“Very funny,” Tom said. “Tell him he needs to shape up and deal with it. You guys have another six months in there before I’ll be able to hire a manager to run it, and then he can come home. You too if you wanted.”
“You think we could get someone in that fast?”
“I believe so. The bar was pretty much fully equipped when we bought it, and most of that stuff is salvageable, isn’t it?” he asked.
“Almost all of it,” I said.
“Well, then. All we need to do is hire a competent manager, work them long enough that we feel comfortable with them having the responsibility and know they won’t bolt on us, and then you guys can come back to Astoria. Why you would want to do that is beside me, but you could.”
“I’ll tell him,” I said.
Hanging up, I felt a lot better. Six months wasn’t a year. A year was what I guessed when I moved out to Portland. Maybe Hannah would be okay with only two days of spending time together if it was only for six months. Maybe.
24
Hannah
It seemed like forever when I finally got the phone call from Jordan I’d been waiting for since he walked out of his house and got in the car to head to Portland.
“Hey,” he said when I answered it. “I’m on my way home.”
I couldn’t help but grin. “Really?”
“I’ve hit the highway, which means I was being totally accurate. The car is gassed up, and I am officially en route to Astoria.”
“I’m so glad to hear that,” I said.
“Where are you?”
I dried my hands on a dish towel and draped it over the faucet. “In my kitchen. I just finished up doing the dishes. Nothing but excitement and revelry going on over here. I did, however, make a mean apple crumble today. It was the highlight of my week, so I probably shouldn’t go bragging about it.”
“I like that it was the highlight of your week. That means nothing else happened,” he said. “Have you been at your house this entire time?”
I chuckled as I dished out what might have been my third bowl of crumble and put it in the microwave. “Is that your less than subtle way of asking me if I took your mother or Ava up on their offers to stay at either of their houses while you were in Portland?”
“You caught me,” he said. “I was really hoping they would be able to convince you to stay with one of them. Or both of them. You could have done a rotation.”
Taking the crumble out of the microwave, I added a dollop of ice cream and leaned against the counter to eat it.
“Well, as much as I will admit that knowing I had the options was nice, I’ve been fine here. But I’ve spent too much of my life with people trying to control me and force my life into being what they want it to be. When I left, I told myself I wasn’t going to let that happen anymore. Besides, there’s been no sign of Ethan,” I said.
“None at all?” he asked. “You haven’t seen him; he hasn’t called you? No emails? Nobody at the bar has mentioned seeing him?”
“I haven’t put out an all-points bulletin to the regulars so they would call him out if they saw him, but no. No calls, no visits, no appearances at the bar, no emails. After the encounter with you that night, he seems to have just faded away,” I said.
“I’m glad to hear that. I’ve been worried about you.”
“I appreciate you worrying. But I told you I would call if anything happened.”
“I know. Didn’t stop me.”
I laughed. “Alright. Well, you should be paying attention to the road. I’ll see you soon.”
“Absolutely.”
We got off the phone, and I washed the now-empty bowl.
I was ironing my clothes for work a little while later when my phone rang. Without looking at the screen, I grabbed it and tucked it between my shoulder and ear.
“Are you home already? How fast were you driving?” I asked in a teasing voice.
“I never speed,” Ava replied.
“Oh, Ava,” I said. “Well, that was embarrassing as hell. I didn’t realize it was you.”
“Thought it was Jordan?”
“Maybe.”
“Uh-huh. I know he’s on his way back home. And I’m sure you’re excited to see him, but I have to ask you a massive favor,” she said.
“What do you need?” I asked, still feeling the heat on my cheeks.
My plan of not making a big deal out of what might be happening between Jordan and me didn’t seem to be working out too well.
“There’s a new girl training tonight. We’re mostly bringing her in as a kitchen back so people get their food faster, but I’d like to have her prepared to do full wait duties so there’s someone else for the busy nights or when we are shorthanded. If you could come in an hour or so earlier than usual to show her the ropes, it would be great,” Ava said.
“Sure. Not a problem,” I said.
“Great. I appreciate it. See you soon.”
I covered my face with my hand, shaking my head as she hung up laughing.
I got to the bar a couple of hours earlier, and the new girl was already there. She was sitting at the bar, looking nervous, but like she was trying to already fit in. Since the bar had gotten so popular, snagging a waitress or bartender job there was a coveted position. I have already had my fair share of people mention to me that they wanted to work there so they can show off to their friends and get into all the theme nights.
Unfortunately for those just looking for a chance to jump the lines at the events and to hand out drinks to their friends, Ava had strict standards. They had gotten more intense even since I started working at the bar. That meant this girl must have some experience and a personality Ava thought would fit in with the rest of us.
It didn’t guarantee she would last. There had already been a few who had come and gone because they couldn’t handle the pressure. But at least it was a good start.
I walked up to her and held out my hand. “You must be the new girl. Hi, I’m Hannah. I’m going to be showing you around.”
She smiled and nodded. “I’m Sarah. I’m really excited to get started.”
“Then let’s go ahead and jump in.”
I started the same way Jordan started with me, touring her around the space and introducing her to the others as I encountered them. It brought up memories of my first day there. It seemed funny to be so nostalgic about something, but it only happened a short time before in the greater scheme of things, but I had gotten so comfortable at the bar and with the Anderson family it made me a little emotional to remember.
It was obvious Sarah had done this type of job before. She caught on quickly and seemed confident. I had a feeling that she would quickly move her way up to the main waitstaff.
The crowd was manageable that night, so we spent most of it with Sarah shadowing me and learning all aspects of waiting the tables. Some of my favorite regulars were there, and they slipped me extra tips to share with Sarah. It brought a grin to her face and she tucked them away eagerly. I had a feeling there was a story there, something that I didn’t know about her yet.
I had just collected a bill and split the money tucked inside with Sarah and was turning to check on the next table when the door opened. The guys at the table looked up and waved.
“Hey, Jordan. Where’ve you been?” one of them called.
I looked over and saw Jordan coming toward me with a big smile on his face. My heart leapt, and I had to use all my self-control not to run toward him and jump into his arms. As it was, he gathered me up in a hug as soon as he got close.
“I thought you were just going to go home and crash,” I said.
“Not without seeing you first,” he said. “Do you have a break coming up?”
Glancing over at the bar, I met eyes with Ava. She offered a hint of a smile and nodded, then called for Sarah to come over to the bar to fill her in on what she had learned that evening. It was nothing short of a diversionary tactic, but I appreciated it.
I finished up checking
on the tables, and though some of the guys did their best to tease us by delaying me, soon Jordan and I were headed toward the back of the bar. As soon as we were in the back room away from prying eyes, he wrapped me up in his arms again. I closed my eyes and nuzzled my face into his shoulder, just enjoying having him close to me again.
He pulled back and kissed me. It seemed like it was meant to be a gentle kiss and nothing more, but as soon as our lips touched, it deepened. I could feel myself heating up and had to step back from him to stop myself from turning this into a literal not-safe-for-work situation.
I was beyond happy to see him and relieved he was back. He held my hands as he told me a little bit about his trip, but he couldn’t go into all the details because I only had a few minutes before I had to go back to work.
“Let me follow you home tonight,” he said as he walked me back toward the front of the bar.
“No, you don’t have to do that,” I said.
“I can just hang out here until your shift is over.”
I shook my head. “I still have hours to go. I’m sure you’re tired and just want to get home and relax for a bit. Don’t worry about me. I promise I’ll call you when I get there.”
He finally agreed and squeezed my hand before walking toward the kitchen so he could say hello to the guys in the back before leaving. I went to the bar to collect Sarah, and we got back to work moving through the tables.
The rest of the night was smooth, and I had a nicely lined pocket by the time the shift was over. Sarah and I sat down with Ava for a late dinner to talk about her first day, and then Ava cut us loose rather than having me stay to help clean up. It was a perk of training and getting there early, and I didn’t argue.
I was feeling good right up until I pulled into my driveway. As I sat there staring at the house, something started twisting in my stomach. I felt off as I got out of the car and started up the sidewalk toward the door. Climbing the steps onto the porch, I lifted the key toward the lock but stopped. Something deep down was telling me not to go inside.
Tossing my key back into my bag, I hurried back to the car, got inside, and locked the doors. I got out my phone and called Jordan.
“You got home okay?” he asked.
“Yeah, but…” I said, hesitating.
“But what?” his tone was instantly on alert.
“I don’t know. Something’s weird. I don’t know what it is, but I just feel off.”
“Don’t go inside,” he said firmly. “Are you in your car?”
“Yes.”
“Good. Stay there. Don’t get out. Is the door open or anything? Any broken windows?” he asked.
“No. The door’s closed, and I don’t see anything else strange,” I said. “It doesn’t look like anything’s wrong. I just feel weird.”
“You need to trust your gut. Come over to my place,” he said.
“Alright. I’m on my way.”
Jordan was waiting for me at the door when I got to his house. He pulled me in for a tight embrace.
“Are you okay?” he asked.
“I’m fine. I’m sorry for all this,” I said. “I can’t explain why. I just felt like something was telling me not to go inside.”
He shook his head as he guided me inside and shut the door behind me. “There’s nothing to apologize for. Instinct is important. You’ll stay here with me tonight, and I’ll go over in the morning to check it out.”
“Thank you,” I said, still feeling a little shaken.
25
Jordan
The next morning, she seemed in good spirits and less stressed, so I was happy to take her back to her place. Even if she was going to stay at her place, it would be good for me to see that it was safe. When we pulled up, everything seemed normal, and the doors were still locked. All her shades were drawn shut, so we couldn’t see inside, but there were no marks on the doors or windows.
But as soon as the door opened, all that changed. The house was ransacked. Clothes, books, furniture was all torn up and thrown around the house. I pulled her behind me as she screamed in horror at how utterly destroyed it all was.
“Go get in the car. Lock the door. Call the cops,” I said. I used my drill sergeant voice, and she, like everyone else who heard it, got moving before their brains caught up with why. She was in the car with the phone out when I turned back to the house. There was a broken piece of a wooden chair on the floor by the door, and I grabbed it. He must have smashed it against something repeatedly because it was a sturdy-looking piece of wood. Using it as a protective weapon, I slipped inside.
The living room was hit the hardest from what I could see. Some of her underwear was on the floor, cuts going through them as if they had been sliced with scissors or a knife. The walls had messages on them in crude script and red spray paint. I walked through the kitchen, which seemed relatively untouched, and got to the room at the end of the hall, what I assumed was her bedroom.
I swung the door open, hard. If he was in there, I wanted as much of the element of surprise as I could have. I held the wooden leg of the chair above my head, ready to strike, but the room was empty. Trashed, but empty. More messages were spray-painted on the walls. These were cruder, viler. The living room had been more “why me” with messages like “how could you do this to me?” and “I hope you’re happy.” The ones in the bedroom just filled me with disgust. How a person could say things like that about someone they supposedly loved.
But that was just it. He didn’t love her. He thought he owned her. This wasn’t about winning back the affections of a person. This was about acquiring something that he believed was stolen from him. A piece of property.
I checked the rest of the house, clearing each room with the preparation that he could be there. Her bed was messed up, and I could just see him lying in it. He had been. How long before we got there I didn’t know, but he had been there. Waiting.
When I got outside, Hannah flung the door of the car open and ran to me. I held her as she sobbed. She wanted to go inside and see it, but I held her tight, shaking my head.
“You don’t want to do that right now.”
“Why not?”
“You just don’t,” I said, then thinking of a reason that might not scare her so much, I added, “Remember, the police might need to dust for fingerprints. The less contaminated they can have it, the better.”
That seemed to work, and she nodded, then curled it into my chest. The sobbing had stopped, but now she just looked vacant. There was immeasurable sadness and fear in her expression, but all I could do was hold her and kiss the top of her head.
The cops arrived shortly thereafter, and I gave them a statement as to what I saw when I went in. I remembered each surface I touched so I could tell them where to expect my prints. The other officer was a veteran too, and he nodded grimly as Hannah explained the story. He took some notes before going inside with two other officers. The other two carried their phones out as cameras and had bags to collect evidence in.
“I need to go sit down,” Hannah said.
“Come on,” I said, guiding her back to my truck. I opened the door for her, and she sat in the passenger’s seat, staring blankly ahead at the house.
“He was there when I came home, wasn’t he?” she asked. Her voice was monotone, and the tears seemed to have dried on her face.
“I don’t know,” I said. “I think so.” I reached behind the driver’s seat and pulled the cooler out. I had some water bottles in there from my trip to Portland. I pulled one out for her and broke the seal on top. “Here, drink this. It will help with the shock.”
She took the bottle from me without looking and took a big sip. I turned in my seat to watch the door of the house and wait for the officers to come out. After a while, she had leaned back in her seat and closed her eyes. I didn’t think she had dozed off, but she was trying to remain calm. The officer made his way out and came to her side of the truck, and I rolled the window down. Hannah turned her head and opened her eye
s.
“Ma’am,” the officer said. “I would suggest, if possible, sleeping somewhere else for the night. We have a few resources if you need. We will likely be processing the house for quite some time anyway. But if you wanted to go in and get a few things, now would be a good time.”
“I can do it,” I said. “If that’s alright with you.”
She nodded slowly and turned to me. “It would be. But I can do it. You can come with me, though.”
She sounded distant and distraught, like she was on the edge of completely breaking down but was holding herself up. I got out of the truck and went inside with her. For a long time, she stared at the messages on the walls without blinking. Then, she sighed heavily and went into her room, grabbing a duffel bag and stuffing it with clothes.
“I already have most of my toiletries at your place,” she said as she brushed by me into the bathroom. “I just need a few things.”
Despite the terrible situation, a part of me was happy to hear how casually she decided she was coming home with me. It wasn’t even a question.
After she had what she felt like she needed, she removed the key from her keychain and handed it to the officers. She apparently had a backup in her car, which was locked. The officer made sure she opened her car and verified it was still there. Then, we headed back to my place. We got inside, and I brought her bag to the bedroom.
“Thank you for letting me stay here again,” she said. “I’ll find a new place soon.”
“You could just live here,” I said automatically and went stock-still.
I turned to look at Hannah, expecting her to react poorly to it. I was shocked it slipped out of my mouth. Instead, she smiled. It was a genuine smile, even if there was a lot of stress and hurt etched on her face.
“I don’t know if that’s such a good idea right now,” she said. “It’s just a little soon, you know?”
“I understand, seriously,” I said. “The idea just kind of slipped out.”
Boss Daddy: A Secret Baby Romance Page 14