His eyes darted around before they settled near my shoulder area. “Listen, Addison. I hate to do this, I really do. Moira and I feel terrible, but we have no choice but to evict you. We know life is hard, and trust me, we sympathize, but we can’t afford to be waiting on the rent each month. When you’re late, we pay our bills late, and the whole thing is a mess. I’m sorry, but we can’t let this continue.”
As he spoke, he pulled out an eviction notice from his back pocket.
“You have until the end of the month to be out. I can borrow my work truck to help you move…”
I didn’t really hear the rest of what he said because I was so flabbergasted I could hardly breathe. Even though I’d known eviction was a possibility, I’d prayed it would never come to that. I was dimly aware of telling him I understood before I took the folded sheet of paper from him and watched him walk away. After closing the door behind me, I leaned my back against it and slid down to the floor.
I would need to swallow my pride, pack up, move into my parents’ spare bedroom in Arizona, and hope to hell I could find a job there.
Or.
Or.
Fuck.
Or.
I could swallow my pride, pack up, and accept a job that would set me free financially.
I wrestled with the decision for so long that when I stood, my left foot was asleep. After wiggling it a few times to get the blood flow going again, I headed back to the couch and picked up my cell. Even as I pressed Gen’s name, I was still wondering if I could go through with it. When she answered, it surprised even me to hear the conviction with which I said the words.
“I’ll do it. I’ll work for Law.”
Chapter Three
Five days later, I watched the movers Gen had hired pull away from my rental. They would stop at a storage facility nearby to deposit all my furniture and household items. The trunk and back seat of my car were full of luggage and boxes of clothes, which were all I was taking with me to Law’s. If things didn’t work out—a distinct possibility—I didn’t want to spend a lot of time repacking.
After cleaning and doing a final walkthrough of my rental, I left the keys on the counter and headed for my newly re-insured car. Since I didn’t have to pay my rent for the month, I’d immediately taken care of making sure I could drive again. Being able to come and go without relying on public transportation was a must, especially with me moving to Law’s.
A part of me was still struggling to wrap my mind around the fact that I was actually doing it. I shook my head to clear it and took a deep breath before I pulled up the directions app and put in the address they had given me. According to my phone, I’d be there in forty-one minutes. I already knew that wouldn’t give me enough time to adjust to the idea. Honestly, chances were good I’d still be in a state of disbelief in six months. If the job lasted that long, that is.
I was nervous as hell, full stop. God only knew what I was walking into. I hadn’t had to speak to Law even once because Geneva and his mom had taken charge and orchestrated everything. I wasn’t sure if that was a good or bad thing. I mean, it wasn’t as though I wanted to talk to him, but if I had, maybe I’d have had a better understanding of why he’d given the go-ahead on hiring me. Although I thought he was the world’s biggest prick, I knew he was far from stupid. There was no way he hadn’t known just how much I would not want to work with him. Yet for reasons unknown, he’d okayed it without ever mulling it over.
My stomach started to churn as I pulled into the ultra-exclusive neighborhood that the directions had taken me to. Although a ton of the Manning family members lived in Calabasas, Law had opted to move a few miles away to Hidden Hills. As I’d gotten closer to his development, I’d understood why. Everywhere I looked, there was a staggeringly beautiful view of the canyons, and every home I saw was pristine.
When I stopped to check in at the gate, I half expected the guard to say I wasn’t welcome because Law had either changed his mind or it was all another one of his shitty pranks from the start. Instead, the guard smiled and welcomed me to the neighborhood before he pressed the button to open the gate.
I looked around in awe as I drove the half mile from the gate to Law’s address. All the houses were set well back from the street and each had to be sitting on at least one acre, if not two. The entire neighborhood was full of perfectly pruned trees, and everything was lush. Judging by the style of the homes and overall fresh-and-new look of the neighborhood, my guess was every bit of it had been built within the past three years.
I slowed to a near crawl when my phone announced that my destination was fifty feet ahead on the right. Craning my neck, I took in the white house with gray stone accents, surprised by how inviting it was. I’d expected something off-putting, all harsh angles and chrome, but the exterior wasn’t like that at all. It reminded me a bit of the house in Father of the Bride. A larger, more modern, and upgraded version, to be sure, but it had a similar style. It was also larger than the movie home, which worked for me. With all that space, surely I could avoid crossing Law’s path when I wasn’t on the clock. At least I hoped so.
After parking my car in the gray paver-covered driveway, I swallowed past my nerves and gave myself a quick pep talk. I can do this, I assured myself silently. Worst-case scenario, he’d piss me off, and I’d say F the job, get back in the car, and drive to Arizona. I hoped it wouldn’t come to that, but where Law was concerned, I knew I needed to be prepared.
I had to force myself to get out of the car. Imagining that he was likely watching me and taking great pleasure in my reticence, I squared my shoulders and made my way to the front door as if I didn’t have a care in the world.
I rang the doorbell and waited, and then I waited some more. After about a minute, I rang it again. When Law didn’t appear within another thirty seconds, my stomach dropped. Damn him. The whole sure she can have the job thing had been bullshit. He’d gotten me again, that fucker. Turning on my heel, I stalked back to my car. I was so mad right then I had half a mind to drive it through his front door. Tempting as that idea was, I’d do nothing more than fantasize about it. Only a lunatic would purposely drive their car into someone’s home. Law drove me nuts but not quite to that level.
My hand was just reaching out to grab onto my car door handle when Law called my name from behind me. I was so pissed right then I was more than half tempted to ignore his ass, but something about his frantic tone brought me up short. When the added sound of a baby screaming reached my ears, I knew I wouldn’t leave without checking.
Turning, I found Law standing in the doorway. One baby was in some kind of papoose on his chest while the other was in his arms. It looked awkward as fuck, but I could see he was trying.
I could also see that his dark blond hair was a mess, he wasn’t wearing a shirt, and although I was thirty feet away, it definitely looked like he was in over his head.
“Please don’t leave,” he pleaded. There was no trace of the smug, cocky asshole I’d been expecting. Instead, he had frantic caregiver written all over him. Still, I didn’t move from where I stood.
“I swear to God I wasn’t leaving you at the door to be a dick. I couldn’t get down here because I had Hope on the changing table,” he explained. “She’s not adjusting well to formula, which means she’s having one blowout after another. There’s just been so. Much. Poop. This time it went up her back. What the fuck good is the diaper if it doesn’t keep it contained? It was everywhere, and I don’t even know if I got it all because I knew you’d bail if I didn’t get to the door fast enough. I just… please. I need help. For real.”
I’d never known Law to babble or to panic, but right now, he was doing both. I’m not sure if I took pity on him or on the little bundle in his arms screaming like she was auditioning for a metal band.
All thoughts of leaving gone, I hurried back to the front door. When I got there, I reached out and took the baby from him. She was petite but had one hell of a set of lungs on her. With her halo of jet bl
ack hair, bright blue eyes, and latte-colored skin, she was easily one of the most beautiful infants I’d ever seen. Positioning her on my shoulder, I inhaled her soft baby scent and made some soothing sounds as I moved from side to side. It took a minute, but her cries began to taper off a bit. She was less frantic, but it was clear she was still uncomfortable.
Through it all, Law watched me with an expression of gratitude. When I nodded and told him we could go inside, he stepped back and motioned for me to enter. I patted Hope’s back as I followed him in and looked around the foyer with unchecked curiosity. He’d always been neat, but apparently gaining two kids put that right out the window. Baby stuff was everywhere, much of it still in boxes. Naturally, there were two of everything.
“When did your mom leave?” I asked.
I’d assumed she would have had everything under control, but the condition of the house told a different story.
“She left yesterday morning. My sister has a scheduled C-section three days from now, but they just put her on bedrest, so Mom had to go.”
As I nodded, I wondered if anyone else was helping him, or if he’d been alone with two infants for over twenty-four hours. For his sake, I hoped someone had been around. Although I hadn’t known Christine was leaving, I felt guilty for dragging my feet about starting.
“It didn’t look like this before Mom left,” he explained, gesturing around at the mountains of baby stuff. “Yesterday wasn’t a great day. I had movers bring over all the baby stuff from Kell and Lana’s…” He paused and looked away for a moment before he continued. “It was harder than I thought it would be,” he admitted. “Other than helping to set the nursery up and moving their swings and two gliding chairs into the living room, I couldn’t face the rest of it. I’ll get to it, but not today.”
As he spoke, he gestured for me to follow him. Hope let out a long, loud burp as Law led me down the hall and into the living room. With the burp out of the way, she stopped crying entirely. I made my way across the room and took a seat on one of the two gliding rockers in front of a large window that looked out to a gorgeous yard. Law dropped into the glider next to me, looking like he needed a stiff drink, or four. I could see where losing a best friend and gaining two infants would do that to a person. Annoying as I generally found him to be, I felt for him. Nothing about the situation was easy. When I started moving back and forth in my glider, he matched my movement. Cupping his hand protectively at the back of Holden’s head, he let out an exhausted sounding breath.
“Thank you for staying,” he said, the gratitude in his tone clear.
Meeting his deep blue eyes, I saw nothing but sincerity. Yes, he’d been a prick as a teen, and we’d had one horrible encounter, but I could see he was trying to do right with the babies. Gen had been right. Working for him would be a win/win if I let it. I could help him and get myself all the way out of debt at the same time. Being around Law would be something I’d have to get used to, but as long as he didn’t revert to his teenage behavior, I could handle it.
“Don’t make me regret it,” I replied. If nothing else, I planned to be straight with him from the get-go. My pride had taken a beating before. I wouldn’t let that happen again.
“I won’t,” he vowed.
I wondered if he’d be able to keep his word. Only time would tell.
I wasn’t able to dwell on it since Hope tensed up again before she let out an angry shriek. Figuring she was still gassy, I started patting her back again. It didn’t take her long to let out another champion burp. When she did, I turned my attention to Law.
“You said Hope isn’t adjusting well to the formula. Does that mean Lana was breastfeeding?”
He nodded. “Holden has always had what Kellan called a hollow leg. He wasn’t getting full on breast milk, so after a month, they switched him to formula. Lana wanted to breastfeed Hope for at least six if not nine months but now... Fuck. It’s all so fucking unfair. They wanted these babies so goddamn badly. I can’t believe they’re gone.”
I hadn’t ever met Kellan or Lana but seeing how devastated Law was at their absence broke my heart. He was right; it was unfair. Unfortunately, he had no choice but to pick up the pieces and hold things together.
“Have you tried more than one formula or is this the first?”
“This is the second. The pediatrician emailed over a list of recommended formulas. Hope hated the first one so much I could barely get her to drink any, so we moved on to the second on the list. She’s basically a fart, poop, and burp factory right now, and I think it’s getting worse instead of better. I feel as if I’m losing my fucking mind when she cries the way she does. She’s lost everything; they both have. She can’t be in pain on top of all that.”
“We’ll figure it out,” I assured him. “I assume the formula and the bottle system you’re using are in the kitchen?”
Law let out a quiet laugh. “Yeah. Just to warn you, that’s another disaster zone. I’ve been alone with them since my mom left, and cleaning was not on the agenda. Mary will be here tomorrow, so she’ll have the maids out immediately.”
“Mary?”
“Oh, right. Jesus. Shit. I’m sorry. I’m so tired I’m forgetting basic things like how to explain myself. Mary runs the house. She does all the shopping and cooking and also deals with the maids, the landscaper, and the people who service the pool. Whatever you want to see in the refrigerator or the pantry, tell her, and she’ll get it. She’s also willing to help with the babies. She got to see them a few times when Kell and Lana would come to visit, so she already knows them. She offered to help until you arrived, but I forced her to take a few days off because she had a cold, and I don’t want them getting sick.”
My stupid ovaries found the way he cared for the babies ridiculously attractive, which was scary as hell. I’d liked Law a little too much for my own good once before, but I’d be damned if I ever went down that road again. I could see that he’d changed, but that didn’t wipe away our past. Nothing could do that.
Chapter Four
Holden woke up a few minutes later. He was probably the most content baby I’d ever encountered. I’d never say it out loud, but I wondered if the fact that Law had him strapped to his naked chest helped because I knew babies thrived on skin-to-skin contact. Law left the room for a few minutes to change Holden before he brought him back and set him in a swing. He then surprised me by taking Hope and settling her into the now empty papoose on his chest.
Sigh. Hot guy with a baby was lethal. I’d never thought it was overly attractive before, but seeing the way Law took care of the children was sexy as hell. I wrote it off as my hormones, ovaries, and soft heart having a scientific reaction to the sight of a man taking care of infants. Fortunately, my brain knew better than to think too kindly of Law.
Needing something to do, I rose from the glider and went to the swing where Holden was. After undoing the safety harness, I lifted him up into my arms and smiled down at him. He was chunkier than his sister by a good amount, but other than that, it was obvious that they were brother and sister. He had the same color hair and eyes, but he had a dimple and his lip shape was a bit different than Hope’s.
“They’re fraternal, right?”
Law nodded as he turned to face me. “Yeah. They both have Lana’s eyes, but Hope favors her mom, and Holden is the spitting image of Kellan at this age. So far, it seems like Holden got Lana’s chill, and Hope got Kellan’s larger-than-life personality.”
He gestured for me to follow and then led me through the house to the kitchen. Law had warned me it would be a mess, but it truly was not that bad. By no means was it dirty, but there was more clutter than he was probably used to. The open and airy space was stunning, like the rest of the house. Tall ceilings, light colors, and a ton of natural light made it all very inviting. The space was big enough for two eight-foot islands, one with a sink and one without. The island without the sink was covered in baby stuff. Two different brands of formula, two drying racks, a bottle warmer, an
d a virtual treasure trove of baby bottles. I pointed at the two containers of formula. “Which one is Hope eating?”
“The round container,” he answered.
“Okay, I want to do some quick research. Can you hold him for a second?”
When he came closer and took Holden from me, our hands brushed, and it sent a frisson of sensation up my spine. Glad to have a task to distract me, I slid my purse from my arm and onto the counter so I could get my cell phone. Once I had it in hand, I typed the bottle brand into Google and did a search. While I searched, Law entertained the babies. Hearing the way he baby talked to them was bizarre. I’d never given any thought to what he’d be like with children, but the sheer size of his family meant he’d been exposed to enough kids in his life, and it definitely showed. I wondered if that was why Kellan and Lana had chosen him to be their children’s guardian. From what I’d seen so far, it was a good decision.
“Do you have paper and a pen around?” I asked. “I might need to take notes.”
He gestured to a drawer. “You can use the pad and the pen we keep in there for the grocery list.”
After taking both out of the drawer, I walked over to the table and set it down. I then typed the name of the formula being used for Hope into another Google window before I set my phone down next to it. With that in place, I took Holden back from Law before going back to the eat-in area where I took a seat on the built-in bench in front of a giant window that looked out to the yard. I was hyper-aware of the fact that Law followed. When he sat down next to me, close but not close enough to be weird, I swallowed nervously and turned my attention back to my phone.
“While I figure this out, tell me what my job duties are,” I said. I kept my head down as I spoke, scrolling with my thumb as I read up on the bottles and formula Hope was using. “Geneva gave me an idea of what to expect, but we both know she leaves out details when things are happening quickly.”
Team Player 2: A Sports Anthology Page 40