“I see you have a receptionist now.”
“I do.” I handed her resume to Mike, and he looked down at it and whistled.
“She’s severely overqualified to be answering your phones.”
“That’s why she is going to be my personal assistant,” I told him and he laughed, his eyes going wide, and I knew he was reading the note attached to her resume.
‘Shit. She actually…”
“Yeah,” I shook my head.
“Well, she has balls to say the least. She’s going to need them, working for your ass.” Mike chuckled, and I rolled my eyes, “At least she’s upfront about who her sister is…”
“I never hooked up with Vikki.”
“Is that the one that was at my bachelor party? The one on your lap half the night or the other one?” He asked, surprising me that he remembered. The night of his bachelor party at Shine had been a clusterfuck of events.
“The other one,” I mumbled, trying not to think about everything Mike didn’t know that had happened behind his back.
“Hmmm… you know I know what happened that night, right?” I looked up at Mike’s face and tried to keep my own unamused. I stayed quiet and saw irritation filter in his eyes. “Is that how you are going to play this?”
“The less you know, the better.” I told him, looking as serious as I could so that he could believe it and wouldn’t push like he always fucking did when he thought it would somehow help me.
“I know what you’re doing, you know?” He frowned.
“Yeah. We’ve known one another too damn long to pretend otherwise,” I told him, smirking, so it would make him feel like it wasn’t a big deal. He shook his head.
“You know what I find interesting about my bachelor party?”
“That there wasn’t a harem of strippers?” He laughed and shook his head again.
“The fact that Jerry helped a hurt security guard wouldn’t have been too big of a deal. I mean, shit happens, especially at places like Shine. But the little baker who owns the bakery my wife is obsessed with was all over your lap, shit … coincidences happen. Who am I to judge, right? But you know what I thought topped the cake about that night?”
“I’m sure you're going to enlighten me,” I told him dryly.
“Judge Duke Keates was arrested that same night.” Mike looked at me, no more amusement on his face. The mighty dirty Judge had been out to get me for a while. Why, I had no idea. What I did know was that he was determined to use every single pawn he could, especially since he knew the Feds were on his back about his dirty dealings.
“Mike…”
“I haven’t brought this up for a while, John. I let it lie, thinking you’d tell me. Maybe not right now, since you have your hands full, but you are going to tell me what that fucking mess was about.”
I didn’t respond and he knew I wasn’t going to. That whole thing was a horrible mess, one where a young, beautiful woman got hurt.
“Anyhow, I came in to tell you Sabrina and I are heading home. Jerry said he’d be by tomorrow morning to check on the patient.”
“Wait.” I frowned, “You can't leave.”
“Why not?”
“Who’s going to watch Zoey?” I asked, sounding panicked.
“Zoey? Oh is that her name?” He asked with a smile on his face.
“Yes.”
“Well … you are. You have a personal assistant now, and it should help you free up some time.”
“Mike, you cannot be serious…” I started to say when the asshole started to laugh.
“We have to go. The kids can only stay at Emmi and Dan’s place for so long. I’ll see you this weekend, okay?”
I felt my blood pressure rise as I nodded. “Yeah. I’ll see you out.”
***
Zoey and I stood at the door as we watched Mike and Sabrina drive off. I looked at Zoey almost at the same time she turned her little head to look at me, her face tilting as if to ask me What are we going to do now?
“I have no idea, princess,” I answered her unspoken question. My heart constricted when she chose that moment to smile at me. She gave me a big smile so sweet that her huge eyes almost disappeared, and I chuckled as we walked back into the house.
Walking into the living room, I saw that Sabrina had indeed made sure I had everything I needed. She’d sent Nick on a trip and had ordered a bunch of shit online, asked for my credit card, and had sent her little errand boy on his way. I wasn’t a complete idiot with kids. I’d watched Sabrina and Mike’s kids over the last year, so I wasn’t terribly worried.
“All right, doll. Do you like TV? I’m sure we can find something to watch.” She giggled, and I squished my nose at her. “Are you saying I have bad taste in television? I have to tell you I’ve had my share of women in this house, who have never complained.” At this, her face went serious, her chubby little hand going to my cheek and then grabbing my nose.
“Jealous little thing, aren’t you.” I smiled at her and she gave me a raspberry.
***
Waking up to a small weight on my chest, I realized I must have fallen asleep on the couch. I opened my eyes and saw the top of Zoey’s dark hair.
Blinking a couple of times, I looked towards the TV. An old episode of MASH was playing in the background. I placed my hand on her tiny little back and stood, then walked carefully to the playpen, where I settled her in and covered her with a soft pale lavender blanket that, from the looks of it, was new. One of my new purchases thanks to Sabrina.
Stretching my back, I walked to the kitchen and grabbed a glass of water and a couple of Tylenols, then walked the grand staircase to the small room Anne was sleeping in.
Standing in the doorway, I hesitated to walk in, hesitated in a way that I’d never done in my forty-three years on earth, and something about that didn’t sit well with me. Trying to ignore that feeling, I looked at her delicate body lying in bed. She had curves where curves should be on a woman, plus she possessed a softness that only added a quiet femininity to her. Closing my eyes, I ruefully shook my head, I couldn’t let myself think about her like this.
Taking in a breath, I walked quietly into the darkened room towards the nightstand by her bed where I settled the glass of water and two pain pills she might need in the morning or in case she awoke in the middle of the night. I fought the urge to look at her but failed, and my gaze fell upon her resting face. Even asleep she looked tense, but the tension couldn’t hide her beauty.
I’ve known women, had more than my share, but there was something different about Anne; something about her that piqued my interest; something about her I shouldn’t want. I watched her under the moonlight that was streaming into the room for a moment longer as I sat in the chair. Before letting sleep claim me, I headed back downstairs to sleep on the over-sized leather couch next to the playpen Zoey was sleeping in.
Chapter Five
John
“Okay, doll, let’s read these directions and see how the hell people make pancakes? Usually, I just order them at a restaurant, but we can't leave your mom,” I told her as I held her with one arm, her head bent to my shoulder looking at the bright yellow box of pancake mix in front of us.
My back hurt from having a shit time sleeping these last two nights, but I was more awake and energetic than I had been in years. Not that I was going to let myself think of why that was.
Zoey and I chatted aimlessly as we mixed the ingredients. I even let her help me mix, with my support of course, till it all looked like a lumpy goop. I sat her down in a purple high chair, another one of Sabrina’s purchases, as I started to cook and flip the pancakes. Pancakes, which of course, didn’t look anything like the picture on the box. A knock on the door distracted me and I grabbed Zoey and, together, we walked to the door.
“Brilliant,” I said cheerfully as I opened the door and saw my curvy new assistant with a shocked expression on her face.
“Umm.”
“Bernadette, meet Zoey. Doll, this is my new personal assista
nt.” Zoey cooed gently, looking at my baffled assistant, who looked at me in my sweat pants and white tee shirt and tan moccasins.
“Mr. Davenport, please, it’s Birdie. Did I...umm…get here too early?” She clarified and asked as she glanced at the small watch on her wrist.
“Come on in, Bernadette, we have our hands full today. Do you know how to make pancakes?” I asked, not taking my eyes off of her as I tried to read her. I was pleasantly relieved when the shock on her face wore off and turned into a kind smile on her pretty round face and she gave me a soft nod.
Anne
Walking down a set of stairs, I wandered through the huge home until I found the kitchen. Zoey was sitting in a high chair eating cheerios from her tray. John was sitting next to her, looking down at the table that had countless files strewn all over it and a laptop next to him. Seeing Zoey and John together made something tug at my chest. My eyes slightly teared up as he chatted with her while she babbled.
It was a sweet scene to take in.
“Hi, you must be Anne,” a female voice said, and I jumped, looking behind me, my hand at my sweatshirt-covered chest. A curvy woman about my age, maybe younger, with gorgeously thick, silkily straight, mahogany-brown hair with a slight reddish tint was standing in the hall smiling at me. She had big green eyes behind thick, funky, black glasses, and something about the soft look on her face made her approachable.
“Yeah. Hi.”
“I’m Bernadette, please call me Birdie.”
“Okay,” I muttered, feeling severely underdressed in my dark grey sweatshirt and black track pants. Birdie had on a soft green and white print dress with an A-line skirt that highlighted her curves and brought out her eyes. She added a touch of color bringing the ensemble together with a bright yellow cardigan. If I didn’t have to worry about money, I would ask her where she bought her outfit.
“Would you like me to make you anything to eat?” She asked with a smile on her face, a slight tilt to her head.
“Umm…”
“I was about to make lunch…”
“Anne.” John’s deep voice made me jump, and I turned too fast. I winced in pain as I looked at him now standing close to me. “You should be resting. Everything okay?”
“Yeah, I umm… I wanted to see Zoey… and I umm…”
“Come, sit.” John’s calm tone washed over me, sparking something in me, and I looked up at him.
Concerned dark eyes met mine, and his hand cupped my elbow. Without a thought or question, I let him lead me to the kitchen where my girl saw me and smiled brightly as she reached her arms out to me.
“Hi, baby girl,” I whispered as I got closer.
“Sit. I’ll get her for you,” he mumbled in an authoritative but gentle tone. He helped me sit at the bench part of the wooden breakfast table.
Something about a surly man like John owning a table like this in his kitchen made me wonder about him. It was a table made from beautiful wood and had a bench seat on one, and chairs on the other three sides, which made it perfect for a family, yet from what I understood, he lived alone. I watched him walk over to the far end where Zoey was sitting, who I noticed was in a new outfit.
“John, do you have kids?” I asked, wondering if he just happened to have a high chair collecting dust in the garage. Maybe he was divorced and that's why he had a table like this, but by the way the chair looked, it seemed to be brand new.
“No, why?”
“Oh.” Worry started to hum in the pit of my belly. “Umm, that’s a new high chair.”
“Yeah,” he muttered, putting Zoey in my arms. I looked up at him and took a deep breath as a sinking feeling fell upon me. “I asked Sabrina to order a couple of things that Zoey might need,” he shared as he sat back down next to me instead of in front of his laptop at the end of the table.
“If you give me a receipt, I will see about paying you back.” It might take until Zoey graduated from high school, but I would do it eventually.
“No need,” he muttered without looking at me, which irritated me slightly. I glanced at Birdie, who smiled at me and walked over to the fridge.
“I have an opening for a housekeeper. If you decide to stay, that is. The guest house is ready and furnished. It’s not much, but it has all the necessities. Plus, there’s a play-pen and some small extras here in the house for Zoey’s safety while you’re working,” he told me, his body close, his muscular thigh brushing against mine. That small touch radiated heat in a way I had never felt.
It was somehow comforting, but his kindness overwhelmed me and I looked down at my hands holding Zoey’s now blurry sock-covered feet.
John
I looked at Bernadette and jerked my head for her to leave. She smiled at me sadly, her eyes slightly worried as she quickly left the kitchen, leaving the three of us alone. I looked at Anne, taking in her dark hair pulled into a simple ponytail at the base of her neck as she stared at Zoey’s feet, trying to hide the emotion in her eyes. My body itched to put my arms around her, to hold her, to comfort her, but my mind was throwing up a big red flag. So I did what was second best. I held Zoey’s hand as she slumped onto her mom as if sensing her need for comfort.
“Everyone falls.” Words came out of my mouth without a second thought. “Sometimes we just need a little help standing back up.” She turned her face to look at me and I felt sucker-punched. Vulnerable eyes I couldn’t seem to read stared back at me. Something about not being able to read her I didn’t like. I wanted to know her, everything about her, and never wanted to stop learning.
“Have you ever fallen?” The tremble in her voice made me switch hands with Zoey so that I could place my hand nearest to Anne on her back.
“Yeah.” I frowned, not knowing why I was talking so much. I blurted out the last thing I could have ever wanted her to know, wanting her to know me unlike anyone else. “Mike, Sabrina’s husband, is like a brother to me. When we were in college, he picked me up. I fell....” shaking my head, I swallowed hard because admitting this was the furthest thing from easy, “Rock bottom, Kitten. There are different ways of falling on your face, not just financially.”
“How did you fall, John?” Her beautiful voice was soft and nurturing. I couldn’t seem to help myself as I drowned in her eyes.
“I lost everything that meant anything to me.” Her hand suddenly cupped my jaw. Our bodies turned slightly towards each other on the bench seat and my heart beat hard against my chest. I wasn’t sure if she realized she was touching me the way she was, and I didn’t want to lose the contact.
“What happened?”
“I was seeing someone who turned out to be someone I didn’t really know at all,” I admitted, surprising the shit out of myself. My heart rate picked up at the near mention of a past I’d tried so hard to bury. To forget!
“She broke your heart?”
Obliterated was more like it.
“Something like that.” I shook my head, clearing the husky tone in my voice. “The point is, everyone goes through shit. Let me help you. You’ll save me from having to look for a housekeeper, and the guest house is ready to go. I’ll warn you, I’m not an easy guy to work for, so beware. Other than that and you sharing when you’re ready about whom you’re running from and why, that’s it,” I quickly spit out, slightly shifting away from her. It was dangerous being so close, yet I couldn’t make myself stand and move away.
Her hand moved away from my jaw the moment I mentioned having to tell me whom she was running from. She licked her lower lip innocently in a way that enticed me, sparking my body to life; something so strong the only way to fight it was to look away from her tempting lips, so I looked back at her eyes instead.
“Okay,” she said, nodding her head after a slight moment of thought. “Only if you deduct a percentage of what you pay me for the expenses of Zoey’s things. And if I leave before it’s paid, you let me pay the rest when I can.”
“Sure,” I grumbled with no real intention of letting her do any of those things
.
If Mike heard me now…I never talked about Grace and what she had done. Not to anyone. Not even Mike. He’d smirk like an asshole at me for spilling my guts like a girl to Anne, and for some weird reason, I could care less. But I refused to let myself think about what that meant.
“Is it safe?” Bernadette said from the doorway, and Zoey giggled loudly.
“Yeah.” I cleared my throat and finally found the courage to stand up and walk over to where my things were, unable to sit as nervous energy flowed through me.
Anne smiled shyly at me before her nose nuzzled the top of Zoey’s head. Something about the image warmed me, sparking to life a part of me I thought had died a long time ago.
Chapter Six
John
Two months later
“Mr. Davenport?”
“Yes, Bernadette,” she winced every time I said her full name, but I kept using it. She was my employee, and I needed to make sure we were both reminded of it before she thought I was her friend. I didn’t get close to employees. Not even those I actually liked, like Bernadette.
“Mr. Crown called to let you know that the kids were going to be at your place. Anne is watching them until Mrs. Crown and he finish up with meetings for the day.”
“Okay,” I mumbled.
That was another change that had happened.
My house had somehow become a daycare for Mike. Not that I minded, honestly. I liked coming home to a house full of activity.
On the nights I came home to a quiet place, a loneliness I had once been accustomed to, one I had thrived on and was familiar with, I no longer enjoyed. On those nights, I found myself eating the dinners cooked by Anne while I stood at the large kitchen window and stared at the small guest house that called to me. The warmth of the lights filtered out into the stark darkness made me ache to go there to spend time with the two girls who had turned my life upside down. But I wouldn’t let myself. I had nothing to offer them other than what I’d already given.
Even knowing I had nothing more to give them, I’d find myself making excuses to come home straight after work, hoping that I arrived early enough to talk her into eating dinner with me and then letting me walk her back. Twice, I’d talked her into watching a movie. I also found myself disinterested in going to Shine or calling to order company like I used to do. I hadn’t even looked twice at or flirted with other women.
Davenport Harbor (Six Degrees Book 3) Page 4