Her chin jerked then she blinked.

“What?”

“When he’s here, you set it up, I’ll have a word.”

She stared at him a second as if she’d never seen him before.

Then she breathed, “Really?”

“Yeah.”

He felt her body relax under him and her arm slid around him, her other hand gliding up his neck and into his hair as her leg moved from under him to wrap around his thigh.

“Thanks, Joe.”

He knew it the minute she spoke. He knew that was all he needed, those two soft words with her limbs wrapped around him and, God help him, he’d do anything for her.

Jesus, he was f**ked.

“Need to see to your garage,” he told her.

He was leaving her arms after he f**ked her on his couch and listened to her sharing her life with him so he could fix her garage door opener.

Yes, f**ked.

“Okay,” she whispered.

He lifted up, pulling her up with him. He waited until she yanked up her shorts and retied her ponytail and together they walked over to her house, Vi going to her yard, Cal going to her garage.

Twenty minutes later, he was in his truck heading to the hardware store, buying her a new garage door opener.

* * * * *

Cal watched the Fiesta pull into the drive.

Kate had barely come to a stop when Keira was out the door and running at him, her hair flying, her arms wheeling like she’d run to her mother at Colt and Feb’s barbeque.

“Joe!” she screeched.

He was on a ladder in Vi’s garage, installing the new garage door opener and he looked down at Vi’s daughter who’d come to a halt by the ladder and was smiling up at him. Doing this, he was thinking the only sound better than hearing Vi say his name was hearing Keira say it.

“Hey girl.”

“I’m gettin’ a dog!” she announced.

Cal dropped his arms and asked, “What kind?”

“American husky.”

“Good breed,” Cal said even though he had no clue whether that was true or not.

“I know!” she yelled as if he wasn’t right there in front of him. “I’ve been looking them up on the internet.” She got up on her toes and whispered loudly, “Though, it says they bark a lot. I haven’t told Mom that part yet.”

“Hey Joe,” Kate said, joining their party.

“Kate.”

Her eyes were on the opening to the garage then they came to him and she remarked, “You got the door open.”

Cal didn’t respond as the door was open so he didn’t think she needed an answer.

“When we moved here, Mom spent, like, forever tryin’ to get that door open,” Kate told him.

“Yeah?” Cal asked, lifting his arms, tipping his head back and going back to the opener.

“What’re you doin’?” Keira asked and Cal looked through his arms to Keira.

“Installin’ a new garage door opener.”

Keira and Kate looked at each other. Keira grinned big. Kate’s eyes came back to him and she looked thoughtful.

“That’s cool, Joe,” she said softly, her eyes going to the ceiling then she looked at him and finished, “thanks.”

“Please tell me you left enough clothes and shoes at the mall for the rest of the population of Indianapolis to buy so people aren’t walkin’ around in tatty, non-designer clothes they got at Goodwill,” Vi joked, walking up to them and Cal dropped his arms again.

“We’re doin’ our part to help out the economy,” Keira said to her mother.

Vi came to a stop and looked at her daughter. “What’d you buy?”

“A pair of shorts you will just love and a new pair of flip-flops that are awesome and there was a buy two get one free at that accessories place so I bought four and got two free, a bunch of bracelets and necklaces. They’re sah-weet. You can borrow them,” Keira answered.

Vi stared at her youngest a moment then looked to her oldest. “What’d you buy?”

“Nothin’,” Kate grinned, “I’m gonna borrow Keira’s stuff.”

“You are not,” Keira snapped. “Mom can borrow it but you can’t.”

Vi’s eyes went to Cal and she shook her head then they went back to Keira. “You two fightin’?”

“No,” Keira said.

“Yes,” Kate said.

Vi knew instantly who was lying and who wasn’t so she looked at the one who’d be honest with her and asked Kate, “Why?”

“She and Heather want to go to that party at Jody’s house with me and Dane,” Kate answered.

Vi’s gaze went to Keira. “I thought we talked about that.”

“Mom,” Keira whined.

“You aren’t goin’, that’s for juniors and seniors.”

“Kate’s a sophomore,” Keira returned.

“Kate’s a junior now, school’s over,” Vi retorted.

“I’m old for my age,” Keira shot back.

“Honey, you’re fourteen goin’ on twelve. You’ll be forty-five goin’ on twelve. You’re locked in girldom. You’ll be livin’ in a house with daisies on the walls and wearing pink wellingtons when you’re married and have six kids,” Vi replied.

“I’m not havin’ six kids,” Keira snapped, not stupid enough to deny she was all girl and would be until the day she died.

“And you’re not goin’ to that party,” Vi said softly but firmly, using a voice that, from the look on Keira’s face, she knew that was the end of the discussion but Vi wasn’t going to leave it bad so she told them both, “Guess who’s comin’ to town next weekend?”

“Uncle Sam!” Keira shouted, guessing immediately and also immediately losing her attitude.

Vi smiled. “And Melissa.”

“That’s awesome!” Kate yelled.

Vi turned to Kate. “Baby, can you bunk with Keira on her futon so Sam and Mel can have your room?”

“Sure,” Kate agreed instantly, her face bright, her mouth smiling, obviously loving her uncle like her mother loved her brother if she’d give up her space.

“This is so cool!” Keira announced.

Vi slid an arm along Keira’s waist and gave her a squeeze before letting her go and saying, “It certainly is, honey. Now go get your bags, take ‘em into the house and leave Joe alone, yeah?”

“Yeah,” Keira grinned at her Mom then at him and said, “Later Joe.”