He was across the room, standing in his pajamas but he had his tablet in his hand, and when I’d opened the door, he’d been sticking his headphones in it.
“Just wanted to bend your ear a second about something that’s troubling me,” I told him.
“What?” he asked.
I stepped in, shut the door and leaned into it. “What’s your read on Polly?”
His face went guarded.
“I’m not being—” I started to assure him quickly.
“She’s a phase,” he cut me off to say.
“I’m sorry?”
“For Pip. She’s not Pippa’s normal kind of friend. But Polly knows everybody. She’s real social. Big on that. And Pip coming to a new school, Polly latched on. Pip having money and nice clothes and being pretty and stuff…” he trailed off and shrugged, though he didn’t need to finish that, I knew what he was saying. Then he continued, “I think she’s a phase.”
“So you don’t care for her all that much,” I guessed.
“Won’t have to think anything once Pip finds her place in high school and Polly’s history.”
That was his hope.
He did not like Polly.
It was also my hope because as awful as it was to say, I didn’t either.
I nodded. “Okay, Auden. I didn’t want to put you on the spot but I also got the sense she wasn’t Pippa’s kind of friend. That said, it’s clear Pip likes spending time with her so I didn’t want to bring it up with your sister and upset her.”
He nodded too. “Yeah. But we’re just back at school, Mom. Freshmen settle in. She’ll find it.”
“Okay, kid,” I replied.
“Don’t worry. Pip’s a good girl. It’ll turn out okay.”
I loved my son.
I smiled. “You’re right. It will. But mothers worry.”
He smiled back. “Well, you can stop worrying about that.”
Very, very much loved my son.
“Okay, I’ll leave you to your music.”
“Right, Mom. ’Night.”
“’Night, kiddo.”
I gave him another smile before I went out the door, closed it behind me and walked back to my room.
Feeling better about all that, only then did I settle into my daybed to read and wait for Mickey’s call.
*
My body jolted as my cell rang.
I sat up, my book crashing to the floor, and snatched the phone up.
“Hey,” I said into it.
“Hey back,” Mickey replied. “Almost on our street.”
“Okay, honey, I’ll be over at your place. Quick kiss then you can hit the sack.”
“See you there.”
We rang off and I stared a little guiltily at the fire I’d left burning and fell asleep in front of (though, who would have imagined I could ever fall asleep waiting for Mickey coming back after fighting a fire). I shut off the gas, waited for the flame to die out then slid my feet into my slippers that looked like they were made of sweater material, with sequins on the knit and a fluffy trim of fake fur. They were warm but they also had a plastic sole with traction.
Then I took off, dashing down the hall and out the front door.
I slowed my step as I made my way down the walk.
I speeded it up as I saw the lights of Mickey’s SUV coming down the street.
I darted in a half-jog, half-walk up Mickey’s drive, doing this following his SUV.
I slowed again as he got out of his truck but only because I was nearly upon him.
I didn’t wait for him to close the car door before I threw myself in his arms.
As mine closed around him, his wrapped tight around me and I could feel his breath stirring the hair on top of my head.
“Fuck, you smell good,” he murmured.
“Took a bath before bed to relax,” I replied to his chest.
“Mm…”
I felt his sound through my cheek and it vibrated deep in my belly.
We held on a while and when Mickey stated gently, “I’m good, Amy,” I tipped my head back to catch his eyes.
“Yeah,” I whispered.
He cupped my jaw with a hand. “You worried.”
“I was terrified out of my mind,” I told him the absolute truth but did it in a quip and then delighted in his chuckle.
He thought I was joking.
And he would think that, forever.
I would never lie to Mickey about anything else.
But so he could do what he loved to do to protect the citizens of Magdalene without a thought of the worry it caused me, I’d hide that from him for as long as he gave his time to the MFD.
Then he said something to me that, not with his words but with the strength he assumed I had in sharing them, was one of the biggest compliments he could give me.
“It was arson, Amy.”
I stared up at him. “Really?”
“Chief’s callin’ in an investigator. We don’t have one workin’ for the county because we don’t need one. But it was not one fire that spread. We found fire origin in three of those shops. We saw it. We know it. Bobby wants someone to make it official so Coert’s got everything he needs.”
“Who would do that?” I asked.
“No clue,” he answered. “Could be some issue with those shops or that development. Could be we got a fire bug.”
Oh, God. No.
I hid the panic at the very idea of that and what it would mean to the boys of the MFD, primarily Mickey, when I saw the fatigue gathered around his eyes and said, “Okay, honey. It’s out now and all’s good. But it’s late so I need to let you go so you can get some rest.”