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came away. “Gross.”
    â€œWhat’s gross?”
    â€œNothing, sorry.” Rubbing her finger on her jeans, she did a slow turn. “I’ll be here for a bit longer than I thought, Jess.”
    She winced as her friend launched into a colorful, unique-expletive-laced rant. Holding the phone down by her hip, she looked up as the doorbell rang. They weren’t expecting company, were they?
    â€œHey, Jess?” she said, still not holding the phone completely to her ear. “I have to go, dinner’s on the table in a minute. Talk to you soon!”
    She hung up before Jess could give her more shit, then turned her phone on Do Not Disturb. For a bit, she’d be a good girl and keep from checking it every four minutes while around her mother.
    When she walked back into the kitchen, she stared agog at the amount of food her mother had laid out on the counter. “Mom? Mom! Who the hell is eating all of this?”
    No answer.
    She wandered back through the dining room, and noticed two more place settings than she’d first set out.
    No.
Noooooo
no no.
    Her worst fears were confirmed when she heard his self-satisfied voice from behind her. “Hey, Carri.”
    ***
    Josh spent most of dinner rotating between relief that Herb was home and on the mend—physically, anyway—and reveling in the daggers Carri was shooting his way.
    â€œSo,” Gail said, sitting beside him, “Carrington. How long will you be in the area this trip?”
    â€œUh . . .” She paused in the act of scooping more mashed potatoes onto her plate. The last fluffy chunk landed with a plop on the already formed pile. A few flecks of the white stuff flew out and landed on her dark shirt.
    Josh bit back a laugh. Grace was not her middle name.
    â€œI’m not sure, really. It’s sort of up in the air.”
    â€œCarri’s agreed to stay with Herb for a while when I go back to work, starting tomorrow.” Maeve laid a hand on Herb’s arm and beamed at Carri, who looked vaguely ill. “Isn’t that amazing?”
    â€œIt is,” Gail agreed. “And Josh, you have all this free time on your hands until you start back up with training camp. You should take Carri around, show her the area again. It’s probably changed so much since she was here last.”
    Maeve nodded emphatically.
    Carri rolled her eyes across the table.
    â€œMom, I doubt that’s how Carri wants to spend her vacation. Plus, she’ll be hanging with Herb, am I right?” Josh asked the older man. Herb’s eyes tracked over to him, but they’d dimmed from a few moments ago. What had happened? Had he said something wrong? Herb been doing so well up to now, keeping up with the conversation, not struggling . . .
    â€œHerb,” Maeve said gently. “Wouldn’t it be nice if Carri and Josh spent some time together?”
    â€œMom, I don’t think—”
    â€œOf course they should,” Herb said automatically, cutting his daughter off. “Why wouldn’t they? They’re best friends.”
    â€œDad, we haven’t been best friends since we were six,” Carri said through her teeth.
    â€œWell, I was seven,” Josh said, just to watch those eyes flash again. He raised a brow at her. She silently snarled back. He felt his own childish urge to poke the bear rise again. Habits weren’t easy to break, after all.
    â€œYou two kids go have some fun,” Herb said, banging on the table once. The women jumped, startled, as the plates and glasses rattled. Josh shifted a little in his chair in case he needed to help Maeve subdue the older man. “Go. Go! Go be young while you still can.”
    â€œDad, I haven’t even finished dinner,” Carri protested, holding up a forkful of ham as evidence.
    â€œJosh can afford to feed you. He’s got that paper route.” Herb looked at him for confirmation.
    Josh’s eyes flitted