the towel around his waist and slumped back onto the couch. They didn’t have the kind of relationship where he could tell her it was a bad time and to call back later.
“Hey, Bronwyn. What’s up?”
There was a pause. “That hurts. Why does something have to be up for me to call my only sibling? I can’t just call to chat?”
He chuckled. “Are we going to do lunch and go shopping together every Saturday from now on?”
“Shut up. Fine, I need a hand. Jeremy and I split up a few weeks ago and he fucked off to Florida to live with his new girl. I have no one to watch the baby for me, and my boss wants me to go to Tuscany with him on a business trip. It would be really good for my career, but between work and the baby and Jer, I don’t really have friends that I can leave him with.” Bronwyn was a few years older than him, and was some sort of business woman now. She’d fallen into the job backward, starting in the mailroom with only a high school education and working her way up. He hoped not on her back.
Ramsay groaned, not trying to hide it from his sister. “I told you that jackass was no good when you two hooked up. I’m sorry I was right , though.”
She laughed. “I know. I remember. But you know me, I like the dangerous ones, even if I know I’m going to get burned. But what about Spider, can you watch him?”
Spider. Who named their kid Spider, anyway? “Bron, I don’t even really know your kid, other than sending him presents for Christmas and his birthday. He’s going to flip out, isn’t he?”
“He’s not really a baby anymore. He’s almost four. Spider’s good. You’ll barely know he’s there.”
Really? A three-year-old who was that quiet? If it was true, it was kind of sad. Ramsay frowned at the phone, as though his expression would get through to her. “What about preschool? And I have to work – I can’t get much time off.”
“I won’t be gone long. A week – two, tops. Maybe Uncle Donny can help watch him, or your girlfriend?”
“Let me talk it over with Saya. When would you bring him by?”
“I’d fly him out to you in a month. I’ll give you more details when I know for sure.”
Ramsay looked around the room. Where would they set up a bed for him? How was a man to keep up with Saya’s sexual needs with someone’s kid hanging around? Parents managed, somehow, but their own evenings were usually eaten up by sex and playing at Mack’s place. Now that they were starting to play gigs, it was no time to blow off practice.
But this was his nephew, even if they’d never met.
Family was family.
The wait while Bronwy n fangirled about her boss was awkward. If they weren’t sexually involved or if that wasn’t his sister’s dearest wish, Ramsay would be surprised. It was how she used to talk about Jeremy and his band.
When she actually stopped to breathe, he butted in. “If I say no, what happens to the kid?”
“Well, I’m not sure. I was thinking of offering our neighbor some cash to watch him. She’s got a few kids, so she knows what she’s doing.”
“A stranger? You’re going to leave him with a stranger for two weeks?”
Her laugh was dismissive. “Kids are resilient. After I come back, in a couple of months he won’t remember I went anywhere. What other choice do I have?”
“Don’t go.”
“Seriously?” Her tone was nonplussed. “If I was a man looking to advance my career, you’d be encouraging me, not telling me to stay home and pretend I’m the mom from a Betty Crocker commercial.”
“No, as a single parent, I’d be telling you that your kid needed you at home, not going to Europe in an oh-so-noble quest to bang your boss.”
“Fuck off, Ramsay. You always think you know everything. You don’t even know what it’s like to be a parent, so don’t judge me.”
“You’re right. I don’t know what it’s like. I’m aware that I’m too irresponsible and selfish to be a parent, so I’ve gone out of my way to make sure I
“Hey, Bronwyn. What’s up?”
There was a pause. “That hurts. Why does something have to be up for me to call my only sibling? I can’t just call to chat?”
He chuckled. “Are we going to do lunch and go shopping together every Saturday from now on?”
“Shut up. Fine, I need a hand. Jeremy and I split up a few weeks ago and he fucked off to Florida to live with his new girl. I have no one to watch the baby for me, and my boss wants me to go to Tuscany with him on a business trip. It would be really good for my career, but between work and the baby and Jer, I don’t really have friends that I can leave him with.” Bronwyn was a few years older than him, and was some sort of business woman now. She’d fallen into the job backward, starting in the mailroom with only a high school education and working her way up. He hoped not on her back.
Ramsay groaned, not trying to hide it from his sister. “I told you that jackass was no good when you two hooked up. I’m sorry I was right , though.”
She laughed. “I know. I remember. But you know me, I like the dangerous ones, even if I know I’m going to get burned. But what about Spider, can you watch him?”
Spider. Who named their kid Spider, anyway? “Bron, I don’t even really know your kid, other than sending him presents for Christmas and his birthday. He’s going to flip out, isn’t he?”
“He’s not really a baby anymore. He’s almost four. Spider’s good. You’ll barely know he’s there.”
Really? A three-year-old who was that quiet? If it was true, it was kind of sad. Ramsay frowned at the phone, as though his expression would get through to her. “What about preschool? And I have to work – I can’t get much time off.”
“I won’t be gone long. A week – two, tops. Maybe Uncle Donny can help watch him, or your girlfriend?”
“Let me talk it over with Saya. When would you bring him by?”
“I’d fly him out to you in a month. I’ll give you more details when I know for sure.”
Ramsay looked around the room. Where would they set up a bed for him? How was a man to keep up with Saya’s sexual needs with someone’s kid hanging around? Parents managed, somehow, but their own evenings were usually eaten up by sex and playing at Mack’s place. Now that they were starting to play gigs, it was no time to blow off practice.
But this was his nephew, even if they’d never met.
Family was family.
The wait while Bronwy n fangirled about her boss was awkward. If they weren’t sexually involved or if that wasn’t his sister’s dearest wish, Ramsay would be surprised. It was how she used to talk about Jeremy and his band.
When she actually stopped to breathe, he butted in. “If I say no, what happens to the kid?”
“Well, I’m not sure. I was thinking of offering our neighbor some cash to watch him. She’s got a few kids, so she knows what she’s doing.”
“A stranger? You’re going to leave him with a stranger for two weeks?”
Her laugh was dismissive. “Kids are resilient. After I come back, in a couple of months he won’t remember I went anywhere. What other choice do I have?”
“Don’t go.”
“Seriously?” Her tone was nonplussed. “If I was a man looking to advance my career, you’d be encouraging me, not telling me to stay home and pretend I’m the mom from a Betty Crocker commercial.”
“No, as a single parent, I’d be telling you that your kid needed you at home, not going to Europe in an oh-so-noble quest to bang your boss.”
“Fuck off, Ramsay. You always think you know everything. You don’t even know what it’s like to be a parent, so don’t judge me.”
“You’re right. I don’t know what it’s like. I’m aware that I’m too irresponsible and selfish to be a parent, so I’ve gone out of my way to make sure I
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