Page 25 of Bargain With the Boss

Getting Jude home.

I quickened my pace, checking my watch before crossing the street. An alarming number of seagulls were clustered around the front of the door to the Rusty Spoon. I slowed my walk, unsure of all the birds.

Then I noticed the scatter of...cereal?

I gave the birds a wide berth and pushed through the door, the tinkling bell transporting me into a postcard of an Americana-style diner. Deep red vinyl seats and chrome as in your face as the scent of coffee and bacon. There was even a jukebox spinning actual 45s. The hiss of a record changing and The Zombie’s “Time of the Season” floated my way. Jude was sitting in a booth by the window, his eldest son sitting beside him. I had a feeling he might have been the culprit with the bird’s feast.

Jude waved to me. “Hope you don’t mind Owen crashing our breakfast.”

“No, not at all.” I sat across from them, smiling at the boy. “What’s on the menu today?”

Owen had a crayon in his fisted hand. “Pancakes. Mom makes them in star shapes sometimes.”

I glanced at Jude in surprise.

“Yeah, that’s a new one for us too. Made Maddie sit in a heap and cry last night.” Jude brushed the dark fringe of hair out of Owen’s face. His little tongue poked at the corner of his mouth as he carefully colored a duck.

“Are you sharing time with…anyone?”

Jude shook his head. “He’s mine and Maddie’s. Period.” When Owen looked up at him, the wide smile punched me in the chest.

When Jude made his trip into Crescent Cove, it was supposed to be a temporary one. Owen’s mother wanted a summer free to chase her dreams of musical theater. She quickly learned that being a mother was hard work, and she wasn’t up for the task. My brother, however, very much was. One more root into Crescent Cove.

No.

It didn’t have to be. In fact, it could make it easier to take both children back to Seattle. Jude could easily relocate.

I sat up straighter. “Have you thought of splitting time in Seattle then? It’s much easier to bring them back and forth when you have sole custody.”

Jude opened up the menu, setting the kid’s version in front of Owen who pushed it aside to get back to coloring. “Why would I do that?”

“You still have responsibilities at A Home You Love. With the merger, things are…ramping up.”

“I can fly out for the quarterly board meetings when necessary. Otherwise, I handle things remotely. I’ve been offloading my duties onto Jamie. He’s more than capable.”

I laced my fingers together. “Mother doesn’t see it that way.”

“Mother is just pissed that I can delegate.”

“She misses you.”

“No, she misses having me under her thumb.” He snapped the menu shut as the waitress arrived at our table.

We spent a few minutes on our order, mostly because Owen was trying to explain he didn’t want pancakes unless they were in shapes. I wasn’t sure what to do with that information, so I just let the waitress explain she would try to add that to the order.

Suddenly, Owen turned to Jude. “I hafta pee.”

“Oh.” As if that was an action word, Jude quickly scooped Owen around the middle and hustled out of the booth. “Be right back.”

I didn’t have time to reply, he was already striding down the aisle toward the bathrooms.

Our waitress returned with my coffee and glasses of orange juice for everyone. I smiled my thanks and wrapped my fingers around my mug.

He wasn’t wrong about the thumb comment.

Our mother required control just as much as the spotlight. When she didn’t get either of those things, she lashed out.

And my team was in her current crosshairs.