Page 10 of If the World Was Ending

“Working on it. He’s a really nice guy.” Colby didn’t know that for a fact, but he got a great vibe off Hunter. Right from the get-go, but especially since he helped Colby without even hesitating.

“He is. Bye.” Leandra opened the front door and was gone before Colby could respond, which was fine. Because he probably would have asked her why she looked so disappointed when she agreed Hunter was a nice guy.

With Leandra gone, Colby pulled off the blanket and stood up. He stretched again, readjusted the inevitable morning semi in his underwear, and yawned. His stomach was rumbling. He had to call the insurance company, go outside and take pictures of the van, figure out if it was drivable and where he could drive it if it was, and also get to work for his morning shift, which started at nine-thirty. Fucking hell. Today was already giving him a headache.

And then his phone pinged, and he saw his mother’s name flash on the screen.

Fuck.

He answered it mostly so the ringing wouldn’t wake Hunter. “Hey Mom.”

“Hi Colby, it’s your mom.” Bonnie Keaton had never understood the concept of caller ID.

“Hi.”

“We haven’t heard from you in a while, so I was checking in. All good?”

“Sorry. Yeah. I’m…” Colby swallowed down the urge to tell her about the van. “Fine. Busy.”

“How’s the singing?”

“Good. Met a good contact last night and have a lead on a possible new gig,” Colby didn’t elaborate. The only reason he said anything at all was because she was the closest thing he had to family support. And she barely gave a shit.

“That’s lovely!” Her enthusiasm was fake. “Do you think you’ll come visit anytime soon?”

“No.” It flew from his mouth before he could stop it. “I’m working a lot. And the van is… in the shop.”

“In the shop? Like broken?” Bonnie sounded genuinely concerned, and Colby clung to that and used it to make himself be nicer.

“It’s gonna be fine.” He had no idea if that was a lie or not.

“I can send you some money if it needs repairing,” Bonnie offered. “It’s not a big deal.”

“Thanks, Mom, but it’s fine.”

“Where are you living if the van is in the shop?”

“With friends. It’s all good. Look, I have to get ready for work.”

“At Trader Joe’s?”

“Yeah.”

“Okay. I was actually calling you to invite you home for a party,” Bonnie said quickly, her words clipped like she was trying to get it all out before he could hang up on her. “Atlas is engaged!”

“What?” Colby’s mouth fell open in disbelief.

“Yes!” Bonnie sounded over-the-moon. “He would have invited you himself, but he says he doesn’t know your phone number.”

“Okay.” Colby wasn’t shocked by that. He switched his number when he moved from Oceanside, where he grew up, to Los Angeles, and he never sent it to his brothers. Brodie, the middle child, emailed him to ask for it, but Atlas never bothered. Colby was sure it was so he could avoid inviting him to things like this. Not that Colby ever thought this would actually happen. Atlas. Engaged. To a… woman? “Who is he engaged to?’

Bonnie laughed like it was a silly question. “Her name is Gina, and she’s lovely, Colby. She’s blonde and petite, and she works for the Sea Dogs. Well, she did. She had to quit her job when she and Atlas went public. The team has a no fraternization policy or some such nonsense.”

Oh Jesus. She quit her job for him?

“Anyway, it’s fine. She doesn’t have to work once she’s married,” Mom said airily, with zero consideration that maybe this Gina woman would actually want to work. “So, we’re throwing him—them—an engagement party this coming Sunday afternoon. I’ve hired caterers, and it’s in the backyard. It will be wonderful. Can you come, Colby, honey?”

His immediate instinct was to tell her he’d be working, even though he wouldn’t. He never worked Sundays in case he scored gigs on Saturday nights, which he usually managed to do. Luckily, he didn’t have a way to get to Oceanside, which was almost two hours from West Hollywood. “I can’t guarantee anything with the van out of commission, but I’ll try.”