The call came early in the morning, before they were all ready to leave for work. Lauren answered her phone and listened for a minute, then put her hand to her mouth and said, "Oh, poor Emma. How are you two?"

She listened some more, then said, "Perfectly understandable. What do you think we should do? Naomi could go over there if you're staying in today." She nodded as if the person she was talking to, probably Rachel, was in front of her. "Okay. I'll see you soon."

She hung up and turned to Joe. "The social worker gave Emma the news last night."

"Oh, shit, poor kid," Joe said. "Are Al and Rachel staying home today?"

"Yeah. Both of them had a sleepless night. Emma was in a pretty bad way."

"No surprise there."

"So, it looks like Emma just wants to stay home today, but might be willing to see Naomi if they don't do too much. I'm going to ask her if she wants to go over there. Do you think Tosh might like to see my mom and dad today?"

"Maybe he would. He had a pretty intense day at the beach yesterday, and might just want to chill in a quiet place."

She nodded and went to talk to Naomi. Joe went to finish loading the Highlander with his gear for the day. While he did, he thought about the conversation he'd had with Tej yesterday.

The call had been a complete surprise. He'd been in the trailer they'd set up on the site of an apartment building for which they'd just laid the foundation, reviewing the plans with his subcontractors, when his phone had rung. "Excuse me," he'd told them, walking out the door and pulling his phone out of his pocket. He'd thought Lauren was calling, but when he'd checked his screen he'd found it was Tej. They'd exchanged numbers as a courtesy back when he and Lauren had first reunited with Sunny, but other than when she'd called on Monday about today's beach trip, he couldn't remember the last time they'd called each other.

The beach trip. Suddenly he'd been worried something had happened to Naomi or Tosh.

He'd answered. "Tej?"

"Joe, hi, I hope I'm not interrupting you at work."

"No worries, Tej, are you okay? Are the kids okay?"

"Oh, the kids are just fine, a little overexcited, but that's how they are at that age, aren't they?"

He'd released a breath he hadn't known he'd been holding. "Yes, they are. Thank goodness they're fine."

"Sorry! I hope I didn't worry you."

"No, no, it's my fault for assuming something was wrong when I saw you called me."

"Why would you assume something was wrong?"

"I guess it's natural isn't it? They're away and not in my supervision. Plus you and I don't call each other just to chat, do we."

"Oh. Yeah, I suppose you're right. Shame, really. We are friends, so we should be able to talk on the phone."

Joe had blinked in surprise. "Yes, you're absolutely right. We're talking now, and I'm glad you called."

"Thank you. Me too."

"So..." Now that they'd expressed esteem for each other, suddenly he hadn't known what to talk about. "Are you at the beach right now?"

"Yes, actually. The kids are frolicking in the water. Poor Emma got knocked over a couple of times, she can't hold herself up as well when the waves hit her, but Naomi gets her right back up. She really looks after that girl, you should be proud of her."

"I am," Joe had said, voice suddenly heavy. He'd cleared his throat and gotten a grip; it wouldn't do to cry in front of his mostly male workforce. "Uh, how's Tosh doing?"

"Oh, you know, he and Ajit were building the most remarkable sand castle. Maybe he'll be a builder like you one day."

"Huh. I don't know, maybe he just likes teamwork with another boy. I've never seen him express interest in construction, but who knows, maybe it has yet to bloom."

"He's a very thoughtful boy. Creative. He and Ajit were sculpting it, not just stacking buckets of sand."

"That sounds more like him. He's artistic, for sure. Hey, did we give you anything in case they want lunch or snacks?"

"Don't worry, I have it covered."

There'd been silence, and Joe had wondered if Tej had something she'd wanted to tell him. He hadn't been sure he wanted to hear whatever it was, so he'd stalled. "So... what are you doing while the kids are in the water and building sandcastles?"

"Oh, I'm soaking up the sun, which is exactly what I wanted to do."

"I hope you have sunscreen on."

"Oh, yes, don't want to get all leathery and wrinkled when I'm older."

He'd cleared his throat and said, "I guess that depends on how exposed you are."

"Joe, are you trying to ask me what I'm wearing?" He could hear the smile in her voice.

"Would I be creepy if I did?"

She'd chuckled and said, "Down boy. I'm wearing a very respectable one-piece. It hasn't stopped the old white dudes from checking me out, though."

"Give them the finger if you catch them."

"Wouldn't that make me a good role model for the kids," she'd remarked, laughing.

"You know, I couldn't even imagine you telling someone to fuck off." Joe had found himself enjoying this conversation immensely. Maybe this was why they didn't talk on the phone, or were even alone together. Maybe they'd like it too much.

"I may have done it once or twice in my day," she'd said coyly. "Now, Lauren, on the other hand, she wouldn't have any trouble telling someone to fuck off."

"No, she wouldn't," he'd said, chuckling too. 

"She's... not like any woman I've ever known, if you know what I mean."

"Do I?" Joe had a feeling the conversation had changed.

"I mean, like, she's not afraid to express herself."

"No, I guess not," he'd said distractedly, gesturing with a splayed hand at a couple of hard-hatted men who'd approached him with a question that he would be five minutes. "Uh, Tej, it looks like I'm needed..."

"Oh, sorry! I lost track of time there."

"I know, we were having too much fun."

"We were. So, about Lauren..."

"Yes?" he'd asked, wondering why she hadn't taken the hint and let him go. Maybe she'd finally get to what she really wanted to talk to him about.

"Remember when she kissed me at the party that time?"

"Uh..."

"After she told me I was beautiful?"

Suddenly his collar had seemed too tight, and he'd had to loosen a top button to be able to breathe. "Uh, you know, Tej, she was drugged, remember?"

"Yeah," she'd said. "And yet... do you think maybe the drug just lowered her inhibitions and let her do something she already wanted to do?"

This couldn't be happening. They could not be having this conversation. Where had this come from? That had happened over a year ago! "Uh, I don't know... hey, are my kids nearby to hear you asking me that?"

"No, don't worry, I wouldn't ask such a sensitive question with them around."

He'd pulled at his collar, suddenly feeling a little dizzy. "Tej, I'm a little uncomfortable with this line of questioning. I can't really speak for my wife."

"I know. I understand. You're right. I guess I thought it would be easier to ask you than to ask her."

He'd wondered why she'd thought it would be easier to ask the husband of the woman who'd kissed her if she'd really wanted to kiss her. Was he so approachable that she didn't think he'd get jealous hearing her talk about Lauren like that? And what about Sunny? "May I ask why you're asking me? I hope she didn't offend you when she did that."

"No, no, not at all. It was... kind of interesting, actually."

Joe had blinked in surprise. "Uh, I thought the two of you left in a huff after that happened."

"Well, we left after she and Al started making out, and it wasn't because I was offended... poor Sunny felt a little insecure, I think... and what was that with her and Al, I never saw that coming..."

Suddenly there had been shouts and calls to stop working, and then a horrifying crash. He'd gasped. "Oh, shit, Tej, I have to go, trouble on the site."

"Oh, of course, sorry, forget I said anything. Bye!"

He'd hung up and rushed to the source of the commotion. A dropped load of studs, and luckily no one had been hurt, but it had hit home, how quickly things could go to shit when he wasn't paying attention, distracted by a call from a friend who also happened to be a beautiful woman and off limits, a woman who seemed to be interested in his wife.

He shook himself out of his reverie and closed the hatch of the Highlander. When he went back in the house, he found Lauren and the kids readying to leave. "Tosh, are you coming with me to go to Grandpa's?" he asked.

"Yeah, I think today Emma just needs to be with Naomi," he said. 

"I guess Mom told you two what happened last night?"

Naomi nodded and said, "I'm going to snuggle with her all day."

"Naomi, you're a really good friend to her, you know that?" he said. "Tej called me during the day yesterday--"

"What?" Lauren asked sharply, eyes widening.

Joe was taken aback by Lauren's extreme reaction to his announcement. "Don't worry, honey, she wasn't hitting on me. She just called to tell me what a good friend Naomi was being to Emma at the beach, and that Tosh was really creative with the sand castle he and Ajit made."

"It was a sand sculpture," Tosh said, "and the waves washed it away eventually. Do you know that at Harrison Hot Springs they have a sand sculpture competition every year?"

"Harrison Hot Springs, huh?" Lauren said, brightening. "I haven't been there in a long time."

"Me neither," Joe said.

"Can we go?" Tosh asked. "We've never been there."

"Yeah, don't they have those nice heated pools?" Naomi asked enthusiastically.

"Yes, they do," Lauren said, giving Joe a suggestive smile. "Especially at the big resort. We had some fun in those pools, didn't we, Dad?"

"Ew," Naomi said. "Are you going to want privacy if we go there?"

"What?!" Joe squawked, stunned at how the conversation had suddenly jackknifed into "the talk" territory. He knew Naomi was old enough to be aware of it, but it still shook him to think about it.

"Let's not get ahead of ourselves," Lauren said. "How about we think about it for a family vacation, without privacy... unless we get two rooms..."

"Ugh! I know you're just bugging me now, Mom," Naomi said, putting her fingers in her ears. But the look Lauren was giving him suggested she might have been serious, and he had to mentally suppress an erection.

"I'll look up when the competition is," Tosh said. "Maybe we can go at that time."

"I bet the hotels will book up fast if you want to go then," Joe said.

"But it might be fun, being there with a big, happy crowd," Lauren said. "It might be like a weekend party."

"Can Auntie Rachel come with Emma?" Naomi asked, now really excited about the prospect. "And Al too, of course."

"Of course," Lauren said. "Poor Al, he's always the last person we think about."

Joe felt like he was being buffeted on all sides with this planning as if it were a fait accompli, and a little resentful that they had to bring other people into what might have otherwise been a quiet family vacation. "Guys! Before we do anything, Mom and I have to check our schedules to see if we can even take the time off."

That dampened the enthusiasm. The kids were well aware of how busy they were. Joe felt a little guilty. "If it's a weekend thing," he said, "that might be a little easier to arrange, if Mom can engineer that weekend to have off."

That cheered them up again. "I'll talk to Emma about it today! Maybe a vacation us just what she needs!" Naomi said.

They all agreed to meet back at home at the end of the day with more information. 

As Joe drove Tosh to see Toshiro and Ellen, something niggled at him, something about the conversation they'd just had. Or something about the phone call he'd had yesterday. What was it?

Al's always the last person we think about.

... and what was that with her and Al, I never saw that coming...

Al does all right for himself...

His hands tightened on the steering wheel. He decided he needed to keep a closer eye on Al.  

Thanks for reading this far! If you read the last novel in the series, the party Tej refers to, where Lauren kissed her, was told through Lauren's eyes, although she was drugged at the time. If you liked what you just read, hit "Vote" and leave a comment. To get back to Rachel looking for answers about Emma's mother's death, click on "Continue reading."