I sat there, staring at the tiny piece of paper for twenty minutes and debating if I should dial the phone. After seeing how well the reunion went with Janice, I felt the need to make things right between Bear and his son, Ret.

But that was dangerous territory. Janice and Bear had been cordial for years, keeping in contact but never growing close. There was so much hurt to get over, but with her pregnancy and the passage of time, it happened. Plus, I didn’t give them much of a choice.

But his relationship with Ret was different. It weighed on Bear more than he would ever let on. He always said he lived life with no regrets, but I knew that was bullshit. Ret was his biggest regret, and the way Bear had handled the aftermath of Jackie’s death was his biggest mistake.

Too much time had passed for them to reunite without a force bringing them together, and I thought it should be me.

I loved the man, and I wanted only the best for him. I knew people said I was a busybody, but it was always with a purpose. I didn’t stick my nose in places it didn’t belong unless I had a damn good reason.

After I convinced myself that what I was doing was right, I finally dialed the phone. Janice had given me Ret’s number and wished me good luck.

“Hello,” a man said, his voice gravelly yet smooth. He sounded so much like Bear that, for a minute, I wondered if I had dialed right.

“Hello, Ret?” I asked before I started in on my spiel.

“Yes.”

“I’m Fran, and I got your number from your sister, Janice.”

There was a scratching sound and a muffled cough. “Hi, Fran. How can I help you?”

“Well,” I said and paused because I wanted to craft my words very carefully. “I’m a friend of your father’s, and I wanted to reach out to you.”

“My dad put you up to this?” he asked quickly before I could continue.

“No, sir. He has no idea I’m calling.”

“Is he okay?”

“Yes.” I smiled because Ret cared. No one asked that unless there was a tiny piece that wanted to hear that the person was okay.

“How can I help you, Fran?” he repeated the question again, cutting straight to the point.

“I was hoping you were up to a trip to Florida. Your old man would love to see you.” I winced and waited for him to hang up.

“Why didn’t he call me himself?”

“He’s out of town. I thought you could be here when he got back as a surprise.”

“I don’t mean to be rude, ma’am, but I don’t like surprises, and I imagine neither does my father.”

“It’s not a surprise to you, and who cares if your father doesn’t like them? He’ll get over it.”

He laughed. “I imagine so.”

“Your father talks about you often, Ret. Sometimes adults are assholes, and as we grow older and more time passes, it’s hard for us to admit our mistakes. But one thing I know about your dad is that you’re his biggest regret.”

“I’m sure I am.”

I winced. That didn’t come out right. “He regrets not raising you and for all the time he missed out on being with you. I know it hurts him, and he knows that he’s hurt you. I’m asking as a mother, for you to give him a chance.”

There was silence, but he hadn’t hung up.

“I’m sure your mother wouldn’t want you two to be estranged. I think that weighs heaviest on him… Jackie was his world, Ret. There’s no loss like losing the only person in the world who made you feel worthy. He fucked up. He knows he did, but he wants to make amends with you before it’s too late.”

“He’s going to be pissed.”

“I know,” I said, smiling to myself because he didn’t say no.

“I’ll do it for my mom, Fran. Not for Murray, but for her. He still near Tampa?”

“Yes, we’re about forty-five minutes north.”

“I’m in Miami, so I can be there tomorrow morning if that’s okay?”

I bounced in my seat, pumping my fist in the air, and tried not to scream out my excitement. “That’s perfect.”

“What’s the address?”

I rattled mine off, figuring it was better if everything went down here. I could control it easier. We chatted for a few more minutes before he finally said good-bye.

I did a quick happy dance, followed by the worst impression of the running man before I sobered.

Bear was going to be pissed.

I was going to owe him something.

And there was only one thing left he wanted.

My ass clenched at the thought, but I quickly pushed it out of my mind. There was so much to do before Ret arrived and Bear came back home. I’d make dinner. Food was always a good way to break the ice and fill the uncomfortable silence. Of course, my cooking left something to be desired.

I picked up the phone and called the only person I knew who could rescue me. “Maria, I need you.”

“I’ll be right over.”

When she walked through the door twenty minutes later, I was on my hands and knees, scrubbing the kitchen tile.

“What did you do now?” She had her hands on her hips as she stared down at me.

Falling backward on my ass, I threw the dirty rag on the floor and wiped my brow. “I invited Bear’s estranged son over.”

Her perfectly plucked eyebrows shot up. “Does Bear know?”

Hanging my head, I shook it but didn’t speak.

“He’s going to freak out.”

“I know,” I whispered. “But I did it for the right reasons.”

“Franny,” she said and sat down next to me. “Your heart is always in the right place.” She rubbed my arm. “It’ll be fine.”

“You think?”

“Sure. What do you need me to do?”

I finally looked up. “I want to make them dinner.”

“Good thing you called me,” she said and laughed.

“I’m nosy, not stupid.” I chuckled. “Will you help me get everything together and started so tomorrow I can finish it on my own?”

“Babe, I’ll do anything you need.”

I lunged forward and wrapped her in the biggest bear hug. “Thanks, Maria. I don’t know what I’d do without you.”

She rubbed my back, soothing away my stress. “Serve shitty food and burn everything, probably.”

“Very funny, but probably true.”

“Let’s get off this floor and start making a plan. I want you to wow them both.”

“I don’t know what I was thinking.” I rolled my eyes, shaking my head as I stood.

“You were being you. Look how great everything went with Janice.”

“It went better than I thought.”

“See,” she said as she brushed off her butt after crawling off the floor. “Everything will be fine.”