I seriously considered it, because, with how long she’d been up there ‘getting ready,’ I was starting to worry what Sophia would look like when she did come down. If she ever did.
“Would you mind,” I started slowly, “going up there to check on her now? I don’t want to hurry her, but she might need help. I honestly don’t think this is one of those things I could ever help her with, you know?”
Her expression was amused. “Of course not, Ross. Most little girls need moms for that.”
I sucked my breath in a little sharply, but she was getting to her feet and didn’t seem to notice. She slid her fingers through my hair as she walked around the couch and headed for the stairs. I was stuck waiting again, but I was surprised when, less than five minutes later, there were two pairs of steps coming down the stairs.
“Dad, I’m ready!” Sophia called out like she hadn't been locked up in her room almost since she woke up, and it was almost eleven already. “Come see the dress Jessica helped me pick out!”
I got up from my perch on the couch. I smiled as soon as I caught sight of my daughter. She was in a white dress with a blue ribbon that wrapped around the waist. She did a little spin, so I could see the large bow tied in the back. Her hair was brushed and put up in twin tails that swished with every movement.
No pink in sight and I wondered how Jessica had managed that. Though there was a suspicious glittering on her face when she shifted at just the right angle, I decided to let it go.
“You look so pretty, baby,” I told her honestly.
Sophia giggled at the compliment. “Not as pretty as Jessica, though,” she added with a sigh, placing her hands on her hips.
“Oh, no!”
“No way!”
We both protested, and it only made her giggle some more. I watched as Jessica crouched down to be at eye level with Sophia and whispered something in her ear. Sophia nodded her head and beamed.
“Why don’t you go get your shoes, sweetie,” Jessica prompted lightly. “The carnival’s already started by now, and, if you don’t hurry, we’ll miss all the good parts.”
Sophia squeaked, then rushed like she was being chased, off to find her shoes. I arched an eyebrow at Jessica, a part of me jealous that Sophia took to her so quickly. Of course, the rational part of me was just glad that Sophia was opening up to Jessica at all.
“There was a bit of a mess in her room when I got in,” Jessica said quietly. “Don’t worry, I cleaned some of it, and I promised her something if she would help me clean what’s left after we get back.”
I sighed. “I could help you guys out if you’d like.”
She shook her head, though. “Well be fine. The girl time will be good for us.”
I felt something strange when she said ‘girl time,’ the same feeling I got before when she left me on the couch. I wondered if she even realized it herself, how easily she seemed to fit into the family and was quickly taking the role Sophia’s mom would have, the role my mom had been taking when I wasn’t sufficient enough to fill it.
“I’m ready now,” Sophia said as she skipped back into the living room, wearing a pair of white shoes. “Let’s go, let’s go!”
She took one of my hands, and one of Jessica’s, and tugged us both to the door. We didn’t resist, though I had to pause long enough to lock up the door, then joined them where they waited at the curb.
“Why can't we take the car again?” Sophia asked, pouting.
“Because it’s a street carnival, honey. We don’t want to interfere, or accidentally hit someone, do we?”
She was still pouting, but she nodded.
“It’s not that far a walk, anyway,” I tried to reassure her, wondering why she needed it at all. She was a bundle of energy. How could she have trouble walking down a few blocks? “And,” I went on, “we’ll be stopping by the diner, because it’s on the way, and you can get whatever you want.”
It still wasn’t enough to pacify her. Then Jessica held out a hand for her, smiling at her until she took it.
“You can just hold onto my hand if you feel tired,” she offered. “Or I could carry you, if you wouldn’t mind it.”
Sophia eyed her in seriousness for a moment, but then smiled as I came to stand on the other side of her, and we started walking slowly. Even though we were a few streets away from the festivities, I could still hear them in the distance.
“You know, I always wondered what happened to my mommy,” Sophia mused to herself suddenly, catching both our attentions. Then she smiled up at Jessica. “I wouldn’t mind getting a new mom, though. I’d love it!”
She grinned, then went back to skipping along between the two of us as we walked down the road, leaving the adults fumbling a little on how to react.
Or, at least, me. It had been entering my mind a lot more lately, how great Jessica would be as Sophia’s mom. To hear my daughter say it…
But my opinion mattered least in all of this. It mattered to Sophia because this would affect her in a big way. It would matter to me, as well, but I was pretty much willing to take any change if it meant keeping Jessica in my life. The woman herself, though…
I looked up at her expression, expecting the worst, only to be surprised. She still held an edge of shock in her expression. She was staring straight ahead, but she was smiling. And I thought, for the first time since we officially started going out, that Jessica looked happy. It made me realize that everything was going according to plan and I could relax. Nothing was going to stand in the way of us being together. Nothing. Not again, I fucking wouldn’t let it.
Chapter 13
Jessica
I hummed to myself as I moved through my mom’s kitchen. It was still early, though, since school had been closed down for the day due to a gas leak, I had plenty of time to waste.
But I had a plan. I’d put it into action the moment it occurred to me after I woke up the same time I usually did on weekdays, before I realized I was free the whole day.
I was putting together breakfast, so I could surprise Ross with it. More than that. I smiled to myself as I thought of the expression he’d have on his face when he saw the sexy number I’d put on, just for him. It had been a while since we’d had any alone time. Sophia was supposed to be sleeping over at her grandmother’s until later today, so, as long as I went early, I could catch him alone for a few hours.
“Hmm,” my mom’s voice came from behind me. “Something smells good in this kitchen.”
I glanced over my shoulder at my mom. “Glad you like it. Though I hope it will taste as good as it smells,” I said with a shrug.
I grabbed a rag to wipe down my hands and moved closer to Mom to give her a quick morning hug and a peck on the cheek.
“Do you have any requests? I’m sure I could whip something up for you quickly. I won’t be heading to school today, so I don’t mind.”
But she just waved me off. “That’s not important. Better yet, if you’ve got your whole day free, why not come to the diner and help me out for the day? I could use the company.”
I snorted. “Who do you think you’re trying to kid, Mom? I know all your employees, and they all adore you. You’re not exactly lacking in company.”
She hummed. “You can just say no, honey,” she said, an edge of teasing to her voice. “You can tell me that you’re planning something for your boyfriend. Because I see you cooking breakfast, but I also see you packing it away like you don’t intend to eat at home.”
I paused for a moment, before resuming my task, though in a slower manner. I couldn’t exactly pretend that wasn’t the case. She was fully aware of the relationship I had with Ross. Hell, I was still pretty sure she knew we’d had sex in my room that one time. She’d hinted at it plenty of times, but I'd ignored her as I'd done so many times before.
“I have plans,” I admitted, since there was no point in hiding it, anyway. “I wanted to take this to Ross so we could eat it together.”
She hummed again. “And isn’t his daugh
ter out of the house? I heard from Cecilia yesterday that she would be taking the little darling home with her for a night.”
I froze for a moment, before forcing myself to go on. She could probably guess what I had planned. My mom never got to give me the sex talk, and I was too old to listen to it now. I breathed a silent sigh of relief, because I was pretty close to finishing up, either way.
“I’ll just be visiting him for a little while, Mom. I might not have work, but he still does, remember?”
I said that to remind both of us. While I knew he would put off work if I asked him to, I couldn’t do that. It wouldn’t be fair—not that I would refuse if he offered, though. It was why I was still early, so I could get there while there was still time for some quick fun.
“Well, that is true.”
I finished packing up the food in some containers. I already had put coffee in a thermos, and I packed everything else into a straw bag.
“I’ll see you later, Mom,” I said as I went to give her a quick hug and a kiss.
She surprised me, holding on longer than I expected. But I smiled and hugged her back just as tightly. When she let me pull away, she patted my shoulder and gave me a look of pure affection.
“It’s nice to see you happy, finally,” she said and returned my peck on the cheek.
“Thanks, Mom,” I said softly.
I picked up the bag and rushed outside with it.
Ross lived a good distance away from my house. If it weren’t for my car, I probably wouldn’t have made it until he had to go in to work. I got inside and placed the basket on the seat beside me. I did a quick check of my face in the rearview mirror. I’d tried a little with the makeup today, still keeping it subtle, as was my style, but bringing out my eyes a little bit because Ross seemed to like them.
Though, if he were to be believed, there was a lot about me to like. I’d gotten more compliments from him than I had from all the other guys I’d dated put together.
I started the car and drove towards Ross’s place. I realized this was probably my first time heading there in my car. Usually, I walked, or Ross picked me up. Had he ever even seen me driving the car he fixed for me? I found myself grinning as I realized that was one extra thing I needed to thank him for.
It didn’t take long for me to see his place come into view. If I hadn't been so eager to see him that I was keeping a lookout, though, I might have gotten even closer to see what was happening. I frowned the moment I realized Ross was standing outside on his front porch, and he wasn’t alone. He was in a muscle shirt and jeans, and the woman with him was in a dark tank top, jeans shorts, and boots.
Who the fuck was she?
I slowed down the car and crawled to a stop some distance from the house. It was close enough that, had he looked up, Ross might have noticed my car and known I was there. He had fixed it, after all, and done a full paint job.
Only, he didn’t look up, not once. I was about to get out of the car and stomp up there to ask what the hell was going on, when I saw the woman flip her hair, then place her hand on Ross’s chest, right below his neck. She even leaned closer, practically pressing her ample chest into him.
Ross just stood there and let her. He didn’t try to touch her back, but he wasn’t exactly discouraging her, either.
No fucking way.
“You can't fucking do this to me, Ross,” I whispered under my breath. “Not fucking now.”
Of course, he didn’t hear me. The woman threw her head back in a laugh, and I got a bit of a look at her face. I was pretty sure I didn’t know who she was. She might have been someone else we’d known in high school, one of the ones that left town, because I hadn't seen her in the months I’d been back.
I hadn't seen any woman around Ross, period.
But maybe I was wrong? Nothing had changed since high school.
I laughed, and it came out a little broken. He could have been messing with me the entire time. Fucking me and making me think that it meant something. It was like he’d upped the prank he’d played with me in high school, and the thought didn’t sit well with me. Why the fuck had I fallen so easily for it again?
Because, otherwise, he wouldn’t be there, fucking flirting with some other woman when we were supposed to be in a relationship. I felt so angry. But more than anything, I felt broken.
Neither of them looked up when I swerved the car around and drove off, Ross’s eyes solely for the woman in front of him. I tightened my hands on the wheel and tried hard not to cry.
Chapter 14
Jessica
I didn’t want to go back home and be alone. I couldn’t go to school to talk with Mary. Everything that seemed right before had suddenly gone wrong. There was only one place for me to go, and that was the diner.
I knew it was a mistake the moment I arrived there. It was still pretty early in the morning, though I’d driven slowly to get there, so it was almost eight in the morning. But there was still the usual morning crowd. The room didn’t look too full from the outside, but I knew in less than half an hour, all the tables would be full.
Also, my mom was in there. What the hell was I going to say to her? She’d been so happy for me that morning; I didn’t want to make her upset when she saw the state I was in. But I probably needed to talk to her about this. She’d be even angrier if I tried to keep it from her, after all.
I glanced at the seat next to me, where all the food I’d made waited and sighed as I left it in the car. I wiped my eyes carefully, using the side mirror, then took a deep, fortifying breath, and walked into the diner.
There were a few people here and there, thankfully, no one that I knew. I walked up to the counter, doing my best to ignore the people around me, and waited for the girl that stood there to look up and notice I was there. She did after a minute, her eyes widening a little in her surprise, but then she smiled.
“Jessica! Hi. I heard the school was closed down for the day from your mom, but I didn’t expect you to show up here. She said you had plans.”
I felt my throat close up, even as I tried to smile normally. I wasn’t sure I made it, but I hadn't expected my mom to go around telling people what I was up to. Of course, she didn’t seem to know exactly what that was, so I was grateful for small mercies.
“I’d like to talk to my mom,” I said, after swallowing the lump in my throat. “Is she in the kitchen or her office?”
The girl laughed. “You know what your mom is like! This early, she’s still in the kitchen, and she’ll stay there until ten or eleven before taking a break.”
I pursed my lips and frowned, distracted for the moment. “Doesn’t she take more rest? I know I asked her to…”
“She does on some days, but there are others where she’s just stubborn. Don’t worry, though. We wouldn’t let her overwork herself. If she looks even a little bit tired, we convince her to sit down while we take over.”
Her voice was strong with her determination, and I smiled more naturally. Mom was good at surrounding herself with good people. But then my smile dimmed a little.
If only I could be as good at that as she was.
“Um, can you let my mom know that I want to talk to her?” I asked quickly when I felt my eyes sting with tears. My voice wavered a bit, but the girl didn’t seem to notice anything was wrong, giving me another smile. “In her office, if possible.”
“Sure, hang on. I’ll go get her from the kitchen.”
I watched as she walked through the door that led to the back of the diner, where the kitchen was. I didn’t have to wait long before she was back with my mom, who looked worried. Of course, she would know why I wanted to speak to her in the office instead of just walking into the kitchen myself—I wanted the privacy.
She saw my face, and, with just a glance, she frowned, seeming to notice something the girl had missed.
“Don’t worry, Rita,” the girl said as my mom walked around the counter, “we’ll hold down the fort for now.”
“Thank you, dear
. You’re all a very big help.”
The girl flushed with pleasure, and I smiled again. She was only a few years younger than me but, compared to her, I felt so old.
Mom led the way to her office, through a short hallway, and to another door that most customers never got to see. She let the both of us inside with her key, then locked the door behind us.
“So we won’t be disturbed,” she explained, though I hadn't asked.
There was an official desk with chairs on either side, on the far side of the room. But instead of going there, she led me to the couch pressed against the wall to the side of the door. We sat up with a knee curled underneath as we faced each other. Mom took my hand and held it between us, giving a light squeeze. I smiled at her in thanks for that.
“Now, why don’t you tell me what’s wrong.”
“I just…” my voice trailed off as my eyes blurred with tears. I didn’t want to start crying over this shit, not with my mom there, so I took a moment to beat back the urge to just let the tears out and fall into a sobbing fit. “I went to Ross’s place earlier today.”
She nodded her head encouragingly. “I know that, honey. I expected you to be there, so I was surprised when I was suddenly told you were asking for me. Is this about Ross? Did something happen?” she frowned. “Did he do something to hurt you?”
I shook my head, but not in denial of her statement. Ross had fucking hurt me, whether he knew it or not.
“I didn’t even get to talk to him, Mom…”
“Then what is it?”
“He was there with a woman.”
It was all I needed to say. Her frown deepened, as her lips tightened. It was nice seeing my mom angry for my sake, but I had to remind myself that I didn’t want her upset.
One More Turn: A Second Chance Romance Page 9