Page 64 of His Best Friend's Baby

“Three times, like I said. We got to talking after you came in with your boy and figured we’d be better hiring someone who’d stick around rather than those high-school kids that flake off at the end of every summer.”

“You called to offer me a job?”

Virginia and Sue exchanged looks and then nodded.

“You talked to Agnes?” Julia needed to clarify the situation. Every controlling maneuver, every conversation Agnes had listened to, every unwanted opinion the woman offered had paled in comparison to this crushing betrayal. Julia couldn’t breathe past the anger and hurt.

“Left messages to have you call us. Last one was—”

“Last week,” Sue supplied.

Last week. Last week when the letter from Lawshaw came through.

“She never gave me the message,” Julia whispered, despite the tightness in her lungs. “I never received those messages.”

“Apparently,” Virginia said.

“Is the job still open?”

“Sure, but we need someone right away. We’ve sort of waited long—”

Julia bit her lip and looked back at the girls at the coffee station. Jodi wanted more hours so she could pick up Julia’s shifts if she quit. Plus a girl had come by yesterday to fill out an application, so the bosses could get someone else in right away.

“I can start on Monday,” she said rushing headlong into unknown territory.

“Monday morning would be fine,” Virginia said.

“What time?” Julia asked.

“6:00 a.m.”

“Wonderful.” She reached out to shake Virginia’s hand, feeling both giddy and weak. “Thanks.” She shook Sue’s hand. “Really. I appreciate it.”

“Well, if nothing else, it looks like you’re going to be entertaining,” Virginia said with a smile.

Julia finished her shift early and then resigned with promises that she’d be out to visit.

She left Petro and walked back to the Adams’, fanning the fire of her anger the whole way. She’d been duped. Tricked and betrayed and she felt like a sucker for ever giving Agnes the benefit of doubt. She’d let Agnes make her feel guilty, given Agnes far too much authority in her life and the whole time Agnes had been lying.

“Hello?” she called, walking through the front door. “Agnes?”

She heard Ben’s squeal from the kitchen and the clatter of something hitting the floor before he came tearing into the dining room, covered in flour with a dish towel around his neck.

Oh, sweetie, she thought, how can this be happening to us? I thought I was doing the right thing.

“Hi, Julia.” Agnes followed, wiping her hands on another towel. “You’re home early. Is something wrong?”

She had the nerve, the gall to look worried, as if she cared.

“Yeah, I’d say something is wrong,” Julia managed to say in normal tones. “I’m going to sit Ben down with the TV for a minute—”

“Oh, Julia, do you have to? We were just having—”

“Yes, Agnes,” she snapped. “I have to. Let’s go, Ben,” she said to her son, whose eyes had gone wide at her tone. “Let’s see what we can find on TV.”

Ben followed her, subdued. But thanks to the satellite selection she was able to get Ben settled with Dora and that pesky Swiper and all was well in Ben’s little world.

She found Agnes in the kitchen, sweeping mounds of flour from the counter into the garbage can.

“Ben and I were making some cookies and he got pretty—”

“I had a conversation with Virginia and Sue Holmes this morning,” Julia interrupted. Agnes swallowed but didn’t pause, didn’t even flinch.

“I don’t much care for your tone, Julia.”

“Well, that’s too damn bad, Agnes. Because I don’t much care for your lying to me.”

“I never lied.” She returned the garbage can to under the sink and began to stack bowls without once looking at Julia.

“They called three times to offer me a job.”

“Did they?”

The top of Julia’s head just blew right off. She reached out and tugged on Agnes’s elbow, forcing her to at least face Julia.

“They left three messages with you.”

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