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He hoisted the strap over his shoulder. “No. You look better than I’ve seen you in a long time.” Misfire. “I mean, you look great. Really. Like you’re…happy.” It let the grip of guilt he felt over what happened between them ease a fraction.
Jimmy toddled over to his mom and wrapped his arms around her leg. She picked him up and propped him on her hip. “You can stop swallowing your tongue, Matty. I get it.”
Sighing, she pulled a paper towel off the roll and wiped Jimmy’s running nose. “I don’t know if I’d say I’m happy, exactly. But I’m not sticking pins in your voodoo doll, if that’s what you’re getting at.”
“You have a voodoo doll of me?” He wouldn’t put it past her to commission one from her grandma.
She glanced at the ceiling for a moment before releasing their son back to the floor. “Yeah, well, I’ve been wallowing in my bullshit long enough. My new job is opening some crazy-cool doors for me. It’s not the way I thought I would use my art, but it has my creativity pumping again.”
They still hadn’t talked about her mystery job. “You never said where you’re working.”
“I’m pulling some shifts at the tattoo place on 5thStreet. Everything from answering the phone to scheduling the appointments to taking out the trash. Two guys run the place and one of them just had surgery for a torn rotator cuff. He’s going to be out of commission for a few weeks. Steve can’t handle all the load on his own.”
“Steve?”
She swiped a banana from the counter and pulled down the peeling. “You remember Old Mrs. Peres? The lady down the hall from my mom?”
“The cat lady?” Who could forget all those cats? She must’ve had a dozen. Patty’s mom used to send them down to her apartment with plates of leftovers after the woman’s son moved out to live on his own.
“Mmm-hmm,” she agreed as she chewed. “Turns out Steve is her son. We’d met a few times over the years before his mom passed. He remembered me from the time they had Christmas at our house.”
Oh yeah. The year before the old lady died, Patty’s mom had invited her over for a Christmas lunch. She hadn’t wanted her to be alone for the holiday. Her son had surprised them all by showing up, hung over and in last night’s clothes.
“We got to talking my first day there, about his mom and about art. I did a few sketches for him, and he asked me to bring in my portfolio.” She ducked her head as she took another bite and swallowed. “Long story short, he’s letting me do an apprenticeship with him now.”
From the wonder on her face, apparently, she considered it a good thing, but… “I thought you told me he was kind of a screw-up, the cat lady’s son. Didn’t he have…” Should he say it? “Um, a drug problem?”
“Yeah. But he’s been clean a few years now.” She tossed the peel into the trash can, then rubbed her hands over her jeans-covered thighs. “Andrew—the one with the messed-up shoulder—he helped Steve get straight. Let him apprentice at the shop, and now they’re partners, in the business, not like they’re a couple. Steve wants to pay it forward, help me get my foot in the door. It’s really kind of a competitive field.”
The idea of Patty, focused on her future, with a good job, a career—it felt fantastic. “Sounds amazing.”
“I haven’t been so excited about anything in a long time. I want this, Matty. For me. For Jimmy. I’m not going to blow this opportunity.” The resolve in her voice reinforced her words.
He scooped their son into his arms. “You have no idea how much I hope this works out for you. If there’s anything I can do to help, just ask.”
“I will. And maybe we can find a solution to this custody thing.” She slung her purse over her forearm and rifled through it until she found her keys. “Time to go.” On her way out, she stopped at the door. “It’s good to have something to look forward to for a change.”
No kidding. He had plenty to look forward to tonight.
The day with Jimmy passed quickly in a blur of building blocks, tummy tickles, and cartoons, making Matt grateful they hadn’t needed him at the bar today. Even basking in the joy of toddler kisses and nonsense words, his thoughts kept drifting to what might happen next with Robby, especially after he got the text midafternoon, inviting him over after dinner.
His mom was all-too-happy to babysit, so after a quick shower and shave he found himself on Robby’s doorstep, heart beating wildly in his chest. Just as a mild panic climbed toward his stomach, the door swung open and Robby tugged him inside.
Robby gripped his fingers in a firm hold and didn’t release them as they settled on the sofa. “I did something important today.” Pride shone in those milk chocolate eyes.
“You were going to volunteer, right?” He should’ve paid closer attention when Robby had told him last night, but those kisses had obliterated any chance of higher brain function.
Those kisses. He shifted on the cushion as the memories cascaded over his body.
“—met the most amazing people.”
Crap. He forced himself to focus.
“I really feel like I could make a difference there.” Robby squeezed his hand before letting it go.
“Yeah?”
Robby hopped up and loped toward the kitchen. “This kid, Vin, he’s in foster care. The parents are garbage.” He paused as he rifled through the refrigerator, then popped up with a glass pitcher filled with burgundy liquid. “But he is so talented.”
