Page 31 of Under Water

I feel like I’m being sized up and judged—like some 4H cow.

“I imagine you think that I’m a terrible grandmother,” she says after what feels like an hour of silence.

I choke again. “I’m sorry, what?”

She turns to me. “Rune told you it happened on my watch.”

I pass a wet hand down my face and regret it when nasty, chlorinated droplets get into my mouth. “Jodi,” I say carefully, “you would not believe the calls I get. Though…I guess you would since Rune was a firefighter before he went into tech.”

She shrugs. “I’ve heard the stories. But the guilt I’m holding is a lot. I wasn’t expecting to see you here, and I’m sorry if I came across rude.”

I let out the smallest laugh. “You have your hands full.”

“Understatement of the year,” she mutters. She shifts a little closer. “Rune talks about you quite a bit, but not in detail. He’s always been a very private man.”

Also the understatement of the year, but I don’t say that aloud.

“I didn’t even know about Elio until the other day.”

She grimaces. “What an introduction. None of it would be a problem if it wasn’t for him.”

“The ex,” I say. She looks a little surprised. “He showed up at the hospital when I was checking on Elio. He’s a real dick.”

Her mouth twitches, and then she bursts into laughter. “That’s more polite than I usually am. But yes, he is. I try to keep my mouth shut because yelling at Rune isn’t helpful, but I would love to find a way to go back in time and flatten Neal’s tires so they never met.”

“I’d join you. He made a huge scene at the hospital, and it seemed like Elio was afraid of him.” When Neal showed up, Elio had grabbed my hand and refused to let go until he was sure the man was gone. “I know Rune would never let anyone hurt his kid…”

“No,” she said from behind a breath. “No. But Elio watches Neal hurt his dad, and I think that’s just as bad sometimes.”

A white-hot rage courses through me at the thought of that dipshit putting his hands on Rune. Fuck it. I bet I could go to jail and not get fired. Camilo would vouch for me once he learned why I beat the fuck out of some guy.

I take a breath and focus on the way Ozzie is teaching Elio how to get into a floating position on his back without relying on his lower muscles. “I’m sorry you’ve had to deal with all that.”

Jodi says nothing for a bit. “It helps me to know that he’s got a family at work who has his back. Even if he likes to walk around like he’s a one-man island.”

I can’t help the smallest laugh. “He’s getting better. He let me make him a sandwich the other day.”

Her brows lift, and a smile touches the corners of her mouth. “I bet he did.”

There’s innuendo in that. I might be a dumbass sometimes, but I’m not that bad. I swallow down the thousand questions I have about what Rune’s said about me and how he feels because that is so fifth grade, and I am a grown, stable adult with a job.

And even if I had wanted to ask, Ozzie’s phone immediately starts going off with the tone letting him know it’s an emergency, and he needs to get back to the station.

“I can take over,” Jodi says as Ozzie looks a bit panicked.

Elio sits up out of the water as Jodi takes his arm. “Easton!”

I turn as I start to climb up the ramp. “Yeah, kid?”

“Will you come over and have dinner with us soon?”

I don’t know if his dad would like that. But I think I might. And maybe—if I try hard enough—I can start to show Rune I’m worth giving a chance.

“As long as you can convince your dad that it’s okay,” I tell him.

Jodi laughs as Elio gives me a serious look and nods, just once. “Don’t worry, I can make him do anything.”

I grin as I wrap my towel around my waist. “Trust me, kid. I have no doubt about that.”