Page 114 of Wayward

“Oh, you know, just girl talk,” my mom says, waving a dismissive hand. But I can see the tension in her shoulders, the way her eyes keep darting to Haley. Something’s up.

“Girl talk about what, Mom?” I press, not willing to let this go. My mom can have a one-track mind. It’s either about babies or staying in the ’burg.

“Fine, there’s this house that came on the market. It’s one street over from where your sister lives.” She pauses. What she means is its two streets over from where Mom lives. “And it’s big. Like really big. Huge master bedroom.”

“Primary suite,” I correct.

“Yeah, well, it’s big. And there’s a nice fenced-in yard for my grand-dog, Penny. Pepper needs fresh air and birds to watch out the window. There are no birds forty stories up in your current place.”

“Mom, we’re not staying. We’ve gone over this.”

Her head tilts back like a toddler. “I know, but with all your roommates, you can afford it. Pittsburgh’s an inexpensive place to live. You can have your Miami house and?—”

“Temporary, Mom. Until Haley graduates.”

“What about your trucks?”

“I’ll sell them when the time comes. Or have someone run them for me.”

“Have someone run them for you?” Mom laughs. “It doesn’t hurt to just go look at the house. Your place now is nice, but it’s so small.”

“It’s a luxury condo.”

“It’s tiny.”

Haley’s just watching my mom and me go at it. She’s biting her lip to keep from laughing.

“Well, we need to get going home. Sassy has homework.”

“She finished it,” my mom answers for Haley.

Haley laughs.

“You think this is funny?” I grab her hand and kiss her knuckles.

“Yeah,” Sassy says, sounding like my mom. “We have an appointment to look at the house.”

I cross my arms over my chest. “Now?”

“Of course now. Why do you think I’m here?” My mom nods in a make-it-so kind of way.

I look over at the sticky kids. “We’re going to need a hose first.”

Chapter 48

Sunken Treasure

Easton

Istep out onto our covered suburban porch for the tenth time in the last hour. Penny comes out with me every time. Her head cocks at me like I’ve totally lost it. And I probably have.

“Can you even see them coming up the street?” Sam asks when I come back in. He’s sitting at the smallest desk ever made, next to the front door, typing away on his computer. We made two huge offices upstairs with giant monitors and anything any of us would need, but Sam still sits down here. I don’t blame him.

They’re deep in edits, and Calvin does a lot of swearing, talking to the editor’s comments on the page, but their yacht and land survival books are almost done.

I settle into the sofa and pick up my laptop again, my knee bouncing. And Penny jumps up on the sofa and puts her head as close to my computer as possible. Things are going smoothly, and I want them to continue this way. But I can’t help lingering onwhat do we do after Haley graduatesthoughts.

I check my email, and I have to blink. There’s a message from Dad. One I’ve been waiting a while for. I’m about to interrupt Sam and tell him the good news, but it can wait until Dante’s here. He’s due home before Zane and Haley. He’s got a call with the manufacturer of his latest truck. This will bring his fleet up to four. I’m nervous. About my original news, that is, and I’m wondering if I should have told them. When I asked Haley before, she said it’s up to me. So I did it. I close the email and try to settle in to work in the meantime.