At Mike’s question, Garrett started and turned his gaze from the computer screen he was staring at across the expanse of their desks to his partner.
“What?”
“Haven’t moved in ten minutes, man,” Mike told him, studying him closely. His head tipped slightly to the side. “You okay?”
Garrett shifted in his chair to fully face his friend.
“Nearly fucked things up with Cher last night,” he told Mike bluntly. “Family dinner at her mom’s, I closed down. Serious. Blanked Cher almost entirely, mostly blanked Grace. Only gave attention to Ethan.”
“Shit,” Mike muttered, continuing to study him.
“Cher came over to my place after, snapped me out of it.”
“Well, that’s good,” Mike said carefully.
Garrett shook his head. “Been seein’ her a week, shit’s already happening.”
“It working?” Mike asked.
“Cher snapping me out of it?”
“No, you and her.”
“Spectacularly.”
He said it. He meant it. It still scared the fucking shit out of him.
Mike nodded, a small smile curving his mouth. “Then hold on to that, man.”
“Mia and me worked spectacularly too, Mike,” Garrett pointed out. “And Rocky and Tanner worked spectacularly.”
“I hear you, but everyone’s young and stupid during their lifetime, Garrett,” Mike returned. “Part of life is figuring out how to grow up and not still be stupid.”
His words were wise. They were also funny, so Garrett let out a chuckle.
While he was doing that, his phone rang. He looked to his desk and was surprised to see it was a call from Cher.
She texted; she rarely called.
Concerned it was something urgent, he nabbed his phone and took the call.
“Baby, all good?” he asked.
“In the world at large, as far as I know, yes. Outside continued war and famine. The men who rule can’t seem to sort their shit out enough to sort that shit out, of course,” she responded and she didn’t shut up. “A woman had that job, shit would be smooth. But we bitches are too busy tearing each other down to worry about war and famine.”
She was being a smartass.
All was good.
Garrett sat back in his chair, grinning at his desk as she continued.
“In my world, also yes. I’m at work. Some guy is retiring and decided his party fare would be liquid, which means we got twenty-five people here and most of ’em are good tippers,” she shared, then carried on, “But in Ethan’s world, it isn’t, seein’ as Mom was supposed to take him and his bud to the game tonight, hang with them there, and bring them back to my pad for some gaming before I take Teddy home. But there’s a waitress sick at The Station and they’ve asked Mom to do a double shift. That’s time and a half plus tips, and in our world, you don’t turn down time and a half plus tips. Vi’s busy. Feb’s workin’. Meems has already got a sleepover with six boys she’s dealin’ with. Dusty’s bustin’ her hump gettin’ ready for that show she’s got comin’ up and—”
Garrett interrupted her. “You want me to take Ethan and his bud to the game.”
“Jessie can watch him,” she told him quickly instead of confirming. “But she’s declared she’s not goin’ to a high school football game unless she’s got at least one of her girl posse with her and no one is available. And Ethan might spontaneously combust if he misses a ’dogs home game. So, yes…”
She paused and he knew she was pulling up the courage to go on, something unusual for her, when he heard the hesitancy in her tone as she finished.
“I know this is a lot and it’s early with us, with you and Ethan. I probably shouldn’t even ask. But I like to give my boy as much as I can give him. And—”
He cut her off again, saying quietly, “Cherie, I can take Ethan and his friend to the game.”
There was another pause before, “Are you sure? You can say no. You can be honest. Anytime. With anything. I can talk to Ethan and—”
Again, Garrett interrupted her. “Cher?”
“Yeah?”
“Shut up.”
She surprised him again and did as told.
“Gonna stop by J&J’s, get your keys,” he told her. “You need me to pick him up from school too?”
Now Cher was talking quietly. “Yeah, honey, if you can. I was gonna get him and make him sit in the office here, but you lookin’ after him would be a lot better. When he has to sit in the office, he doesn’t bitch, but I can tell he’s not a big fan of being cooped up there. Is that gonna be a problem with work?”
“No, but he’s gonna have to hang with me and Mike in the bullpen for a couple of hours.”
Another pause, then, “Prepare to be freaked, but you do that, he’ll love you forever. And I mean forever. He might demand his best man mention you during his wedding reception speech, with the possibility of you being that best man, that kind of forever.”
Garrett grinned again at his desk. “And that’s supposed to freak me, why?”
“If you don’t know, not gonna tell you,” she muttered, then louder, “After I get off work, I’ll meet you guys at the game.”
Garrett felt his brows draw together. “Do you wanna go to the game after a shift at the bar?”
“It won’t be long. And anyway, I wanna relieve you from duty. I also gotta get into my house and you’ll have my keys,” she answered.