Page 53 of The Me I Left Behind

Maggie chuckled and looked him square in the eye. “Look. I realize this is an inconvenience… And I don’t want you to get into trouble… But if Mr. Oliver asks about the inspection, tell him I said to stick it up his slimy, shitty ass.”

Matthew Riley stared back, looking rather dumbfounded.

“Yes, ma’am.”

He was on his way within seconds.

“Mom was such a badass,Jason. You should have seen her.”

Maggie set two large pizza boxes on the kitchen island and glanced at Jason. He didn’t seem too impressed with his mother’s confrontation skills—or lack thereof.

“Not a badass,” she said. “Just confused and frustrated. You all know how I get a potty mouth when I’m upset or angry.”

“You must have been both,” Jason said. “I heard you from the car.”

“You are correct.” She flipped back the lids on both pizzas. “One cheese and one extra-supreme with jalapenos. And here’s some garlic dipping sauce, too. Sorry you’re not getting tuna casserole tonight, but I don’t feel like cooking.”

Chloe dragged the cheese pizza box toward her and her sister, and they both picked up a slice.

“God, Mom, we’ll do pizza anytime.” Carol snickered.

“Yeah, but it’s expensive.” Maggie glanced at her. “Where did Logan rush off to?”

“He works some evenings.”

“I see.” She’d not yet approached her with the news Jason had dropped earlier, that Logan wasn’t in school—or the factthat she wasn’t supposed to have boys in the house if she was alone. “Too bad. The pizza is good.”

Carol kept eating, not responding.

“One of these days, soon, sweetie, I’d like for Logan to stay for dinner. Just so I can get to know him. Can we do that?”

Her daughter chewed her pizza…and probably also chewed over Maggie’s words in her head. “Sure.” She shrugged. “I’ll have to check. You know, his work schedule.

“Sure.”Is that it? Work? Or something else?She hated to be suspicious, but Carol always seemed so vague about him.

“I’ll get drinks from the garage fridge,” Jason said.Did he sense the tension in the room, too?“What does everyone want?”

“Diet whatever,” Carol called out.

“Same,” Maggie added.

Chloe took a bite of pizza and mumbled. “Orange please.”

Jason nodded, retrieved the drinks, and quickly returned.

Grabbing a roll of paper towels and a stack of paper plates from under the counter, Maggie set them on the island. “Here. Use these. We’re using the fancy napkins and Sunday china tonight.” She ripped off several squares of paper towels.

“Did you call Julia, Mom?” Carol took a towel and swiped her mouth.

“Left a message. She’ll call back soon, I imagine.”

“Great.”

Turning toward her, Maggie said, “Tell me what the guy said when he was here. Did you let him look at anything?”

Carol reached for another piece of pizza, then sat back. “He came to the door, said who he was, and that he was here for the house inspection—like he told you.”

“Then what?”