Chapter 17
You Know This Guy?
Justin
The appointment was with a doctor who specialized in athletic injuries.
Mia drove, only once missing a gear change, which I was careful not to notice.
The doctor told us both what I should and should not do as we got closer to removing the cast. I had to give him points—he didn’t mention the bright colors Arne had added.
Not the most exciting outing, but my life had been very small since I arrived, and this was a nice break.
I opened my mouth to suggest stopping for lunch, but I’d been avoiding the public for a reason.
Since Mia was wearing her scrubs as usual, it might start rumors that I was worse off than I was.
Plus, my hair and beard were getting out of control, and who knew what stories that might start.
We were almost at the house when she stomped on the brakes and swore.
My body jerked forward, but the seat belt held.
I looked for the problem, because Mia was a careful driver.
No cat in the road, no child running out after a ball.
There was, however, a strange car parked in front of the house and a man I’d never seen before sitting on the steps.
Damn it, another reporter. A few had been by, but I’d either not answered the door or said nothing but “No comment.” And reminded them about private property. This guy was crossing the line, but I’d rather avoid him than confront him.
“Keep going.” I didn’t want to explain why I’d been out with Mia. No comment wouldn’t stop some of these guys from making up a story.
She sighed. “Too late. He’s recognized me.”
Goose bumps rose on my arms. “Wait, you know this guy? Is he from a local paper?”
Mia pulled into the driveway and stopped the car. The man stood. He was tall and blond. Good-looking. I instantly didn’t like him. I opened the passenger door to tell him to get the fuck out of here, but he wasn’t looking at me.
“Got something to tell me, Mia?” His eyes were narrowed, lips thin and frowning.
Was she looking for a bigger payday than what Caring Hands paid her? After she’d walked out on me the other day, had she decided to cash in on our story? I was so tense my teeth ground together. This had the potential to be worse than what happened with Sharleen.
Mia glared at the guy, who was glaring right back. Stalemate. Finally, Mia let out a breath. “Justin, this is Erik Karlsson, my ex.”
Relief made me lightheaded and slowed down my thinking. He wasn’t a reporter and Mia hadn’t betrayed me. He was her ex… Ex-husband. Arne’s dad. I could see the resemblance now. What the fuck was he doing here?
Erik clenched his jaw, and I reined in my…jealousy? Not the time.
“Nice to meet you.” I held up my cast. “Sorry, I can’t shake.” He’d have tried to outgrip me, I just knew. I called on some of the manners I’d been taught. “Arne is a great kid.”
“He’s met Arne?” Erik continued to ignore me and kept glaring at Mia.
I had no idea what their co-parenting was like. Was there a problem with Arne having been here?
Mia crossed her arms. “There was a last-minute school closure. Justin said I could bring Arne along and I did.”
“Interesting. But while you’re sharing, how did you even get this job with your ex?”
“I needed help.” I shook the hand with the cast, in case he’d forgotten already. “And I preferred someone I could trust.”
I’d finally managed to divert the guy’s attention. “Really? You came to BC to find a nurse you could trust?”
Moron. “I’m in BC for other reasons. While I’m here, I trust Mia.”
He scoffed. “What, afraid people are going to take pictures of you with a cast?”
“They’ve tried.”
He blinked and apparently the dots connected. “Oh, right. You were in a fight or something.”
Mia stepped forward. “Why are you here, Erik? The last I heard you were in LA with no intention of coming back.”
“I’ve got a job. It’s a good part, and I’ll be here for a couple of months while shooting.” He shot me a glance and a fake smile. “I’m an actor.”
Was I supposed to respond to that?”
“It would have been nice to get some notice. And even if you’re working in BC, why are you here and not at the house where I actually live?”
“I wanted to see you.”
You as in Mia and Arne, or just Mia?
“Arne is in school.”
“We could do dinner, the three of us. When you’re off work, that is.”
Now I had to let Mia leave or look like a jerk. “I’m good if you want to go, Mia.”
“Let me make sure everything is ready.” She went through the front door, the screen slamming behind her. There was nothing she needed to do, but if she wanted to prove a point to this guy, I wouldn’t get in her way. On the other hand, I had no desire to spend more time with him.
I stepped toward the porch, then he held out his hand. I stopped. I wasn’t supposed to risk my hand, but if this guy wanted to prove something…
“You hurt her, really badly,” he said. I froze. “When you left, it almost destroyed her.”
Not just her. I bit back telling him it was none of his damn business, but it was, wasn’t it? If it affected the woman he’d apparently loved and had a child with.
“I asked her to come with me,” I growled.
“But her family, right?”
I nodded, slowly. I didn’t want anything in common with the guy, but yeah. Her family.
“They’re damned leeches. I couldn’t take it anymore.”
So that was twice now Mia had lost a relationship because of them.
Erik shot a glance at the house, where Mia would soon emerge. “I wanted her and Arne to come to LA with me. She said no.”
“You had to go?” I wasn’t sure what made him leave.
He looked over the street. “It was my job. I wanted to be an actor, like you wanted to play hockey.”
“I didn’t want to play hockey. At least, not enough to go. My family needed the money.” Yeah, I hadn’t gone just because I wanted to be a hotshot hockey player or actor.
His cheeks were a little pink. “Fucking families.”
I might not like the guy, but I couldn’t argue with him.
Mia
Arne’s face lit up when he saw Erik waiting with me at the bus stop.
“Daddy!”
Erik pulled him into a hug. “Great to see you, Arnester!”
It was difficult not to resent how Erik got smiles and hugs but didn’t have to deal with the everyday problems, including money. But I refused to hurt Arne by telling him everything. It was hard enough that he rarely saw Erik. Arne’s needs before mine.
When Erik released him and we turned to the house, Arne asked, “What are you doing here? How long are you staying?”
Erik flinched and a part of me said good. Arne didn’t expect him to be here permanently because he never was.
“I’m shooting a TV series in Vancouver, so I’m around for a while.”
Arne considered. “A grown-up one or a kid’s one?”
“Ah, a grown-up one.”
“That’s still cool,” Arne said kindly. I bit back a smile.
Erik wanted to take us for dinner, and Arne and I needed to change.
I left Erik in the kitchen making awkward conversation with my family.
Dorian was out, but Bruce and Mom were there with Cora.
My family weren’t big fans of his. Things had been tense during our marriage, and after he left, he’d been badmouthed freely.
“Did you know Dad was coming?” Arne asked as I pulled out some clean clothes for him.
“Nope. He showed up at Mr. Justin’s house and I was just as surprised as you.”
Arne untangled himself from his T-shirt. “He’s just here for a little while? Not for good?”
“Not as far as I know.” There was a less than one percent chance that he’d stay, but I didn’t want to say that to my kid.
“Is he coming to my games?”
I didn’t want to taint the relationship of my ex and my son, but I also wasn’t going to lie and break the trust between Arne and me. “I don’t know, kiddo.”
Arne pulled a clean shirt over his head. “Okay, I’ll ask him but not count on it.”
No kid should have that don’t count on it expectation with their own damned father. I wanted to slap the younger me who’d been careless and got pregnant. But then I wouldn’t have Arne, and he was the best thing in my life.
Oh well, I couldn’t change things anyway.
The kitchen was empty when we came down. I heard Bruce in the living room, but Erik wouldn’t have joined him. Instead, we found him sitting on the outside steps. He followed me out to the Subaru, where I strapped Arne in the back seat. Erik stood by the passenger door, jaw set.
I closed Arne’s car door. “Were they that bad?”
He rolled his eyes. “Bruce wanted to know if I’d start paying child support. As if he pays for any of Arne’s expenses.”
No, I paid for all of those.
Erik caught my gaze. “You don’t use the money I send for your family, do you?”
I tensed. It was none of his fucking business what I did with the little money he’d sent through so far. Or maybe it was. “I’ve been putting it in a college fund for Arne.”
“Thank goodness. So you’re doing okay without it?”
I raised my brows. He wasn’t getting off the hook.
I understood his income was irregular, but that was because he was pursuing his dream.
Me? I had to do whatever I could to keep this family afloat, including Arne.
“I don’t count on it. I don’t want to get him used to something and have to take it away when I don’t have enough cash.
There are things he wants that I can’t provide.
” Erik would be thrilled if he learned hockey lessons were on that list.
“Well, this job pays well so I can catch up.”
Sure, but what about the gap until the next job? But I bit my tongue. I did that a lot. “Right now, what I count on is the money I bring in. So you cannot come by places I’m working. That’s unprofessional and could cost me work. What the hell were you thinking?”
He sighed. “I shouldn’t have, but I stopped here and Cora told me you were with him again.”
I rubbed my face with my hands. “There’s so much wrong with that, Erik. First, you can’t accept anything Cora says at face value. She’s a shit disturber and loves to get people to react. She likes to find any weakness and use it.”
“She didn’t use to be like that.”
“You haven’t been around. Which is the second thing—we’re divorced. You remember that, right? Because what I do, unless it’s hurting Arne, is none of your business.”
“But Mia—”
“But nothing. Do you want me poking my nose into your life in LA?”
His cheeks flushed. “No, but…” He didn’t finish that.
“Do you believe I’m doing anything that would put Arne at risk?”
“I know you wouldn’t.”
“Then please just be done with the macho posturing.”
“I’m allowed to think for myself. And it’s a little strange, that he’s back and hired you. I think he might regret letting you go.”
I shook my head. “That’s not it. You don’t care about hockey, but a lot of people do. One worker tried to record his phone call with his sister. Another wanted to take selfies with him. So his team hired me. But that’s all it is. His family issues might be over, but mine aren’t. He knows that.”
“He’s got money.”
I rolled my eyes. “All the more reason for him to be looking for someone without all this baggage, right?”
Maybe it wasn’t nice to throw Erik’s words back at him, but he couldn’t walk away, with hardly a word since, and then come back and get all dog in the manger-ish.
We went to a chain restaurant with a kids’ menu, and Arne did most of the talking. At the end of the evening, I dropped Erik off at his hotel.
I stepped outside the car so Arne wouldn’t hear. “So, are you coming to see Arne play?”
“I told you I’m tied up till the weekend.”
“He’s got a tournament. If you’re free anytime on Saturday, you could come see him.”
His jaw firmed. “Text me the details. I’ll be there if I can.”
I forwarded the information about the soccer games, but I wasn’t going to tell Arne till Erik actually set foot on the field.
I didn’t sleep well. Erik’s arrival had brought up more problems. Was he going to spend time with Arne? Would Justin be different in the morning? Erik had stepped over a line, coming to his house, and I’d understand if Justin was pissed about it.
I got Arne off to school while I mulled things over before driving to Justin’s. When I got to his house, he was sitting in the kitchen with a cup of coffee, reading something on his phone.
“Good morning.” I dropped my purse on the counter by the coffeemaker.
He nodded. “I can’t remember, since he called yesterday and you were gone early—did I tell you my agent is in town and wants to meet up this morning?”
Yesterday had taken a turn. “I don’t think so.”
“He’s only here for a day. I’m trying to figure out how long it would take to get where he wants to meet.”
I stood behind him so I could check the information he was looking up. “It had to be in downtown Vancouver, right?”
He nodded and shifted slightly so we weren’t so close. I stepped back. That hurt, a little.
“If we leave in a half hour, that should give us lots of time.” Rush hour traffic should be winding down.
“Um.” He wouldn’t look at me, so I took another step back. “I thought I’d just get a rideshare there. He’ll be talking business and team stuff, so there’s no need for you to just sit around.”
Damn it. He’d just given me a car to drive so I could take him to things like this. Obviously, Erik had upset him. “I’m sorry that Erik—”
He met my gaze then. “This isn’t about your ex coming by. I swear. But it is likely to be long and hella boring.”
I wasn’t sure I believed him. Oh, probably this thing would take a while. But there’d been tension between Erik and Justin, and that had to be a factor.
“I can do some things around here. Make up the bed, do some laundry, maybe vacuum.”
“Fuck, Mia, you’re not my maid.”
“No, I’m your PSW. And this is what we do. What you can’t. And I’m not sure you’d be able to handle fitted sheets right now.”
He finally shrugged. “I’ll go up and change and get out of your hair. Help yourself to anything here, and I’ll let you know when I have some idea when I’ll be done.”
I opened the dishwasher, which Justin had run since I left yesterday, and he headed up the stairs. He was gone soon.
I made the house look good, tried to do laundry and make his bed as objectively as I would with normal clients, and got a message just before noon that he’d be away most of the day. He told me I might as well head on out.
Free time. I should be happy. But I wasn’t.