Page 7 of Last Call (Open Tab #5)

Chapter One

“How is Fallon?” Andi asked.

Riley sipped her coffee and shrugged. “If you mean, how is she handling what Angela told her, I don’t know,” Riley admitted. “She doesn’t say much. It’s a lot to process.”

“It is.”

“I still don’t know what to think. It’s unbelievable. All of it.”

Andi nodded.

“What?” Riley asked.

“What?” Andi returned.

“You’re not saying something. What aren’t you saying?” Riley asked.

“I suppose I don’t find it as unbelievable as everyone else.”

Riley’s gaze narrowed.

“I don’t,” Andi said. “Riley, when Jake first took a job in sales, I made a few trips with him to conferences. I saw things. I hope to God Jake never got involved with any of it. I saw men with girls—not women. I could tell you I believed they were eighteen or nineteen. I would bet a couple of the girls I saw weren’t over sixteen.

Some were the daughters of men attending the conferences.

It was sickening. Can you imagine allowing anyone to grope your daughter? ”

“Oh, God.”

I remember this guy Jake worked with—Bruce Dearborn.

Being near him gave me the shivers—and not the pleasant kind.

He was—I couldn’t be around him. One time, we were in Vale for a conference, and Bruce showed up at a reception with this girl.

I swear to you, Riley, she couldn’t have been more than sixteen— if that.

I told Jake I needed to leave. Bruce has three daughters.

” Andi shuddered. “I wish I could say I’m surprised by what Fallon learned.

I’m not. It’s sickening—all of it. I couldn’t travel with Jake after that.

Sometimes, I wondered if I had agreed to go with him, maybe he wouldn’t have strayed as much.

“Andi, you know Jake’s infidelity wasn’t your fault. Jake told you that.”

“I know. It felt horrible, Riley. Watching the way some of his colleagues behaved. Not all of them—but too many of them. They liked to compete, and not just for contracts.”

“But Liv took risks, Andi. She could’ve gone to the police.”

Andi sipped her glass of wine without comment.

“Don’t tell me you agree with what she did,” Riley said.

“I don’t disagree with it,” Andi said. “I don’t mean running her car into a tree.

What do you do when you discover something like that?

For Liv to know her father exploited women?

It makes me sick. I have no love for how Liv behaved with Fallon or me.

I don’t know how I would react if I found out my father or Jake—or God forbid, one of my boys was sleeping with young girls, or worse, selling them to other men. ”

Riley sighed. What would she do in Liv’s position? Could she say she would do something differently?

“I hope Fallon lets herself have some peace after talking to Angela,” Andi said.

“I hope so. Enough about Liv. How is married life?”

“The same as living in sin,” Andi said. “Except Billie is more relaxed. I’m not sure she would have agreed to make changes to the house if we weren’t married.”

“Do tell.”

“Well, we can’t do much until after snow and mud season. We plan to build a deck off the back—get rid of the gazebo.”

“Really?”

“I think so. There will be more room for the kids,” Andi offered.

“Kids?”

Andi rolled her eyes. “Not my kids. Your kids. Dave’s kids. The town’s kids. Not mine.”

“Ah. Are you sure about that?”

“If there is a percentage above infinity, that’s how sure I am.”

“So, just yard work?” Riley inquired.

“No. We’re turning Jake’s old office into a family room. I think it’s a great idea for…”

“The kids,” Riley guessed.

“And for us. Having a less formal place than my living room will be nice. What about you? How goes the house building?”

“We met with the builders yesterday. They’ll start April 1st.”

“That was fast,” Andi said. “How do you feel about it?”

“I thought I’d have mixed feelings,” Riley replied.

“But?”

“I don’t. I’m ready to be rid of the ghosts, Andi.”

“Meaning Liv.”

“God, help me; I’m trying. I think she will pop out from around the corner some days.”

“I understand,” Andi said.

“And I would rather be closer to Ida and you.”

Andi smiled. “Closer proximity for babysitting, huh?”

“It’s a bonus. I know Fallon wants to talk about it—us having a baby.”

“I’m sure she does. What about you?” Andi asked.

“I think Fallon needs a little time to heal. She thinks she’s fine . She’s better. I don’t want our family planning to serve as a distraction from her grief.”

Andi nodded.

“What?”

“I don’t think that’s possible, Riley.”

“You don’t?”

“No. Fallon wanted to have a family with you before this craziness with Liv, and she will want it no matter what else happens. Believe me, I understand how you feel. I wonder if it’s Fallon you’re worried about, though.”

Andi’s observation stirred Riley’s nerves.

“Riley?” Andi urged gently.

“Oh, Andi. I want to have a family with Fallon. It’s just that we’ve barely had time to be a couple. We’ve never just been us. We have Owen. I don’t know. It’s selfish.”

“No, it’s not.”

“Well, then, maybe it’s crazy,” Riley said. “Part of the reason I love her so much is how she is with Owen—how she is with kids. If anyone was born to be a parent, it’s Fallon.”

“True.”

“But we struggle to set aside time to be alone, even when Owen’s not home.

There’s so much noise all the time. What does Owen need?

What about the girls? And then there’s Evan and Hope.

You know Fallon. She wants to take care of everyone.

A baby? God, Andi, a baby takes so much energy.

I barely have enough energy for my work right now,” Riley confessed.

“Have you told her any of this?”

“No, of course not.”

“I think you need to,” Andi said, her voice taking on a gentle tone of warning. “Riley, you need to tell Fallon how you feel.”

“I can’t.”

“You need to,” Andi repeated. “I love Fallon, but she can get into such a spin that she forgets which direction she’s headed.

We all want to support Barb and Beth. Fallon needs to remember it isn’t her responsibility to fix everything for everyone.

Support is one thing. Fallon isn’t responsible for saving everyone. ”

“I know. It’s also Dean. Believe me, I’m glad that his visit didn’t blow up the heavens. Fallon has made a few comments about Dean being ready whenever we are.”

“Oh boy,” Andi said.

“I don’t want to hurt her, Andi. That’s the last thing I want. I love the idea of a baby that looks like Fallon—that holds a part of her family.”

“I understand. I also understand why you’d be reluctant to involve Dean.”

“It’s more than reluctance,” Riley admitted.

“You need to talk to her.”

“What am I supposed to say?”

“Tell her the truth. It’s not my place to have an opinion.”

“But?” Riley asked. “You have some thoughts.”

“Things are complicated and painful for all the kids already. I ran into Pete the other day. He told me Evan is still struggling to talk to his father. He feels pushed aside by everyone. I think Pete is the best thing that’s happened in Evan’s life in a long time.

And I could be wrong, but I think he’s also the best thing to happen to Beth. ”

Riley smiled. “You noticed that, too, huh?”

“I did.”

“Pete is terrific,” Riley said.

“He is. Talk to Fallon,” Andi advised. “We both know she may bristle at first. But you can’t hold back any of this.”

“I wish that made it easier.”

Andi winked. “That’s why God invented wine, Riley.”

Fallon stopped in her tracks when she entered the living room. She had expected to hear Owen prattling on about something. Riley was seated on the sofa, reading a book, and a bottle of wine with two glasses sat atop the coffee table.

“Where’s Owen?” Fallon asked.

“Beth took him for the night.”

“Why?”

“So we can enjoy some time together,” Riley replied. “And talk freely—without interruptions,” she added.

Fallon’s brow furrowed.

“Don’t start rolling through a million doomsday scenarios,” Riley said. “Sit with me and have some wine.”

Fallon followed Riley’s direction, sitting cautiously on the sofa's edge.

“You look like Owen when he goes to time-out,” Riley observed with a chuckle as she handed Fallon a glass of wine.

“Am I?” Fallon asked.

“Are you what?”

“In time-out?”

Riley laughed. “Should you be?”

“I don’t know. I don’t think so.”

Riley could see the wheels spinning in Fallon’s head, sifting through her thoughts for some trivial infraction like washing her red hoodie with the whites.

“Relax,” Riley said. “I just wanted us to have some time alone. When was the last time we had an afternoon and evening to ourselves? It feels like most of our conversations happen between running to or from someone’s house.

Either that, or we’re yawning and trying to stay awake to listen. ”

A regretful groan escaped Fallon’s lips.

“Fallon,” Riley called gently. “I’m not upset with you. Things have been…”

“Chaotic?”

“Busy.”

“I’m sorry, Riley.”

“This isn’t how I want our evening to start,” Riley said. “With you feeling guilty when you don’t have anything to feel guilty about.”

“Maybe not. I promised you I would stop running in circles where Liv is concerned.”

Riley nodded.

“I haven’t kept that promise, have I?”

“You’ve been concerned about everyone in your family. I understand.”