AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Emmett reared back as if I’d slapped him. “I’m not your ex-husband, Olivia. I will not hurt you or Charlie, nor would I allow harm to come to either of you. This could be good for all of us. If you put your fear aside for five seconds, you would see that.”
With a huff, I set my fork down. “Emmett, I can’t quit my job. Even if I didn’t have rent to pay, I’d still have a few thousand dollars in hospital bills to cover.”
“Let me worry about the hospital bills. I nearly hit him; I should be the one to pay.”
I narrowed my eyes at him. “You don’t owe us anything.”
“And you don’t owe anyone else anything, least of all a boss who abuses his staff.”
Emmett was right. I was so used to being independent, to being the breadwinner for my son and I, to struggling and living on the poverty line. How many times had I lay in bed at night wishing our lives would change for the better? That I could save some money, get my nursing degree, and move Charlie and I to a nicer area? To worry less about bills and keeping Charlie safe from the crap that could happen in this apartment block, in favour of living a happy life? Now here was my chance to do all those things and here I was seriously considering turning Emmett down?
As I considered the possibility of moving back to Santa Barbara, of playing and swimming at the beach with Charlie and Emmett every day, and living in a bigger house with room to move, a smile started to form on my face.
Emmett leaned in close to me with a cocky smile of his own. “Has something won you over, sweetheart?”
“Will you let me talk to Charlie about it first?”
Emmett pecked my cheek. “I’ll leave you two to it.” He picked up his keys and headed toward the door. “See you later, grouch.”
“I’m no grouch!”
“Yeah, you are,” Emmett said with a laugh.
“Are you going home again? Why won’t you ever stay here? I miss you when you’re gone. “Charlie pouted.
“Charlie,” I gently chastised.
“I have to feed my dog. He can’t miss out on his dinner. I’ll see you tomorrow.” Emmett winked at me, then walked out the door.
I picked up my bowl and went over to the couch to join my little boy. When he continued to pout, I nudged him playfully. I did it a couple of times until Charlie smiled. “Ahh, there’s my sweet boy. I was beginning to miss him.”
“I didn’t go anywhere, Mom. But I’m stuck here!” He threw his head back against the cushion.
I laughed for a moment. “I’m sorry I snapped before, sweetie. But you need to be nicer to Emmett; he’s trying to help both of us.”
“Sorry, Mom.”
“It’s not me you have to say sorry to.”
Charlie snatched a string of spaghetti from my bowl and dropped it into his mouth. “I wish Emmett would sleep over sometimes.”
“I think I might have a good solution for that little issue.” I tapped the handle of my fork against my chin.
His dark brown eyes grew wide. “What?”
“How would you like to stay at Emmett’s for a bit? He has a nice big house right on the beach near where we had the picnic with Lucy and Millie’s family the other weekend. He has a dog you could play with, and you could have your own bedroom.”
“My own bedroom? No way! His house must be huge!”
I laughed again. Living in this tiny apartment all his life meant that Charlie’s concept of space was pretty different to most other kids. Emmett’s house wasn’t massive, but with three bedrooms and the lovely open-plan design with huge windows, it had miles on this place.
“When can we go to Emmett’s place?” Charlie asked.
I ran my fingers through Charlie’s short hair. “We’ll pack some stuff in the morning and go there right after I stop by work. Does that sound good?”
“Yeah. I can make sandcastles every day!”
“You can certainly try. But I want you to promise me a couple of things.”
