AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Oh, no. When I was a kid she was... she was the one who made things fun. She would take us places with her. Dumb places like the grocery store or to Miss Marcelle’s to get her hair done. When she had to work on the weekends, we would go with her, and she and some of the other single moms would turn the breakroom into a playroom. They would bring sheets and pillows and we would make these big forts.” She was quiet for a moment. “Then the manager found out and we weren’t allowed to go with her anymore. Of course, they didn’t stop making her work weekends. Instead they made her find and pay for a babysitter. Then Sienna was old enough and we stayed alone in that trailer.”
He’d never once had that problem as a child. There was always someone dedicated to making sure he had something to do, somewhere to be, that he was safe. “I’m sorry about that. It sounds like she was in a bad place.”
“And she wanted me and Sienna in that bad place, too.” She sat up again, though this time she didn’t bother covering herself. “I know what you’re doing. You’re trying to get me to feel sorry for my mom.”
She was so beautiful, and his instinct was to drown in her. He could get her under him again, and they didn’t have to talk about anything except the things that made her smile. But that wouldn’t start to solve her problems, and keeping Jayna close suddenly seemed like the most important thing in his life. “I’m feeling out your relationship with her because it seems important.”
“It’s not. I haven’t been close to my mom for years.”
“But when you got in trouble, you called her.”
She sighed, her shoulders coming down. “I called my sister. I needed a place to stay but she doesn’t have an extra room. She’s only got the two bedrooms, and the girls are inone. I would have been on the couch. My mom’s was a compromise.”
“Did she know that? Did she know you didn’t want to come home?”
“Probably. It’s not like she met me with a party or anything. We barely talked and then she kicked me out.”
He sat up, getting closer to her. How long had it been since he sat in bed with a woman and talked, their intimacy a warmth that blanketed them both? It had never felt like this. “Do you want a relationship with her?”
“I don’t know. Maybe. It’s hard.”
If she was on the fence, then he had a chance to help mend that rift. “Then you need to talk to her. I think one of the reasons my mother is meddling in my life right now is that she spent all those years taking care of my father and now she’s not sure what to do with herself. She’s not in a place where she can concentrate on herself, so she focuses on me and my brother, and not always in a good way. And she doesn’t understand why I get upset. Maybe that’s what’s happening with your mom, too. She worked hard all her life for you and Sienna, and she feels like you don’t appreciate who she is.”
She was quiet for a moment.
“Do you, Jayna?”
“Of course I appreciate what she sacrificed for us. But I shouldn’t have to prove that by not using the gifts I was given. She wanted me to join her at the plant she’s worked at for most of my life. She set up an interview when I was a senior. She knew I was applying to colleges, but she didn’t think I would be able to afford it, so she arranged a job for me. When I refused to go to the interview, she was furious.”
“That was presumptuous of her, but I’m sure she thought she was being helpful.”
“No, she thought she could trap me.”
“She thought she could keep you,” he corrected. “I know you don’t want to hear this, but you should put yourself in her shoes. She watched you grow up and pass her by. That had to be hard.”
“I’ll think about it if you’ll think about talking to your brother.”
“It’s a completely different situation.”
“I don’t see how. We both have family members who’ve hurt us. You think I should give mine a second chance,” she pointed out.
“Paul’s had a hundred chances.” His chest suddenly felt tight. He didn’t want to talk about Paul. He wasn’t sure what Jayna knew about his brother, but if he could avoid the worst parts of it, he would.
There was a scratch on the door that saved him.
“I think Luna needs a trip outside.” He eased out of bed and grabbed his pants. “Why don’t I take her out and grab us some dinner at the café? Unless you changed your mind. I’ll still take you out for a steak.”
For a moment she looked like she was going to argue with him, but then her expression softened. “No. I think I’d like to stay in. Especially now that I know you bought condoms today, which means everyone in town will know we had sex.”
He buttoned his pants and pulled a T-shirt on. “They’ll still know tomorrow.”
She shifted, her legs dangling off the bed. “I’ll be okay with it tomorrow. I’m a bit raw tonight. It’s been a while since I had a... I don’t know what to call you. It’s too early to say ‘boyfriend.’ ‘Lover’ is a weird word. And I wouldn’t say that was a booty call.”
“It was not.” He moved into her space, reaching out to tilt her head up so she had to look in his eyes. “I know it’s early, but I like you, Jayna. I like you far too much for how littletime we’ve known each other. I don’t have any interest in seeing anyone else. So call me whatever you like, but know I’m serious about this relationship for however long it lasts.”
Her lips curled up but there was something wary in her eyes that made his heart clench. “And that’s why I’ll be okay tomorrow. Get me some onion rings while you’re out. Do you mind if we watch a movie tonight?”
He leaned over and kissed her forehead. Lucky for them he’d had his father’s old TV replaced with a smart one. “Pick whatever you like. I’ll be right back.”
