Walk Through Fire (Page 109)

“It isn’t bullshtein,” Justine stated. “It’s true.”

“It’s bullshtein,” Kellie spat.

“I don’t know any more than you,” Justine returned.

Kellie threw out an arm. “So you’re just talkin’ about a job and that’s it?” She shook her head. “I don’t believe it.”

“Can I just say,” I cut in, “that I’ve been in Paris for two weeks. I came back to a variety of dramas that changed the course of my life. I’m taking on a new employee. Imminently I face Logan moving in, and by imminently, I mean tonight, but the truth of that is that he’s already pretty moved in considering he currently lives in an RV, so I’m guessing there isn’t much to move. This weekend I face meeting Logan’s two daughters. And tonight we’re picking up my new kitties. I don’t mean to be mean, Kel, but I don’t have time to have a conversation that I’ve had a thousand times since fifth grade. You have no bestest bestie, Jus or me. Jus has no bestest bestie, you or me. I have no bestest bestie. Because we’re all bestest besties.”

“Logan’s moving in?” Justine asked me.

“Like you didn’t know that,” Kellie retorted.

Justine looked to Kellie. “I didn’t,” she snapped.

“I didn’t either,” Dot put in, and grinned at me. “Wow, Mill. The mom in me is freaked. The sister in me is also freaked. The woman in me is ecstatic.”

“Roll with the woman one, Dot,” I advised, grinning back.

“Why does he live in an RV?” Kellie asked.

“He’s been looking for a house since his divorce,” I answered. “It’s been a while but he wants it to be right for his girls. He hasn’t found anything.”

“But… an RV?” Dot asked.

I did not have good memories of that RV.

I was looking forward to making better ones.

“Well, it’s an RV but it’s the kind of RV Aerosmith might decide not to buy considering the cost of the upgrades,” I explained.

“Ooo,” Kellie breathed reverently. “A Rock-Mobile. Radical!”

“Uh… Mill, you have an appointment?” Justine asked into this exchange.

I looked to Justine, then followed her eyes out the window where I saw an SUV driving up.

I didn’t know that SUV and I couldn’t see who was in it, though I could see there was more than one person. A lot more.

“No,” I answered Justine.

“Drop in,” she said, and looked to me. “More work. I hope it’s Christmas. I found these lights online, like big ornaments but with dangly bits at the bottom. They so totally have to go into someone’s scheme.”

“Email me the link, Jus. Wanna have a look,” I told her.

“On it,” she stated, and then got on it, right there and then, digging in her purse to pull out her phone.

Rafferty crawled around the desk and started teeth/gumming my boot.

I bent down and picked him up to put him in my lap just as the door opened.

I looked that way, distractedly noting Kellie and Dottie were moving aside to let the newcomers in.

I was not distracted in any way noting who the newcomers were.

Tyra, Tack’s woman. Lanie, Hop’s woman. Elvira, and I didn’t know who she belonged to. An exceptionally pretty young woman with lots of curly strawberry blonde hair.

And the amazingly beautiful, all grown up Tabitha Allen.

I stared at Tabby.

She was looking at me.

“Hey, Millie,” she said softly.

She remembered me.

I felt my eyes fill with tears.

“Holy crap, Tab?” Justine asked, straightening from her chair. “Tack’s girl?”

Tabby looked to her, not recognizing her at first. Her head tipped to the side and she asked, “Justine, right?”

“Yeah,” Justine replied, then moved to her and hugged her. “God, so cool to see you again.” She leaned back, still holding on. “All grown up and all grown up so good.”

“Tabby Allen,” Kellie said, moving toward them. “You were a cute kid, girl. Shoulda known you’d turn out to be a raving beauty.”

Then Kellie got her own hug.

“Remember me?” Dot asked, also hitting their huddle.

“Dottie,” Tabby stated, and looked to Kellie. “Um… Kellie, yeah?”

Kellie nodded.

Dottie gave Tabby a hug.

They moved away from Tab and everyone looked at me just as Rafferty arched up and took purchase on my earring with his mouth.

“Who’s that?” Tabby asked.

“Raff…” I cleared my throat. “Rafferty. Justine’s boy with her partner Veronica.”

Tabby smiled and looked at Justine. “He’s cute.”

“Damn straight,” Justine muttered.

“You gonna hug her too?”

This was asked from the other side of the room and I looked that way to see it was Elvira with her eyebrows up.

I looked back to Tabby.

Then I got up with Rafferty and moved to her, giving her a one-armed hug.

When we were close, she said in my ear, “Weird, you haven’t changed a bit.”

I pulled away and looked at her. “You have, Tab, and it’s all good.”

She smiled. “Thanks.”

At this point, Rafferty decided he felt like discovering a stranger, so he launched himself at Tabby with a grunt.

Tabby caught him and it was at that point I noticed she had more than a small baby bump.

As if to confirm this, Tyra said, “Get used to the feel of that.”