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He wished he’d never asked about Reese’s mother.
“I became Reese’s legal guardian after that. My sister giving me custody might be the only smart thing she ever did. I think deep down she knew she could never give Reese what she needed, regardless of whether she was in prison or not. Because my hours are sometimes crazy, I moved back in with my mom. Dad passed away a few months before Eliza was arrested, so I think it was good for Mom to have us there.”
He couldn’t imagine finding himself in a similar situation. “What about Reese’s father? Didn’t he want custody?”
“Eliza doesn’t know who Reese’s father is. Considering the men my sister spent time with, Mom and I are okay with that.”
Curt usually knew what to say, but not now. How did one respond to a story like hers? The problems he’d faced in life were nothing compared to this. “I’m so sorry, Taylor. I can’t imagine what it’s been like for you and your mom.”
“Mom struggled with it for a long time. She’s doing better, though. I think having Reese helps. It’s hard to be upset with her around. And it sounds crazy, but I’m glad Dad wasn’t alive when it happened. I think it would’ve been even harder for him than it was Mom.”
He thought of the friendly little girl who wanted to teach him soccer. Curt hadn’t known her long, but he agreed with Taylor’s comment. “It must’ve been hard for you, too, when it happened. In essence losing a sister and becoming a parent overnight.”
“Yes and no. I’d really hoped she’d get her life together, but part of me knew it wouldn’t happen. Some people can’t change no matter how much help and support they have. When we found out Eliza had been arrested, it wasn’t a surprise. She’d been arrested once before, just not for something serious enough to send her to prison.”
Curt agreed. He’d seen a few acquaintances spiral out of control with drugs and alcohol, despite good support systems. As far as he knew none had ended up in prison, but having powerful, influential relatives tended to help with matters such as those. “Is Eliza still in prison?”
Taylor shook her head. “She’s out now, but I’m not sure where she is. She called my mom about seven or eight months ago. Said she needed money for food. Mom’s heard that too many times to just hand over cash. Mom told Eliza she’d meet her at the store and they’d go shopping together.”
He knew the answer to his next question before he asked it. “What happened?”
“She told Mom to forget it and hasn’t called since.”
Yeah, the answer he’d expected.
“Eliza didn’t even ask about Reese the day she called.” The bitterness was back in Taylor’s voice.
One word described a woman like Eliza Walker: bitch.
“Reese doesn’t know any of this. We’re waiting until she’s older to tell her everything. For now she just knows her mom couldn’t take care of her so she came to live with me. I’m dreading the conversation, but she deserves to know the truth. Mom and I both hope when she learns about Eliza, it’ll keep her away from drugs.”
“Sounds like the right decision.”
Taylor pulled her hand from his and reached for her dessert again. “Enough with this depressing subject. Time for something more interesting.”
“Name it.”
Genuine curiosity replaced the pain and anger in her eyes. “You.”
He’d opened himself up to this by asking about her sister. “Me?”
She’d shared more with him than any other man in recent memory, partly because he’d asked but also because she wanted to. Although there remained a lot she didn’t know about Curt, she couldn’t ignore the feelings he kicked up inside her. Feelings, both emotional and physical, she wanted to explore. Considering the way he kept looking at her, he wanted to do some exploring, too. At the moment, she wasn’t sure if he wanted to explore more than just her body. But since he showed a true interest in her family, she hoped it ran deeper than some simple physical gratification.
“Yeah, you. You said you come from a big family, but don’t talk much about them. Do they live around here?” Taylor understood not everyone wanted to share information quite as personal as the details she’d just shared with someone they barely knew. That didn’t mean he couldn’t offer a little more about his background.
Curt signaled for their server to come over. When she arrived, he requested another espresso. “Do you want anything else, Taylor?” he asked her.
“Sure, why not? Another latte would be fabulous.”
After the server left, several seconds passed before he spoke. “My parents live in Rhode Islan
d. My sister Leah lives in Connecticut. Brett, my older brother, lives wherever Uncle Sam tells him to.”
Now they were getting somewhere. He’d shared some actual names with her. She’d noticed up until now he never referred to any family members by name.
“Perhaps about half my family is in the New England area, but I have a few cousins in New York and Virginia. I have at least one cousin out in California. Another was talking about moving there, but I’m not sure if he ever did. We’ve never been close, so we don’t stay in touch. And I have an uncle and aunt in the Washington, D.C. area.”
“Sounds like you always have someplace to go on vacation.”
