Chapter 3

Chapter Three

" J osie?" Her mother's voice came through the earpiece loud and clear—while also sounding clearly surprised.

Why was that? Besides the fact that Josie hated talking on the phone and avoided answering calls whenever possible. Why didn't people just message? She gave her mother a pass on that. Gen Xers, Boomers, none of those older generations ever changed and she wasn't about to waste her time trying.

Josie didn't question her mother's surprise. She had a feeling she wouldn't like the response. Instead she said flatly, "Hello, Mother."

"Hmm. I'm surprised you answered," her mother said, confirming Josie's original suspicions.

Knowing she'd regret it, she asked, "And why is that?"

"It's early out there. I figured you'd still be sleeping?—"

Then why the hell had she called?

"I know how you like to stay up late doing…whatever for half the night," her mother continued.

Josie had been up late last night but she wasn't doing whatever, as her mother had insinuated.

She'd been finishing up the final details on the website for a music client who decided to drop their tunes a week early. And having to shore up another client's security and firewall in response to a brute force attack.

In spite of having too few hours sleep, she was up early now to finish up a digital marketing plan for a new client. But did she get credit for any of that? Or even the benefit of the doubt?

Nope.

Her entire family assumed she was a lazy bum. Yes, sometimes she slept until noon— because she'd worked all night. Yes, most days she was in PJs or sweatpants—it was what she considered one of the top perks of working for herself from home.

But the concept of freelancing, even the concept of working from home, seemed completely foreign to them all— Quinn, the Navy lifer. Her dad, a recently retired corporate man who'd sold insurance his entire adult life. And her mom, a professional wife and mother whose life's work had been to support the working man in her life and raise their children.

Not one of them got it. Or got her.

She'd given up fighting it long ago. It was easier to grin and bear it.

With a bracing inhale, Josie said, "What's up, Mom?"

"We're fostering kittens for the local shelter," she began.

That was a new one.

Leave it to her mother to find yet another fresh and different way to fill her day. She'd thought her dad finally retiring would curtail her mother's ever-expanding list of whacky projects and volunteer opportunities.

Apparently not.

"That sounds…cute. I'm sure I'll see lots of pictures of them on your Instagram." It would be a pleasant change from all the stories about Rusty.

"Actually, I was hoping you'd see them in person."

Josie lifted a brow. So that was the reason for the call. This was an it's-been-so-long-since-you've-visited guilt call.

Quinn had been getting these kinds of calls for almost fifteen years. Ever since he up and left New York to move to Coronado to be a SEAL. She supposed it was her turn now that she'd moved to California too.

She drew in a breath, ready for a confrontation. "Mom, we were just home for Christmas and we already have plans to visit for your birthday?—"

"I know, but this is an emergency."

Josie let out the breath she'd been holding. "What kind of emergency?"

"Where do I begin? Your father accepted a job."

"What kind of job?"

"We're getting five thousand dollars if we go on a road trip with Rusty and take pictures of your father grilling on this fancy new barbecue the company sent us."

"Wait. Are you saying Dad is an influencer now?" And getting five grand just to drive his prized RV and do some grilling—all of which he'd do anyway?

What the hell?

That was her first thought, followed closely by her second. Was this some sort of scam?

Take advantage of an old guy. Promise him thousands of dollars if he'd just hand over his social security number or something.

"Mom, are you sure this is real?"

"Oh, yes. One of Dad's friends in the RV club did it a few months ago."

"And you have this grill already?"

"Yes. Your father's been practicing on it."

"And how much did it cost you?" She could picture it now. Just send us five hundred dollars for shipping and taxes and this ninety-nine-dollar grill is all yours!

"Nothing, silly. It was free," her mother corrected.

"Really free? No shipping cost? No tax? Nothing?"

"Nothing. And we already have the money they paid us in our bank account."

Ah, ha! That was where the scam came in. "Did they ask for all your account information? Pin number? Social security number?"

"No. They sent a check."

A frown firmly on her brow, Josie let out a confused hmm .

"That's the problem. We've already accepted the payment, and in exchange we have to post the pictures this month. But I'd already committed to take in these foster kittens. I can't bring the kittens with us. Your dad's not really a fan of cats, you know. And they're so full of energy, it would be cruel to keep them caged in the RV. And I can't imagine it would be safe or convenient to let them run around in there loose while we're on the road for almost a month."

As amusing as that scenario was—a bunch of tiny terrors ripping through her father's pride and joy as Rusty traveled America's scenic highways—Josie had to agree.

"Yeah, I see your problem."

"Josie, you're my only hope…short of Photoshopping Niagara Falls into the background of pictures of your father in the backyard. I know I've gotten quite good at touching up pictures for the annual Christmas letter but I'm not that good. We'd no doubt get caught and have to give the money back. If they didn't sue us for breach of contract. We really do have to go and we can't return the cats. The shelter is overflowing as it is. It's kitten season?—"

"All right. I'll come home. I'll take care of the kittens. You and Dad are free to go."

"Oh, thank you, sweetie. I knew I could count on you."

Count on her? The laze-about who stayed up all night and slept all day? Oh, how the tone had changed now they needed her help.

"It's perfect timing too," her mother continued. "We're planning the town's anniversary celebration. I know the event committee the Historical Society put together would love your help with the online publicity."

"So you do know what I do for a living."

"What's that, dear?" her mother asked in response to Josie's mumbling.

"Nothing. You were saying something about a celebration?"

"Yes. It's the 250th anniversary of the settling of Sidney... Or almost."

"Almost?"

"Well, the actual two hundred and fiftieth anniversary was a couple of years ago, but you know, the pandemic, so we're kind of fudging it. No one's going to do the math. Probably. Just be a little hazy with the details and I'm sure it will be fine."

Josie stifled a laugh. Only in Sidney, New York would they lie about their own anniversary.

"All right. Let me search flights and I'll let you know when I can be there. Okay?"

"Perfect. Peanut Butter! Get out of the fish tank! I gotta go, Josie."

The click of what Josie knew was the landline's kitchen extension being slammed back into the cradle on the wall as her mother ran to save the fish from a cat named Peanut Butter had Josie shaking her head as she smiled.

Maybe going home for a little while wouldn't be so bad. It would certainly be interesting.

Deciding to grab a cup of tea before she dove into finding a flight, she opened the door and stepped from her bedroom into the hallway—then froze.

By the sounds coming through the door of the other bedroom, Quinn and Bailey were at it again. Or rather, just finishing up, given the crescendo that leveled off to silence just in time for her to hear it as she walked past.

Lucky her.

She scowled, and rather than tiptoeing by and pretending to not hear, she pounded one fist on the door and said, "Dammit, Quinn, it's barely seven in the morning!"

"Then don't fucking listen!" he called back.

After which Bailey added, "Sorry, Josie!"

She doubted Bailey was all that sorry. Her best friend was too head over heels in love with Quinn.

Josie voiced that opinion aloud with a laugh. "No, you're not!"

She really wasn't mad at them, even though they could try to be a little quieter. It was just getting to be close quarters around there in the two-bedroom, one bath beach-view rental that cost them all more than it should because of the location.

It was definitely time to go home for a little bit.

"I really am. But he's leaving in like two hours," Bailey explained through the closed door but Josie still heard the catch in her voice.

"Which is confidential!" Quinn added the warning.

"Who the hell do you think I'm going to tell?" She rolled her eyes, then continued to the kitchen to put on the tea kettle.

She knew how this morning was going to go. They'd been through this before. Every time Quinn got called away with the team.

Bailey would cry her eyes out while obsessively checking her cell phone and the international news. She'd bake up a storm, something sweet and decadent and the reason Josie had put on ten pounds in the past year of them living together. But then Bailey would channel her sadness into writing another best-selling song.

Given the culinary and career benefits of Bailey's grieving Quinn's absences, Josie had learned to keep her mouth shut and let things play out as usual.

As she reached for the tea kettle she realized her parents would be gone for most of the time she was in New York and she'd have the whole house all to herself.

She wouldn't know what to do with all the peace and quiet, even with the bunch of rowdy, possibly feral kittens tearing up the house and terrorizing the fish.

But her leaving for New York also meant Bailey would be here alone. Without Quinn and without Josie, her best friend, for support.

The guilt over that hit hard.

She'd invite Bailey to come to New York with her but she knew Bailey had a tight schedule of recording sessions booked. And a deadline for the songs for her next album.

There was no way around it. Josie had promised her parents she'd come help them out. Bailey would have to weather Quinn's absence all alone.

For the first time Josie truly understood how Quinn felt. Being pulled in two different directions. Having to balance all the responsibilities. Every time their mom had been disappointed he couldn't come home for a visit. Every time he had to leave on a moment's notice.

That all didn't excuse his being a cranky smart ass most days but yeah, it sucked. Now Josie truly knew just how much.