by Claire Adams
"We don't have a place to live anymore," Riley blurted out. "Gram burned us out of our house yesterday because she was smoking, and when she drinks she forgets about her lit cigarettes."
"Wait, what?" I said stunned that she was telling me this, but more stunned that I had no idea that this had happened.
"We stayed with my uncle Patrick last night, but he lives in the church, so there's no room for us. Besides, Leah and Patrick don't get along," she confessed. The more she talked, the easier it seemed to flow, so I stayed silent and let her tell me as much as she wanted to. I would ask questions once she'd gotten the whole story out.
"Leah says that we can stay in a hotel for a couple of nights, but I think she forgot to pay the insurance policy," Riley continued. "I heard her arguing with Uncle Patrick about selling the house, and she was crying because we don't have any place to live. She thinks it's her fault, but it isn't. It's Gram's fault for smoking and drinking."
I listened as the whole story came tumbling out of Riley's mouth. The grandmother who was an alcoholic, the uncle who was a priest, the missing mother, and all of it seemed to fall on Leah's shoulders. Riley talked about getting suspended, and as she did, she began to cry.
"Oh, now wait a minute," I said as I slid out of my chair and kneeled on the floor in front of her. I took her hand and said, "Why did you get in a fight with that girl in the first place?"
"She said mean things about my mom," Riley sniffed as she wiped the back of her free hand across her eyes. "She called my mom a whore and a junkie. I was sick of it."
"Sounds like just cause to me," I said. "Listen, when I was a kid, I was always getting in fights and getting suspended from school. My mother would scold me and tell me I had to do better— try and get along with people, but nobody ever asked me why I was fighting in the first place."
"Why did you fight?" she asked as she sniffed back a small sob.
"I didn't like it when the bullies picked on the little kids who couldn't fight back," I said quietly. "I knew what that felt like."
"So you fought the big kids so they wouldn't beat up the little ones?" she asked hopefully.
"Yeah, but I didn't do a very good job of it," I admitted. "I wasn't much of a fighter."
"Doesn't matter," she said squeezing my hand. "You didn't let them just pick on those kids. I bet those kids were really glad someone stood up for them."
"I don't know," I shrugged, trying not to remember the moments of sheer terror I felt as I trudged home from school carrying yet another suspension notice in my backpack and knowing that at some point that evening I'd have to face my father.
"I do," she said patting my shoulder. "Because a couple of times there have been bigger kids who've stood up and defended me, and it felt good to know that I had someone looking out for me."
"Thanks," I said, giving her a grateful smile before redirecting the conversation. "But what are you guys going to do?"
"Me and Leah? Aw, we'll be okay," she said waving a hand at me as if none of this was a big deal. "We always find a way to get by."
"Is that so?" I said with an amused grin. There was something about her casual confidence that made her incredibly endearing.
Just then, Norma knocked on the door and said that I had an urgent call from one of the suppliers. Riley nodded at me and got up to go with Norma. As she reached the door, she turned around and said, "Thanks for the talk, Jack. I feel better. I hope you do, too."
Before I could answer, she turned and quietly closed the door behind her. I walked over to the desk, determined to end the call as quickly as possible because I had an idea about how to solve a number of problems.
The question was whether Leah would accept my solutions.
CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT
Leah
Late in the day, after I'd resolved the issues between the warehouse workers and the construction crew, and ironed out a number of issues with large orders that Sloan had generated, I got a call from Norma asking me to come up to Jack's office.
My stomach flipped over as I tried to anticipate what he might want. I couldn't help but recall the way that we'd almost kissed, and then my face burned with shame remembering how Jack had pulled away when Sloan had caught us. I told myself that what he wanted was nothing more than a professional run down of the warehouse, and as the manager, I was obligated to give him the figures. I gathered my reports and headed up to his office with a sinking feeling in my gut.
"Well, now aren't you a sight for sore eyes!" Norma exclaimed as I walked through the door. She studied me for a moment and then said, "What's eating at you, darlin? You look like you been rode hard and put up wet."
"Thanks, Norma," I said with a grimace. "You know how to make a girl feel good."
"Aw, honey, now don't go gettin' your knickers in a knot," Norma said with a smile as she pushed her jar of hard candy towards me. "Here, have a sweet treat, and tell me what's going on."
"I don't want to talk about it," I said as I reached in and grabbed a butterscotch disc.
"Sure you do," she said as she followed suit. "Unburdening yourself always feels good. Besides, maybe there's something I can do to help. You never know."
"My mother burned us out of our house yesterday, and we have no place to stay," I blurted out.
"Oh my God, darlin!" Norma exclaimed as she shot up out of her chair and hurried around the desk. She put her arms around me and pulled me into a warm hug as the tears began to flow. She rubbed my back as she murmured, "Darlin', that's just terrible. All right, it's all going to be all right."
"I'm tired, Norma. I'm just so tired," I cried as she held me and patted my head.
"I know, darlin'," she said. "But the bigger issue is what are we going to do with you tonight? I'd invite you to stay with me, but I'm living with my daughter and her family while my apartment is being fumigated. And they've got three kids stuffed into that little place."
"I was thinking we could sleep in my office tonight, and I'd figure out something tomorrow," I said. "I can't go back to the rectory with my brother, but I've got Riley to think about. I can't have her sleeping on the floor in my office!"
"Nonsense, little girls like Riley are resilient, and they can adapt much better than adults," she said. "But you're right. You can't sleep in your office."
Norma rocked me back and forth as she talked out loud about the possibilities. When I'd calmed down enough to wipe away the tears and take a deep breath, she told me her plan.
"While you're in there meetin' with Jack, I'm going to call around and see if I can find you a place for a couple of nights," she said. "I'll charge it to the company account, and you can pay it back before the accounts get reconciled next month. I'll make sure it's somewhere safe, but affordable."
"Thank you, Norma," I said as Jack buzzed her on the intercom and told her to send me in. I inhaled deeply to steel myself and opened his door.
"Leah, come in and have a seat," Jack said, pointing to the chair across from him. "I want to talk to you about something."
"I've got the warehouse reports right here," I said, holding up the stack of papers I'd printed out. "I can tell you where we need to improve and where all of our resources are lacking. I think we need to..."
"Riley tells me that you're in need of a good meal," he interrupted.
"I ... what?" I said, stunned by the frankness of his statement and by the fact that he knew what was going on in my life.
"She said it's a bummer that she's been suspended and that you've been working late," he continued. "She said she'd love to have a good home cooked meal sometime."
"Jack, I—when did you talk with Riley?" I asked, thinking about how I was going to scold her for talking about our personal business with my boss.
"She came up here to talk with me about some things, and the subject came up," he shrugged. "It's not my place to tell you everything. I do think that the fact that you are my warehouse manager and you are in need of a good meal is something I need to address. I'd be a te
rrible boss if I didn't, wouldn't I?"
"Well, I wouldn't expect you to," I said as I looked at him carefully. He was smiling rather like the cat that ate the canary. "But it's nice of you to be concerned about us."
"Alright, my solution is that you and Riley will come have dinner at my mother's house tonight after we're done with the final walk through of the warehouse," he said.
"I'm not sure how Riley will feel about this," I replied.
"What do you mean?"
"She's a good kid, but she's also a picky eater," I said, trying not to let the emotion seep into my voice. I thought about all of the dinners we'd had in that house. Mama, Molly, me, Patrick, and then Riley when she came along. And I choked back a sob that was building in my throat. Forward movement was the only way I was going to make it through this.
"I see," Jack nodded. "Well, then you'll come have dinner at my mother's tonight."
"We can't do that, but thank you for the offer," I said shaking my head as I looked down at the stack of reports in my lap.
"Of course you can do it," he replied. "And you will do it. It's no problem for my mother, believe me. She loves having people to entertain, and I'm sure she'll roll out the red carpet and feed you like royalty!"
"I don't want to put her out," I protested.
"Oh, it's not like she'll be cooking or anything," he said smiling at me. "I'm sure she'll have her cook whip up a wonderful, kid-friendly meal that will have Riley wanting to live in the kitchen after eating it."
"Well, Riley is an easy target right now," I said, laughing. "She's hungry, and I don't have time to cook a proper meal for her. She's been surviving on pizza, which she loves, by the way."
"Then I'll have Jimmy pick us up around six," he said, grabbing the phone and making a call. He spoke quietly into the receiver as he swiveled his chair around so his back was facing me. I couldn't hear what he was saying, but I could tell that he was giving instructions.
"Jack, this is way too much," I said as he turned back around with a rather satisfied grin on his lips.
"Nonsense, my mother's excited about the prospect of organizing an informal dinner party," he said as he stood up and walked around the desk. He leaned on the edge of the desk and crossed his arms as he looked down at me. "Leah, it's just dinner. Please come and have dinner with my family."
My heart fluttered a little as I looked up at him and remembered what it felt like to be held in his arms. I looked away as the blush crept into my cheeks and wondered how I was going to live and work in such close proximity to the man who made my body ache with longing.
"Okay, I'll say yes, but it's because Riley needs a decent meal," I said looking back up at him once I'd gotten myself under control again. "Dinner is all it is. We won't overstay our welcome."
"Oh, I think you'll be surprised by how wide the welcome mat is at my mother's house," he grinned as he reached out and rested a hand on my shoulder. "I'm glad you'll be having dinner with us, Leah."
I swallowed hard and nodded, knowing that whatever came out of my mouth at that moment would be completely inadequate. I looked up and smiled.
CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE
Jack
It was well after six when I ushered Leah and Riley to the waiting car and told Jimmy to take us home. Riley peppered me with questions about my mother's house for the entire ride, which relieved the tension between Leah and me.
"How big is her house?" Riley asked.
"Super huge," I replied.
"That's not an accurate measurement in real estate terms, Jack," Riley said with a disapproving look. I laughed because I remembered the way in which I used to give my parents the same look when they gave me an unsatisfying answer to questions I'd asked.
"Fine, my mother's house is approximately ten-thousand square feet," I said.
"You're kidding, right?" Riley said as she dropped her jaw and stared at me.
"Not kidding at all," I replied seriously. "It's why she can have guests like you come and stay at a moment's notice."
"Our house is less than two-thousand square feet," Riley observed. "That means your mom's house is … four, no five times bigger than ours."
"Good job on the math," I said nodding. "At least you know you're not losing anything while you're out of school."
"Very funny," she said as she flashed me a grin that I understood to mean exactly the opposite of what she said.
"Looks aren't everything," I replied, much to Riley's delight as she cracked up, then turned to watch the city rush by. Leah gave me a grateful smile before she, too, turned and looked out the window. I wanted to ask her what she was thinking about, but I knew the answer was likely to be something she didn't want Riley to hear so I let it go.
When we pulled up in front of my mother's house, Riley let out a small shriek before she shoved her weight against the car door and went running up the front steps. I laughed as I helped Leah out of the car and nodded at Jimmy as he went around to the trunk to get the packages I'd asked him to pick up.
"Who are you?" Riley asked as the butler opened the front door and invited her inside.
"I'm Martin, the butler," he replied in a formal tone as he gave me a quick questioning look. I simply nodded.
"Do you always open the door?" she asked.
"I do," Martin nodded. "Mrs. Yates is waiting for you in the dining room at the end of the hall. Please join her."
Riley, Leah, and I walked back to the dining room where my mother was sitting at the head of the table already surrounded by Lincoln, Jessie, Joey, and Mimi.
"Uncle Jack!" Joey cried as he hopped down off of his chair and ran around the table. "I waited for you!"
"Well, well, well, who do we have here?" I said as the small child threw his arms around my leg and hugged it tightly.
"It's me—Joey," he said looking up at me through eyes that looked eerily like his father's. "Don't you recognize me?"
"Indeed I do," I said reaching down and grabbing him under his arms so I could swing him up to sit on my hip. "And I've brought guests I'd like you to meet. Joey, this is Riley, and this is Leah. Leah and Riley, I'd like you to meet my nephew, Joey."
"Hi, Joey," Riley said as she stuck out a hand for him to shake. He shook it while staring at her without saying a word.
"Hi, Joey," Leah said as she, too, offered her hand. Joey shook it and then looked at me.
"They are grown up ladies, Uncle Jack," he said solemnly.
"Yes, they are," I nodded. "But I think they like the same kind of food you do."
"Hamburgers?" Joey asked as he looked around the room. "You like hamburgers?"
"I love them," Riley said as she moved around the table and shyly introduced herself to Jessie and Mimi.
"How are you, brother?" I asked as I eyed Lincoln. We hadn't had a conversation since the day he lost his cool over the renovations.
"I'm well, thank you for asking," he said stiffly. My mother watched the two of us, shaking her head.
"I'm glad you could make it for dinner," she said smiling at Leah and Riley. "We're so happy to have you here. Jack has told me all about the miracles you performed in the warehouse since Bernard died. I know he feels lucky to have your skill and expertise keeping that part of the business running."
"Oh, well, I'm glad to be of service," Leah replied blushing a little at the compliment. "Mr. Yates was so kind to me and gave me a chance when no one else would have. I feel like I owe him at least that much."
"You must be starving after a long day at the office!" my mother exclaimed as she motioned towards chairs for Leah, Riley and me, and then nodded to the serving staff. Soon the room was filled with the smell of freshly grilled hamburgers, homemade French fries and potato salad, and platters full of freshly sliced tomatoes, onions, and pickles. I could see Riley's eyes widen as she fixed an enormous burger, and then tried to figure out how to open her mouth wide enough to take a bite of it.
"Easy, tiger," I said, nudging her with my elbow. "I'm not sure you can open your mo
uth that wide."
"Sure I can," she said with a stubborn grin. "I've eaten burgers way bigger than this one, haven't I, Leah?"
"Oh sure, right," Leah said rolling her eyes, watching as Riley stretched her mouth as wide as she could and took the first bite of her hamburger. Catsup and mustard dripped out of the sides of the bun and dropped onto the plate and table around it.
"Oof," she said as she chewed with a satisfied grin. Once she'd swallowed, she looked at me and said, "Told you so."
"I guess you did," I laughed. "I'll never doubt you again."
The conversation turned to questions about Riley's schooling and what things she was learning. My mother kept it all light and easy as my brother and I occasionally shot murderous looks at one another. I knew she saw them, but my mother was the consummate hostess and never let anything ruffle her feathers. By the time dinner was over, she'd gotten Riley and Joey to sing "The Wheels on the Bus." She then helped Joey recite as much as he could remember of "The House that Jack Built," which was punctuated by, "That's you, Uncle Jack!" every time they said, "the house that Jack built." By the time it was over, we were all stuffed with hamburgers, chocolate cake, and ice cream.
"Oh God, I'm so full," Jessie groaned as she pushed herself away from the table. She picked up Mimi and said, "C'mon Joey, time to get ready for bed!"
"I'm full, too," Riley echoed as she wrapped her arms around her midsection and rolled her eyes as Jessie and the kids headed up to the second floor. "I ate way too much!"
"Then you'll sleep well tonight," Leah said as she patted her on the shoulder. "C'mon, get your things together. We need to get going."
"Going?" my mother asked as she gave me a confused look. "I thought that since your house burned down, you'd be staying with us."
"Oh, I … well … I mean," Leah stammered as she quickly looked at me and then back at my mother. I could see the tears begin to well up as her face crumpled, and she cried, "Oh, Jack, how could you?"
Leah pushed her chair back, leapt up, and shot out of the room. I heard the front door open and slam shut, and I knew I'd made a big mistake. Riley looked at me and then looked at the hallway before looking back at me.