“I hate fuckin’ texting,” Baker said in lieu of a greeting. “And I’d much rather hear your voice in my ear anyway. Good morning, Tink.”
The last three words were said a little softer and gentler than the others.
“Morning,” Jody told him.
“Elodie will be in touch because I talked to Mustang this morning and happened to mention that I’d spent the evening with you. He’s gonna share that with his wife, and I have no doubt she’ll get super excited and call me, wanting your number so she can welcome you into the fold…so to speak.”
Jody wasn’t sure what to say about that. “Um…okay.”
“It’s how she is,” Baker said gently. “How all the women are. They’re curious about you, and they’re gonna want to get to know you. If you want me to tell them to back off, I will.”
“No!” Jody said quickly. “I mean, I’m curious about them too, if I’m being honest. The few times I’ve met some of them, they seemed nice.”
“They are nice,” Baker reassured her. “They’re also nosey as hell, so if they ask you anything you aren’t comfortable answering, don’t. They won’t get upset.”
“Maybe I’ll grill Elodie about you,” Jody teased.
“Go for it,” Baker said.
Jody shook her head. Figured the man wouldn’t be afraid of what his friends had to say about him. But that also comforted her.
“But seriously, Jodelle, you don’t want to go there with Elodie or any of the other women yet, just say the word. I’ll tell them to back off, that we’re still getting to know each other and they can just wait until we’re more solid before inviting you to their sleepovers.”
Jody laughed. “They have sleepovers?”
“Yeah. Usually at Kenna and Aleck’s penthouse. The view is awesome from up there. Anyway, Aleck makes himself scarce and the girls do their thing. And before you ask, the guys are all more than all right with the tradition because it beats the women getting dressed up and going to a bar to get drunk. Much safer.”
A longing swept through Jody, along with sorrow. She couldn’t help but remember some of the sleepovers Mana had when he was younger. The sound of boys giggling had long since faded from her house, but the memories were as vivid as if they’d just happened yesterday.
“Tink?” Baker asked.
“Sorry, I’m here,” Jody said.
“Fuck. Didn’t mean to make you sad.”
How this man could read her moods through a phone line was beyond her, but Jody didn’t dwell. “I’m not sad, exactly. It’s just been a long time since I’ve thought about sleepovers.”
“Heads-up, Tink…I’m gonna want to hear all about your boy at some point.”
Jody closed her eyes. She wasn’t sure what to say. Mana’s death wasn’t a secret, and she wasn’t surprised Baker knew about him.
“Because straight-up, sucks hard that he died,” Baker said. “I wish I’d known him. With how amazing his mom is, I know he would’ve been a hell of a man.”
Two tears fell from Jody’s eyes as she blinked at Baker’s words. It had been a long time since someone had come right out and talked about Mana. Most people avoided talking about him at all costs. She knew it was because they assumed talking about Mana would upset her, but by avoiding the topic, it almost felt as if they were doing their best to erase him altogether. But not Baker. “I wish he could’ve known you too,” she said after a long moment.
“You want me to tell Elodie to give us…you…some time?” Baker asked.
Jody swallowed and wiped her face. She’d experienced just about every emotion possible this morning, and it wasn’t even nine o’clock yet. She’d felt numb for so long, and while she wasn’t a huge fan of these wild mood swings, she couldn’t deny that she felt more alive than she had in a very long time. She felt as if she was slowly thawing after spending years encased in ice. The jury was still out on whether or not that was a good thing.
“No. I think I’d like to talk to her,” Jody told Baker.
“Okay. I hate to admit this…but I don’t know what it is you do for a living.”
Grateful for the change of topic to something less deep, Jody chuckled. “I’m a graphic designer. I do everything from making logos, to designing T-shirts, to putting together websites.”
“And you can do that from home?”
“Yeah, luckily. My hours are my own, so I can fit in work when I need to. There are times someone has a rush job they need completed, but generally I pick and choose how much to work and when.”
“I like that your schedule is flexible, Tink.”
She couldn’t help but smile at that. Again, Baker didn’t hesitate to tell her what he was thinking, which she was really starting to enjoy. “Me too. What about you, Baker?”
“What about me?”
“What do you do? I know you’re retired from the Navy and you used to be a SEAL, but what do you do now?”
“I’ll tell you when I see you again,” Baker told her after a pause.
Jody frowned. That sounded a bit ominous. “That sounds kind of scary,” she told him.
“It’s not. It’s just hard to explain. And I’d rather not have you misconstrue anything I tell you. If I’m face-to-face with you while we have that talk, I can nip any misgivings you might have in the bud.”
“Am I going to have misgivings?” she asked.
“It’s possible.”
Shit. Jody didn’t like the sound of that.
“But if you do, I’ll make sure you don’t by the time we’re done talking.”
She couldn’t help but laugh at his conceit.
“I like that,” he said softly.
“What?”
“Hearing you laugh. Gonna make it my mission in life to hear that every day.”
A weird feeling settled over Jody then. She couldn’t remember the last time anyone had looked out for her. Concerned about what she was thinking or feeling. Or wanted to make sure she was eating, resting, laughing…just happy.
“Jodelle?” Baker asked when several seconds went by without her saying anything.
“I’m here. I just…it’s been years since anyone’s cared about what I was doing or thinking.”
“I care. I’m gonna let you go so you can get some work done before Elodie interrupts you. Don’t be surprised if you’re agreeing to host a Tupperware party or some shit for her and the other women without a clue how she talked you into it.”
Jody smiled. “Okay.”
“I mean it. The woman’s got some sneaky skills. But, Tink, if you aren’t ready or comfortable, don’t be afraid to say no. It’s not going to turn Elodie off. You tell her you need time or space, she’ll give it to you.”
“All right.”
“You good?” he asked.
“Yeah, Baker, I think I am.”
“I’ll be checking in today to make sure you stay that way. You okay with that?”
“By checking in, do you mean peeking in my windows at random times of the day or showing up at my door?”