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I sat up straighter.“What’s wrong?”Am I mistaken?Does she not love being a mom?Did I miss a sign or something important or?—

“Jolly Good Times wants me back.”

My panic receded.Okay, just the old events-organizing firm she used to work for.“Okay.”I scratched my nose.“Well, Raphael’s in kindergarten and Thaddeus is in daycare.You can do a few hours?—”

“Three-quarter time, Jeremy.”

“Oh.”I flashed to what her life had been like pre-Raphael.The crazy hours.The nutty requests.Hell, a couple of times she’d roped me into helping with events.Never enough staff.Always too much chaos.“What are you thinking?”

“That…” She let out a long breath.“I love being a mom, Jer.I really do.But I’m not getting enough adult stimulation.”

“Darren falling down on the job?”

“Jeremy!”

I yanked the phone away from my ear.If Marcie and I weren’t so close, I never would’ve taken the swipe.If she wasn’t madly in love with her husband, I never would’ve made the joke.

“So go back.I’m sure you can find someone to watch the kids.”

Silence.

I moved my mouse to the browser icon and clicked.“Okay, so babysitters in Gaynor Beach.There’s gotta be a website, right?”

“I need someone who can work wonky hours.”

“Right.So there’s got to be a high school student?—”

“I often get home late.”

“Okay, so maybe someone in college?With a flexible?—”

“I think…” She drew in a deep breath.

“What?”My hand fell away from the mouse.“What’s going on?”

“So…” She let out the breath.“You’ll tell me if you think I’m nuts, right?”

“You’re always nuts and not allowed to joke about mental illness.Your rule, remember?”Something she’d drilled into me.Just like hownormalcould be a very damaging word.I waited.

She didn’t respond.

“Spit it out, Marcie.I’m expecting an email from the lawyer we hired who filed a cease-and-desist demand with Tucker and Mixer.”Jesus, even saying their names grossed me out.

“What about Phillip?”

“What about Phillip?He’s out clothes shopping with James.Something about insurance money.”I flicked the mouse around my screen, but didn’t click.“Like, I know insurance can sometimes give you cash right away, but James isn’t living in the house.Of course, what do I know?Maybe he and Colin are funding this shopping trip because they feel guilty about the fire.Which they shouldn’t.The fire marshal’s report isn’t final, but she’s sure there was something bad with the wiring.Happens in older homes.I’m glad when I did my reno that I took out all the old stuff and?—”

“What if Phillip might be interested in babysitting?”

I sat in stunned silence.“Uh…”

“Hear me out.”

“Of course.”

“He said he wants to get a job, but he doesn’t have any skills.”

His comment about half a philosophy degree flashed in my memory.“Yeah, okay…”