AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Saliva pools in my mouth, and drool threatens to drip down my chin, as memories of Aunt Claire’s pot roast merge with the smell permeating the kitchen. “You didn’t have to, but I’m so glad you did. It’s been a day.”
She lifts an eyebrow. “Honey, you weren’t even gone for long. What kinda trouble did you get yourself into?” A nervous laugh bubbles up as she wags her finger at me in jest.
“Well, I learned you can’t park in front of Richard’s Barber Shop. Finished with my hair cut, and found a parking ticket on my windshield.”
“Oh no.”
I’ve not specifically shared it with her, but Claire seems to sense money’s tight for Maggie and me right now. A start-up company I co-founded began being lucrative right when Hannah received the news of her diagnosis. Without a second thought, I stepped away from the start-up, planning to return when Hannah was healthy again. But Hannah never got back on her feet, and two months after the diagnosis she was gone.
My heartbreak was so deep I couldn’t get out of bed. Returning to work in the foreseeable future was a longshot. Instead, I sold my part of the company and prayed the money would carry Maggie and me until something else came along.
“It worked out okay. Do you know Paul Polske?”
Claire exaggerates an eye roll. “Do I? He may be the chief of police, but he was a stinker in class.”
“He told me a little about his misadventures.” I say, and then explain how I caught a break with Paul forgiving my ticket.
“He better have! Paul caused so much trouble as a kid, he’s still got a lot of work to do to make up for it.” Claire laughs, filling the entire room with a lightness that seeps from her soul.
“Seems like a nice guy now, though. He invited me to meet him and his brother at Sharkey’s one night to hang out.”
“You should, Logan. It’d be good for you to get out and make friends. You’ve holed yourself up here since you arrived.”
“I’m not sure I’m ready yet. I’m focused on finding work and looking for a place for Maggie and me to live long term.”
“This place is small, but there’s no rush. We’re happy to have you both here.”
“I know, but I still have some savings, and Maggie could use her own space.” And my back would appreciate an actual bed, I add silently. “I’ll submit more applications next week. If I can’t find something in Alexandria, I’ll check in Cincinnati. I’ll find something.” My belief in the last statement is shaky after job searching in California for months and still being empty-handed.
“You do whatever you think is right, but know you can stay here as long as you want.”
I give Claire a bear hug because I know she means every word she says.
“I love you, Aunt Claire.”
“And honey, I love you and Maggie, too.”
Chapter 3
Noah
Eventhroughtheblackoutcurtains, sunlight bursts into my bedroom and rouses me. With only an eye peeked open, I see that it’s almost noon. I can’t recall the last time I slept so late. I drop my phone on the bed and pull the covers over my head, wishing for a few more minutes of sleep. Instead, I jolt awake, remembering Rainey’s sleeping down the hallway in a guest bedroom.
Thankfully, I passed out in my bed earlier this morning before I could strip down, so I can check on her right away. Will I need to wear PJs now? I shudder at the notion. I’ve always hated clothes touching me while I sleep.
My bedroom door squeaks like an old set of stairs when I open it, causing me to recoil. I pad down the hallway in my bare feet and stand in front of the guest room where I tucked Rainey in to sleep. Holding my breath and pressing my ear against the door, there’s only silence. Good. I need about a gallon of caffeine straight into a vein before I’ll be ready to turn on whatever charm I need to drum up for entertaining my niece.
I make a beeline for the espresso machine on the granite counter in my kitchen. When I bought this house, the open floor plan made me swoon, but just weeks after moving in I realized its fault: with no true division between rooms my mess is always on display. My work bag and its contents are still on the living room floor and need to be dealt with.
The machine heats, and I toss yesterday’s still half-full coffee cup into the sink. Rummaging through my fridge, I discover the contents inside are more desolate than usual and the half-and-half is empty. I work long hours as a single, career-oriented woman. My cooking is as unusual as a May snow in Kentucky, and when I do cook I make more of a mess than a meal. The face of my slumbering niece pops into my mind, a reminder I now have a little belly depending on me for meals. Adaptation’s the name of the game until Dunbar’s out of jail, so I’ll have to figure the food thing out.
The green light on the espresso machine signals its readiness. I tap my coffee grounds down in the portafilter and twist it into the machine. Stepping back to wait for the magic bean juice to drip, the fine hair on my arms stand at attention, urging me to turn around. I twist and discover a sullen Rainey leaning against a kitchen island barstool. She’s a sneaky little ninja. How did I not hear her come downstairs?
“Hey Rae,” I greet the less-than-enthusiastic girl in front of me.
“Mornin’,” she grumbles and stretches her arms to the heavens, freeing a massive yawn. Her eyes take my kitchen. “I’m hungry.”
“Let’s scrounge up something to eat. What sounds good for breakfast?”
