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“As you should’ve.”
I lock my eyes on the flickering light post. “She kicked me out of her house. Even if I get Ryder back tomorrow, we’ll be in a hotel. I don’t think the caseworker will be very impressed with that.”
“Many families are often displaced, Sunshine. You wouldn’t be the first parent to have their child in a hotel temporarily, but I can make arrangements for a home for you and your son,” he offers.
It feels like too much.
I shake my head.
“In the meantime, Bishop has been asked to leave.”
I snap my eyes to his. “What?”
He chuckles. “It seems the female staff are having issues with him here.”
“He’s done nothing to cause problems. I’ve not heard an improper word from his mouth.”
“I like how defensive you are of him, but it’s not necessary. Your administrator says the nursing and care staff are causing scheduling issues because everyone wants to be at work. They’re clocking in when they aren’t on the schedule. Residents are complaining of breathing issues because the perfume use has gone up.”
I shake my head. “That’s ridiculous.”
“I agree, but he’s been asked to leave. I’ve made arrangements for a small two-bedroom house. He’s not quite ready to come back to the clubhouse. You’re more than welcome to the extra room while you figure everything else out.”
I want to say no. I want to tell him that it’s not right for me to live with Brent while he’s recovering, but I’m in no position to turn such a generous offer down.
“Does he know about what happened with Travis?” I figure he spoke with him about it after asking me to leave the room earlier.
“I’ve not said a word to him,” Kincaid says. “In fact, if you accept the offer, he’s still going to ask you the same thing when you go back inside.”
“I’m not fired?” I ask, needing clarification.
“No. Of course not. You’re not responsible for the actions of others, and that includes trusting your mother to keep Ryder safe while you work.”
“I don’t know what I’ll do when he comes home.” I swallow another lump of emotion threatening. “My mom keeping him is no longer an option.”
“Two things are possible. We have a daycare at the clubhouse, and Ryder is welcome there any time. Or, if you’re at the house helping with Bishop, he can be there with you. We’re very family oriented.”
“That’s very generous of you.”
He smiles, the wrinkles at the corners of his eyes making me believe he’s done it quite a lot in his lifetime.
“I’d like to take you up on your offer to stay at the house, but I can’t quit my job here. I need both.”
“Bishop is well enough to be on his own during the day, and I don’t want you to worry about how he feels about it because he asked me if you were coming too. I think you being around is good for him. When he told me he didn’t want us Cerberus members infiltrating his room here, I was worried he was pushing everyone away.”
“He has struggled some, but he’s smiling more.” I chew on the inside of my lip, having more questions to ask but also trying to decide if I’m pushing my luck. “You don’t seem surprised about what I’m going through.”
“Max, our IT specialist with Cerberus, has a program constantly running to flag names in the system when they pop up on certain databases.”
“And mine popped up last night?”
“Travis’s did,” he confirms.
“I figured I’d be fired,” I mutter. “Not offered a place to stay.”
“We knew about Travis’s first DUI before we asked you to help with Bishop. Like I said, we don’t punish people for others’ choices.”
“I appreciate that. I’m not so sure the administrators here will respond the same when they find out.”
“If you have any problems, just let me know. There are laws that protect you. Now, I’ve got to get back. It’s our evening with the grandbabies. I’m going to give your information to Faith, the family attorney I mentioned, so she can get started on your case.”
“Thank you,” I tell him, more tears threatening to spring from my eyes, but these are from gratitude.
“Any time. Let me know if there’s anything else I can help with.”
I spend several long minutes standing there, as he drives away, trying to get my emotions under control. I don’t know how I got so lucky to have folks like Cerberus in my corner.
Chapter 18
Bishop
I swear the sight of her puffy red eyes has the power to bring me to my knees. I don’t know a damn thing about this woman but knowing that she’s been crying again makes me want to walk over broken glass and hot coals just for the chance to solve her problems.
It’s out of character for me. I’m all for helping someone, but usually that entails violence and gunfire. This emotional shit, when someone’s life isn’t in imminent danger, is well out of my wheelhouse.
