Page 38 of His Best Friend's Baby

As if she’d sit in her room while they talked about Uncle Jesse who, she wished she could point out, had actually let her hang out for over a week. He even joked around with her.

Amanda stomped up the stairs and made sure she hit all the squeaky floorboards in the hallway before slamming her door hard. Then she pivoted on her toe, flattened herself along the wall and eased back toward the edge of the hallway. She got just close enough that she could hear their hushed voices.

“Do you know who this Julia is?” Rachel asked.

There was a silence and Amanda guessed Dad was shaking his head. “I don’t quite understand what’s upsetting you so much about her.”

“Everything about this situation is upsetting me.” Mom was sounding desperate.

“I can see that, sweetheart. But you’re the one who wanted to give him space.”

“I thought that’s what he needed.” Mom sighed and Amanda could hear that she was crying. “What if I’m wrong? What if he leaves before we can talk?”

“Then let’s not keep our distance. It’s been killing me watching him fix that roof on his own.”

Boris, the dumb dog they’d saved from the highway, caught sight of Amanda from her parents’ open bedroom door.

Crap!

He stood from his spot on their bed, shook himself all over and then seemed to grin at her.

She held her finger up to her mouth but it didn’t do any good. He barked cheerfully at her anyway.

“Why did you think this Julia woman is a journalist?” Dad asked. “And not just an interested single mom?”

“I got a phone call the other day from the hospital. Caleb Gomez is conscious.”

Caleb Gomez was one of the guys in the helicopter crash. The only one besides Uncle Jesse that lived. Something is up! Amanda’s inner reporter perked up. Oh, something is definitely up.

“That’s great.” Dad sounded totally relieved. “He’s recovering.”

“He’s asking to talk to Jesse.”

Boris jumped down from the bed and walked into the hallway, his collar jangling. Because he was a dog and dumb to boot, he managed to step on all the squeaky floorboards.

“Well, I’d imagine he would. The guy’s alive because of Jesse,” Dad said.

“The guy is a reporter. What if Julia has something do with that? Or if she’s from the—”

“Relax, Rachel. Just relax. I think it would be a good thing for Caleb to get in touch with Jesse. Let him see that he did some good in Iraq.”

“You think Caleb could do that?” Rachel asked. “I think he just wants to capitalize on the accident for a story—”

Dad sighed long and hard. “You can’t protect him forever. Jesse can take care of himself.”

“I know, but I just want to help. I just…he’s so stubborn and I hurt him so much.”

“Okay, we’ll change tactics. We’ll stop giving him distance and we’ll start treating him like family.”

“That should be interesting,” Mom grumbled and then came the creepy sound of more kissing.

Amanda made a face at Boris who sat panting on her feet and patted his scruffy head.

I wish I could make all of this better. For Mom, for Jesse, even a little for Julia. But how?

Boris twitched and leaned against her leg.

Maybe it wasn’t how. It was who.

Maybe it was Caleb Gomez.

“HOW ARE YOU DOING, sweetheart?” Beth asked and Julia sank onto the steps of the Adams’ back porch with relief. Her mother’s voice, beamed across the world by satellites and distorted by static, was so welcome over the cell phone she almost laughed with the joy of it.

“I’ve been better, Mom.” She cupped her forehead in her hand and studied the dirty toe of her tennis shoe.

“What’s wrong?” she asked.

What isn’t?

“Julia?” Agnes stood at the screen door, backlit by the yellow kitchen light, holding Ben.

“I’m here,” Julia said. “I’m just talking to my mom.”

“I didn’t know where you’d gone to,” Agnes said in her light, friendly way that made Julia’s hackles rise. “Benny was looking for you.” She jostled Ben in her arms. “Weren’t you, Benny?”

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