’s last name. I ditched it and everyone associated with the family.” He zigged the subject and gestured loosely around the townhouse. “Aithan’s got the right idea about renting. I bet Mayliss can recommend a property manager.”
“I’ll think about it,” I mumbled because I was still thinking about making babies with Aithan, and liking the idea, and feeling freaked out about liking it. My phone chimed, startling me from my birth spiral. It was sitting on the counter beside the fridge.
Aithan grabbed it. “Your mom.”
I took it and scanned the text message. “Well, fuck.” I waggled the phone and did a spot-on Mom impression. “Hi honey, thought you should know. Greer arrived today. Don’t worry, you still get the guest house.” I ended with a rictus grin. “Why is she here? She and Theo always spend Thanksgiving in Boston with his family. What the actual fuck?”
Aithan scowled, looking as annoyed as I felt. “If she calls me Pretty Boy again, I hope your parents forgive me.”
Drew stared at him. “She called youPretty Boy?”
Aithan rolled his eyes. “Yeeeaahhh.”
“I will slap her in the non-existent titties if she does,” I said.
Aithan snorted. “My hero.”
I stuck the phone in my pocket. “You’re welcome, Pretty Boy.”
He dropped the laundry basket and lunged for me. I shrieked and ran for the stairs. Drew just laughed his ass off.
13
FAMILY TIES
Aithan pickedup my overnight bag from the second-floor landing. “I’m driving.”
“I’m writing,” Drew said without looking up from his computer.
“Guess that means I’ve got shotgun,” I said.
“Perfect. You can navigate. I don’t know Bellingham very well.” Aithan threw my bag over his shoulder, grabbed Drew’s and his own, and trotted down the stairs.
Drew closed his computer, packed it in his messenger bag, and draped his headphones over that. Pushing up from the sofa and stretching, he asked, “How can I help?”
I took a medium glass mixing bowl from a cupboard and put it on the counter. “Fill that with kibble for the cats?” I got a matching large bowl and filled it with water.
Lulu sat on the windowsill above the cats’ feeding station and watched Drew top off her and Frank’s regular bowls, plus add the extra food and put down the bowl of water after I filled it. Her tail slowly swished to and fro.
Drew straightened and scratched her ears. “No parties while we’re gone, little cat.”
She purred and puffed up her cheeks in a kitty smile, then hopped down to have a snack. Frank slept on the wing chair beside the patio slider.
“What else?” Drew asked as Aithan returned.
“Gather all the trash and recycling and throw it in the garage trashcan?” I replied.
Drew pulled the bag from the kitchen trashcan and headed upstairs to empty the wastebaskets.
“Want me to clean the litter box?” Aithan offered.
“Seriously? You would do that for me?”
