Chapter 3
Back from helping Julian with packing, Rob had lined up a job and a place to live for a while. Julian even emailed him to offer the job formally and set down the particulars in writings. The pay and his duties were all outlined as well as the living arrangements. He would have a choice of one of three rooms with his own bathroom and the use of one other room as his living space. Must be a big house.
Now that it was all official and finalized, Rob decided to call his sister, Christie, and tell her about his job. That was much better than calling her up to ask if he could move in with her for a while.
Until now, Rob didn't want to talk about the job in case it fell through. He didn't exactly trust his luck, but now he was ready to give Christie his news.
"You're calling, not texting? You have some kind of big news? Is it about a job?" Christie asked him before he could tell her anything.
Since she was being so pushy, Rob told her, "I have news. I'm going back to babysitting."
"Ha ha," she said, not believing him. "Talk sense, Rob."
Rob got a little more serious. "Actually I'll be a personal assistant, but that's what you get for not letting me tell you in my own way."
"You know I get anxious when you're between jobs," she admitted and Rob understood.
After their mom lost her job, she sank into a depression and then they lost her. What happened still haunted both of them as well as their dad.
"I'll be working for a guy from Upton Investments. My new boss will need me to look after his little brother now and then. It's not here though. He's moving himself and the kid to his home town, and I'll be going with them. It's a small place called Peach Tree. What I see online looks nice."
"What? You're moving?" Christie asked, not sounding happy.
"It's a live-in thing," Rob told her.
Christie was even more doubtful as she said, "So you and your boss are going to be roomies?"
Considering the kind of luck he had with his last roommate, that seemed like a jinx. "It's temporary. It will help me save up and figure out my next move."
She still wasn't sold on the idea. "But a small town? Really, Rob?"
"I don't have to love it. Like I said, it's temporary. Julian Brenner is a little uptight. Hopefully I won't hate working for him, but his little brother is adorable. Maybe it will even out." Rob didn't mention that Julian was also very hot.
He didn't need to though. Christie had already looked him up online. "That's what he looks like. Now I see what's going on," she practically yelled into the phone. "He is why you took this job."
"Are you looking at a pic of him with or without the beard?" Rob asked, admitting to nothing.
"With. Do not under any circumstances fall for this guy," she ordered him. "Now give me your new address."
Christie was kind of bossy and a little overprotective, but Rob couldn't blame her. She was his big sister, and she pretty much single handedly held them all together when they lost their mom.
Finished talking to Christie, Rob sat against the headboard of his narrow bed and thought about Danny and Julian. The way that little guy looked to his older brother was really touching. There was no margin for error when taking care of a traumatized kid, but Julian had taken on the responsibility. But was Rob ready to enter their world? What if he did the wrong thing or said the wrong thing?
When he thought about Danny, Rob wanted to do whatever he could for him. Even with the added pressure, he couldn't even consider backing out. But honestly, he didn't know what he was really getting himself into.
On the day of the trip to Peach Tree, Rob woke up early and blinked at the gray, washed out light of the morning. Looking around his room and then the rest of the apartment, Rob knew he wouldn't be sorry to never see this place again.
Christie texted him to say how sorry she was she couldn't see him off. It did feel kind of lonely. Their dad had only recently moved in with his girlfriend in Oregon. She had her daughter and her kids living with her. It was a full house, but they all seemed to be getting along. Still Dad was lamenting that he, Rob and Christie had all scattered.
His call caught Rob just as he was going out the door. "I wish I was there to see you off," his dad said and Rob laughed.
"Christie was just saying that too." Rob told him.
"They should have a few good barbeque places out there. Keep your eyes peeled," his dad instructed him.
"I will."
"And take good care of yourself. Call or text if you need anything. You know I'll drop everything if you need me. You know that right?" his dad said so earnestly that Rob had to choke back tears.
