Chapter 14 Astrid
ASTRID
Feet pounding on the sidewalk draw my attention away from the handrail I’m painting, and I lift my head just as Callan comes into view, jogging toward his house in a pair of training shorts and a sleeveless training top.
Hair is stuck to his brow, and his top clings to the chiseled planes of his chest and taut abs.
My heart skips a beat when he spots me, instantly grinning as he pops earbuds from his ears.
“I see Ma wasted no time putting you to work,” he calls out as he walks along the path leading to the porch where I’m standing.
“I woke early and decided to get a head start.” I’m not admitting I didn’t sleep well because my brain wouldn’t switch off, and thoughts of his fake-dating proposal occupied my mind all night.
“Where are Ma and Da?” he asks, panting a little as he climbs the steps.
“Your mom went inside to get drinks, and your dad took Erin, Freja, and Alma to the park with my dad.”
“Cool.” Bending over, he rests his large palms on his sweaty thighs.
“Hard run?” I inquire, resuming my painting.
“I ran the trail at Whispering Lake.”
My eyes almost bug out of my head. “You ran all the way from here to the lake, did a lap, and then back again? That’s got to be five or six miles.”
“Eight point four actually.” He waggles his brows.
“Wow. That’s a lot.”
He shrugs. “Didn’t feel like it.” He combs his fingers through his hair, scattering damp, dark-brown strands across his brow. “I’m gonna grab some water, shower, and change, and I’ll come out then.”
“Great,” his mom says, coming through the door carrying a tray. “We’ll finish much quicker with the additional help.” Roni kisses his cheek as he passes.
“Ma, don’t. I reek.”
She laughs. “You’re not wrong, son. Go clean up.”
Roni and I chat casually as we resume painting the new handrail and deck Tony installed yesterday.
Tony has already painted the steps, so when Callan joins us fifteen minutes later, he starts on the floor, concentrating on the farthest point so he’s not interfering with our work.
Roni peppers us with questions about school as we work, and we discuss some additional ideas I’ve had for the downstairs layout, and the conversation flows easily.
“Here comes my mom,” I say when I spot her leaving our house with a box in hand.
Roni lifts her hand in a wave, setting her brush down and flying down the steps to greet her new best friend. They hug like long-lost friends, and Callan chuckles. “They’re as bad as our sisters.”
“I think it’s great everyone gets along. We’re not close with any of the other neighbors.”
“Have you made a decision yet?” he asks, looking over his shoulder at me from his position on the floor.
“I’m still thinking about it, but I’ll let you know tonight.”
“I’ll call over later.” He sits back on his heels. “No matter what you decide, we still need to agree on how to play it at school tomorrow.”
“Okay. But don’t drop by before nine. I won’t be home until eight, and I’ll need to shower and eat.”
“I could drop you to work and pick you up after if you like. We could discuss the pros and cons on the drive?”
My mouth opens to turn him down because I have my own car and I don’t need a ride. But maybe it’d be easier to discuss it in the car, en route to work, and make the decision there and then. Less of an intimate setting than my bedroom. “Sure, that sounds like a plan.”
“You’re making good progress,” Mom says, climbing the steps with Roni.
“Many hands make light work,” Roni replies.
“It looks great,” Mom adds. “It makes such a difference to the front of the house.”
“The new front door is being delivered tomorrow, and the porch furniture Astrid helped me to choose is due on Wednesday. I was thinking I might go to the garden center this week to pick up some potted plants and a couple of hanging baskets.”
Behind Roni, her son rolls his eyes. I grin. Men just don’t get it. I swear, every time Mom mentions renovating the house or buying something new to complement the current look, Dad zones out. He’s happy to let her decide and just go with the flow.
“It’s going to look fabulous,” I proclaim. “I’ll swing by the store I mentioned this week to grab those accessories we agreed on, and I’ll have the full mood board and drawings to you by the end of the week,” I add.
“I’m so excited to see them.”
“I think it’s time the workers had a tea break,” Mom proclaims, holding up a cake box. “I have cupcakes from the bakery to go with that lovely Irish tea.”
“Did someone say cake?” I joke, instantly putting my brush down.
“Come on, Callan. Astrid and I have been known to demolish everything in sight. If you want one, you’d best hurry.”
“Mom, Callan doesn’t eat cake. Remember?”
The mothers share a look I can’t decipher.
“I’m good, Mrs. Nevan,” Callan says. “Thanks, but I’m gonna stay here and keep working.”
“Actually, I should stay too. I only have an hour until I have to get ready for work. Save me a cupcake, and I’ll eat it before I leave.”
“Astrid Ingrid Nevan, did you just turn down cake?” Mom places the back of her hand across her brow in mock dramatic fashion. “I think I need to sit down.”
“You’re ridiculous, and I didn’t turn down cake. I clearly asked you to save me one.”
“Come on, Elsa.” Roni threads her arm through Mom’s. “Let the kids do all the work while we pretend we’re ladies of leisure.”
“Those two are going to be a nightmare,” Callan says when our mothers have gone inside.
“Glad it’s not just my mom with a flair for drama.”
“Speaking of drama, did you get Gwen home okay last night?”
“Yeah, but she was laughing hysterically when I got her into the house, and she woke her gran up. Mara was not pleased. She lives with her gran,” I add by way of explanation.
“Where are her parents?”
“Her mom’s dead, and she’s never known her dad.” I don’t mention Gwen’s mom didn’t even know who the father was.
“Does she have any siblings?”
I shake my head. “She’s an only child, and it’s just her and her gran. She came to live with Mara when she was eight, and we’ve been the best of friends ever since.”
“She’s lucky she has you, especially if she gets in that state a lot.”
“She doesn’t,” I instantly rush to defend her. “She likes a good time, but it’s not often she parties hard. Last night was not the norm.”
He wipes his hands on a towel. “Hey, I’m not judging. You two seem like polar opposites, is all.”
“Which is why we work so well together. I can be a bit serious, and she’ll encourage me to chill, and when she overdoes it, I rein her in. Cheesy as it sounds, she’s the yin to my yang.”
“Her and Scott seem into one another. Are they a thing?”
“I’m not sure. I’ll pry the details from her later. Are you okay to stop by her house and pick her up? I usually drive her to work if our shifts align.”
“Yeah, sure.”
Taking out my phone, I shoot her a message, ensuring she’s up. She can’t afford to miss her shift or be late.
“Thanks so much for your help,” Roni says as I get into the passenger side of Callan’s truck. “I really appreciate you giving up your free time over the weekend to help out.”
“It’s no problem. It was fun.”
Callan snorts. “You have a warped sense of fun, Astrid.”
If both our mothers weren’t standing outside my door, I’d flip him the bird.
“Be nice, Callan,” Roni warns.
“I’m driving Astrid and her friend to work. That’s the very definition of nice, Mother.”
“That is thoughtful,” Mom agrees.
Callan and I exchange a look. I don’t think either mom will have an issue if we announce we’re dating. They’ll probably throw a party and be super embarrassing.
“We need to leave. See you later.” I press the button to close the window, breathing a sigh of relief when Callan pulls out onto the road, leaving the two meddling moms behind.
“If we tell them we’re dating, they’ll be plotting our wedding in no time,” Callan quips.
“Ugh. Don’t even joke.”
He glances at me quickly. “I meant what I said last night. We can forget the whole thing if you want. It’s no big deal.”
Obviously not to him. “I know, but it does have advantages.” I bite on the corner of my lip.
“Joe has already called and left messages.” I don’t mention several were left in the middle of the night, and I can only imagine what they said.
I deleted them all without listening or replying, and I’m seriously considering blocking him. If he keeps this up, I will.
“I can’t believe you ever went out with that clown.”
“Trust me, I’m questioning it nonstop now.”
Callan slows down as we approach the T-junction.
“Take a left here,” I say, directing him the rest of the way to Gwen’s house.
A sigh cleaves from my lips when I don’t see her at the door.
I told her to be ready and waiting. I swear I’ll go nuclear on her ass if she makes me late.
My feet have just landed on the sidewalk when the front door opens, and she emerges from the house, slamming the door like it personally offended her.
“Hey.” I reel her in for a hug. “How do you feel?” I pull back, studying her face.
Faint shadows line the skin under her eyes, and she looks a little pasty.
“Like death warmed up,” she admits, lifting her hair and pulling it into a ponytail. I help her smooth it out as she winds a hair tie around the thick strands. “Mara blowing a gasket didn’t help.”
“Yeah, she wasn’t very happy last night.”
“She went apeshit on my ass. Said if I don’t change my ways, I’m gonna end up just like my junkie whore mom.”
“No.” I gasp. I can’t believe Mara would say something so cruel to her granddaughter.
I’m sure Gwen is just paraphrasing, as I can’t imagine those words coming from Mara’s mouth.
Gwen’s mom had already had her by this age, and she was full-on addicted to drugs and letting her so-called boyfriend pimp her out on the regular.
Gwen is a typical teenage girl who sometimes parties too hard.
Comparing them is harsh, but I understand where Mara’s concern comes from.