Page 44 of I Knead You Tonight

“Where is Winston anyway? I have to be at work within the hour.”

“He said he was going to the store, but that was a while ago. Do you need me to drive you?”

“No.” I sigh. “I can take the bus. This whole not-having-a-car thing is getting really old.”

“Do you know when it’ll be fixed?” He holds his hands up. “Not that I don’t like having you and my buddy here. I’m just wondering for your sanity.”

“You know, I’m not entirely sure. Winston set something up with Mr. Schwartz and said it would probably be a week, but we’re past that now. He hasn’t brought up that it’s ready, so I haven’t asked. Maybe I should.”

He nods. “Not a bad idea. We both know how…forgetful Winston can be.”

“You mean lazy. You can call him what he is around me. I don’t mind one bit.”

Sully chuckles. “I don’t think he’s always what he seems to be.”

I scrunch my brows. “You doing that hippie bullshit again?” I look down at Riker. “Oh god, you didn’t turn my baby into a hippie too, did you?”

Grinning, he shakes his head. “I’m just saying Winston’s an interesting guy. I’ve been living with him for a while now and he’s not always the lazy shithead he seems to be.”

“I’ll take your word for it.” I adjust Riker in my arms. “All right. I gotta go get ready for work so I can get him settled and catch the bus.”

“Here, let me have him. You go get ready.”

“Sully, I can’t have you watching my child all the time. It doesn’t feel right.”

“If I had a problem with it, I wouldn’t offer. Besides, I miss my siblings. It’s like having them around again. And it gets lonely here during the day.”

“Do you not work?”

He gives me aYou serious?look. “Of course I work. I’m just off for the winter.”

“What?”

“I help run a fishing boat and we’re in the off-season.”

“You help run a fishing boat? How did I not know that about you?”

He shrugs. “I don’t know. I don’t talk about it much, and we don’t exactly hang out like best buddies.”

“True. Okay, fine.” I hold Riker out to him. “He’s all yours then. I’m gonna run inside and get ready, then I’ll be out for goodbyes.”

Sully holds Riker up. “Wanna go watchSpongeBobwith Uncle Sully?”

Riker grins then pukes all over him.

“Welcome to the joys of parenting!” I laugh, giving him a finger wave. “Toodles!”

* * *

I set Sully upwith everything he’d need, kissed Riker goodbye, and booked it out the door so I could make the city bus on time.

“Come on, come on,” I mutter as the people in front of me dawdle their way off the bus in the slowest possible fashion.

Getting off at my stop, I race down the sidewalk, hook a right, and practically sprint the rest of the three blocks, trying frantically to beat the clock.

I wasn’t late a single time when I was pregnant and not even the first week I was back to work after I had Riker.

I’ll be damned if I’m late now because of Winston.

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