She couldn’t decide as she neared Jasmine’s room. Seeing that the door was open, she peeked inside to see Jasmine lying on her bed doing her homework. She rapped on the door frame to get Jasmine’s attention. Jasmine looked up and frowned a little as she sat up.
“I told Dad I would do my homework. Did he tell you to check up on me to be sure I was doing it?” Jasmine asked, looking unhappy that her father didn’t trust her to do as she was asked.
“No, I was actually about to make dinner when I realized I should ask you if you like fajitas before I made some and they went to waste,” Phoebe said as she leaned against the frame watching the girl.
“You can cook?” Jasmine asked.
“Yes, I can. Although you and your dad don’t have much in the way of supplies. I guess your dad doesn’t cook here much, huh?” Phoebe asked, immediately feeling like an asshole for saying that. Jasmine just nodded her head and shrugged.
“He isn’t really good at it. It’s mostly stuff out of a box like rice a roni, or those spaghetti and pot pie dinners you can warm up in the oven. Star sometimes cooks when she stays with me and sometimes Uncle Rage’s new wife brings us cooked stuff to put into the oven and reheat.” Jasmine paused, seemingly thinking about who else cooked for them and Phoebe noted the change in the girl’s expression before she continued.
“Brenna used to bring us stuff all the time but lately she hasn’t been over much. She used to take me out for girl’s night every few weeks but not lately. I don’t get it because I thought she liked me,” Jasmine grumbled looking upset.
She began pushing her pencil around on her notebook, likely trying to figure out why her new friend didn’t want to hang out anymore. Phoebe hated that Jasmine was hurt by Brenna’s obvious betrayal. She’d never been friends with Jasmine, she’d only wanted to be in Peanut’s good graces and had seen Jasmine as a way to get there. She really hated women like that, they were such bitches.
“I’m sure she likes you, but maybe she’s just been really busy,” Phoebe told her, trying to spare Jasmine’s feelings because she was almost positive that the woman was only interested in Peanut. It ticked her off royally that Brenna had fucked with Jasmine’s head trying to make Peanut like her. It was just screwed up to do that.
“I guess.” Jasmine shrugged again before looking up at her. “Can I help you make the fajitas?” she asked, sitting up on her knees with a hopeful look on her face.
“Sure,” Phoebe said.
“Cool. Aunt Star never lets me help because of the boys. She says when they help it’s a giant mess. Once she let us help her make sugar cookies and they made a huge mess, so I guess she’s right,” Jasmine babbled as they walked to the kitchen.
It took Phoebe about five minutes to get things set up. She had Jasmine wash the peppers and onions while she sliced them. She showed Jasmine the correct way to cut the slices a few times near the end so that she could learn how to cut things safely without having to let her do it too much and take the risk of her cutting herself. She then poured some oil with a few spices into the pan and let them simmer while she had Jasmine measure out the rice she would put in with the finished meal. She let Jasmine pour the rice into the water she’d already preboiled.
She didn’t add much of the hot peppers in case Jasmine didn’t like hot things. Normally for Phoebe the spicier the better, but she knew kids sometimes didn’t like spicy things. After seeing Jasmine’s disappointment over Brenna’s apparent abandonment, she really wanted Jasmine to enjoy the meal they’d cooked together. It would help to soothe some of her hurt feelings if she felt like she was a part of something.
Phoebe knew what it was like to be betrayed by the person you cared about and it wasn’t a nice feeling. She could only be grateful that Jasmine’s disappointment wasn’t as painful as hers had been. She shivered a little when she remembered the first time Johnny had hit her. Yeah, it was better that it was mental pain instead of physical. She smiled at Jasmine as she tossed more ingredients into the pans and stirred them as they sizzled. Jasmine watched her work as she sliced up the precooked meat and added it to the peppers in the second pan. She turned it down low until the rice was finished.
“Do you know how to cook a bunch of things?” Jasmine asked.
“I don’t know a lot of recipes by heart, but I do okay if I can follow one. When I was about your age my mom started teaching me to cook and I always liked cooking.” Phoebe found herself frowning a little as she realized that she really hadn’t enjoyed cooking in a long time. Tonight was the first time in years that she hadn’t felt like it wasn’t a chore. The difference was likely that tonight she didn’t have to worry about someone hitting her because it wasn’t what they wanted to eat.
“My mom died when I was five,” Jasmine said, bringing her back to the present.
“I’m sorry about that, sweetheart. You must miss her.”
“Yeah, but Dad helps. He takes me to see her at the cemetery every other Sunday. Uncle Viking sometimes comes with us and we bring flowers and drawings and things. I think she likes that. Do you think she does?” Jasmine asked, her little face tilted up to see hers.
Phoebe felt like crying. Damn, this sweet little girl was breaking her heart with these questions.
“I’m absolutely sure she loves it.”
“Dad says she does.” She paused before she frowned and asked suddenly, “Did someone hurt you?”
She was pointing to the bruises on her neck and face. Phoebe felt her cheeks heat. What was she supposed to tell this little angel about men like Johnny? She paused as she added some seasoning to the rice which was nearly ready. Her hands shook a little and she glanced back at Jasmine who was watching her silently, waiting on her answer.
“Yes,” she finally replied, unable to say anything else. Jasmine could see that someone had hurt her so there was no use in hiding it from her. With her dad being a biker, she likely wasn’t shocked by seeing bruises on someone.
“Don’t worry, Dad will make sure they don’t get you here. He and my uncles will make whoever it is pay for what they did. Uncle Viking says anyone hurts me and he will open a can of whoopass on them with my dad. I bet they’d do that for you too,” Jasmine said with a nod.
“I see,” Phoebe said with a little smile. She wasn’t sure if that news was reassuring or disturbing. From a child’s perspective it might seem like a protective statement, but as an adult who realized who these men Jasmine called uncles so casually were, it was slightly more sinister.
“Can you get us some plates and set the table because this is pretty much done,” Phoebe asked, trying to distract the girl from asking more questions.
“Yay, I can’t wait to try it. It smells so good,” Jasmine crowed as she jumped up to comply.
Phoebe busied herself with scooping the rice into one of the reusable plastic bowls she’d found in the cabinet still in their packaging. She carried it into the dining room, finding Jasmine with two plates and silverware set up. She set the rice down before going back for the rest, calling over her shoulder to Jasmine to get them some glasses for the tea she’d made. Phoebe put the pepper and chicken mix into another bowl and grabbed the tea from the fridge before carrying them in and setting them down on the table. Jasmine was on her knees in the chair across from her with an eager expression on her face.
“Can we save some for Dad? I was hoping you made enough because I helped and I want him to try it,” Jasmine asked.
“Oh, I think we made plenty and I’m sure your dad would love to try it. We’ll be sure to save some so he can eat too. Do you want a wrap, or do you just want to eat it from your plate?” Phoebe was pouring them some tea as she asked.
“I like the wraps. Dad buys fajitas from that Mexican restaurant we have the menu for. We like them. Star bought the stuff to make them but then Dad came home early and she and the boys had to go cause Uncle Rooster got hurt. It was just a scratch, but Dad said he needed Star to kiss it better,” Jasmine explained as she grabbed a wrap and started s
erving herself. Phoebe was glad she hadn’t served the meal in the pans. She didn’t want her first night on the job to end with her charge in the hospital with burns. She wondered if the injury had really been as simple as Jasmine thought. Bikers had really hard lives and injuries were bound to happen.
She wondered if that was the reason that Jasmine handled the events earlier today so well. Phoebe had been a wreck when the little girl sat down beside her and started gently rubbing her back. Her life had just been put through the wringer but here was this child trying to reassure her that her dad would fix it. It was funny in a way.
Phoebe made her own plate listening as Jasmine talked about her father and uncles. Jasmine kept the chattering up until they finished eating. By the time they were done Phoebe was sure she’d heard enough to make her head spin. Between everything that had happened today and all the information the little girl’s chatter had stuffed into her brain, she was overwhelmed. She was glad when Jasmine went to finish her homework while she cleaned up the kitchen.
Cleaning was a chore she had always hated but it had to be done. She stored the leftover food in the fridge and left Peanut a note that it was there in case he was hungry when he got home. It was odd not worrying about her circumstances. She wasn’t sure why she felt so at home here. If she didn’t know better, she would swear that she’d lived here for months rather than the few hours it had actually been.
Her mind went back to the fact that she’d lost everything today. She was literally penniless. Earlier when Peanut had told he’d take them to the mall in the morning for her to get clothes, she’d protested. He’d insisted that Jasmine needed her hair cut anyway and ignored her objections. She insisted that she didn’t have any money, expecting him to back down about her shopping with them. Only he’d quickly countered that with a firm confirmation that he’d pay. She’d protested but it had done little good. He’d thwarted that hurdle by telling her to consider it a pay advancement. Peanut seemed like a genuinely kind person, but could she really trust his kindness? Phoebe wasn’t sure but she was taking a chance. She really didn’t have a choice. At least staying here, she had a roof over her head and food to eat. Those things were important in her condition.
Finished cleaning, she went into the living room and started watching a made-for-TV drama. After about half an hour, Jasmine came into the room and climbed up beside her on the couch asking to watch Frozen. Phoebe put it on and found herself just as engrossed in the animated movie as Jasmine was. When the movie’s credits rolled, she began ushering Jasmine to bed. She made sure that Jasmine brushed her teeth and then tucked her in before heading into her own room.
She stopped in front of the mirror looking at her reflection. She was wearing the shirt Peanut had given her with the loose-fitting shorts. She looked ridiculous but it was better than nothing. She had already moved her clothes into the dryer before she’d started dinner so she would have something to wear to the mall tomorrow. It was funny how life changed. This morning she’d been living in a bus station with a fortune in her bag and tonight she was going to sleep in an actual bed with not a dollar to her name. Phoebe couldn’t help but wonder what new changes tomorrow would bring.
Peanut threw his keys down on the counter and glanced around the room while rubbing the back of his neck. It was about one in the morning and he was starving. He tried to remember if there was still some of that pizza he’d ordered the other night. Nope, he’d fed it to Jazzy for lunch yesterday. Damn, maybe there was some turkey or something he could make a sandwich out of. He opened the fridge seeing the two containers in the front that hadn’t been there when he left. He noticed that they were filled with something. He pulled one out and opened it before sniffing.
Damn, that smelled good.
His stomach growled and he pulled out the second one. He realized that it was a fajita mixture. He didn’t bother looking for a wrap. He was too hungry to worry about it. After pouring some onto a plate, he returned the rest to the fridge. It was as he shut the door that he saw that Phoebe had left a sticky note for him. He grabbed it as he put the plate into the microwave. The neat swirling letters told him that Jazzy had made the meal for him. He grinned. He knew that Phoebe had done most of the work even if she was claiming that his Jazzy pants had made it. He grabbed a fork and his plate when the microwave dinged and leaned into the counter and took his first bite, almost moaning at the flavor.
Fuck, this tasted like heaven.
He scarfed it down while congratulating himself on a well thought out plan. He was glad he hadn’t made a mistake hiring Phoebe. Not that he’d hired her so much as forced her to come home with him. He didn’t think of her as an employee. His thoughts of her tonight had been highly proprietary. Kind of like when Susie had shown up with Jasmine’s photo. Huh, he didn’t know why but that seemed like an important connection. Viking hadn’t liked his genius move in hiring Phoebe. Viking nearly lost his mind when Peanut told him about bringing a stranger home to watch Jasmine tonight. He’d even sent Rex a text to check out the cameras to be sure everything was okay. Rex had reported they were in the living room watching Jazzy’s favorite movie. Peanut hadn’t been surprised. Something about Phoebe screamed domestic.
Viking still hadn’t been reassured and told him that he was fucking nuts, but Peanut had always followed his gut. It had told him to take Phoebe home and keep her safe and that’s what he was going to do. Fuck anyone who didn’t understand it. He was pretty damned sure he’d just found his old lady. After watching Phoenix and Rooster struggle with their own relationships, he wasn’t about to put himself through that shit. Phoebe didn’t know it yet, but she wasn’t going anywhere. Heading into the hall he checked on Jazzy. Seeing her sleeping with one leg out of the bed and her hand curled around the covers tucked beneath her chin, he smiled.
He shut the door and headed to his room, glancing up to the landing and barely resisting the urge to go up and check on Phoebe too. The only thing that stopped him from doing it was the fact that he’d likely scare her if he did. He’d bet with everything she’d been through she was a light sleeper. His jaw clenched as he forced himself to walk into his room and head to the shower. He hated thinking about what she had to have suffered to have that haunted look in her eyes that he remembered so well.
Chapter Ten
Standing in the dressing room of the second store Peanut had dragged her into, she stared at the sundress she was wearing. It was blue with small white flowers and a little large on her. She was tugging out the stomach portion of the dress to see how it would look when she was further along. Hmm, it could work. Might get her to the end of her second trimester. She should really be looking at maternity clothes, but she wasn’t ready to reveal her secret yet. She didn’t know if she could trust him or if she’d been staying longer than a few months. She was going to get only a few things today. Just enough to get her by. She’d already picked out some light cargo pants with a stretchy waist, one pair that would fit her now and two others one size up for when she was larger.
Since most of the shirts she’d found had empire waistlines she’d be able to wear them for a longer period of time. Peanut had looked at her like she’d lost her mind when she picked out four of them in the last store. He hadn’t protested and when they were at the counter he’d paid without complaint.
He’d left the house before she’d gotten up this morning. She knew he must have been home because there was a new dish in the sink. He came in while they were eating breakfast and he’d raved about how good the meal was while thanking Jasmine for making it. He’d winked at her when Jasmine wasn’t looking, leaving Phoebe a little out of sorts because what was she to make of that gesture. Peanut had driven her and Jasmine to the school to show her the route she would take when she dropped her off the next day.
The silence in the car on the way back to the townhouse was deafening. It didn’t seem to bother him and she found herself trying to think of something to say, but hadn’t figured out anything by the time they’d
pulled up in the drive. He’d climbed out of the car and held the gate open for her as she’d entered before him. She waited while he opened the door and shut off the alarm. He paused only to tell her that they’d go to the mall when they picked Jasmine up at three before disappearing into his office.
He’d handed her a credit card before they’d left this afternoon and told her it was for incidentals. She’d stared at it for a long moment wondering how it even had her name on it. She didn’t know how the heck he’d gotten it so fast. Yes, she’d told him her name the night before, but she’d never expected him to get her a credit card the next day. When she’d asked with a frown how he’d managed to get her one so quickly he’d explained that the bank nearby issued them same day. She supposed there were banks that did that, but she was worried that she was using a stolen credit card. She hadn’t said anything, but she’d wondered about it.
She stepped out of the fitting room to look in the double mirrors that were right outside the dressing room, tugging the dress back out at the waist and glancing behind herself to see what the hemline looked like in the back. It was a few inches higher but it would work; it didn’t expose too much even with the stretching of the material.
“That color suits you. You should probably get a size smaller though because that one’s too big for you,” Peanut said from behind her.
Phoebe jumped. She worried that he’d seen her pulling it out and would guess why but when he didn’t say anything else, she breathed a sigh of relief and tried not to seem nervous. She noticed that Jasmine was dancing around in the black jumper that Peanut had bought her in the last store they’d been in. Jasmine had insisted on wearing it out. He’d told her she could wear it to school tomorrow, but she’d set her feet apart and pouted with her arms crossed until he gave in. She couldn’t help but smile remembering how Peanut hadn’t lasted long against the pouting before he had given in to the little girl’s demands. He was really going to have to learn to put his foot down with Jasmine or the teenage years were going to be awful for him.
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