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At times like this, Reese remembered why she never considered moving back home to North Carolina. She tried to think of her parents as busy people, and it was hard to explain when Mav was younger why grandma and grandpa never sent a Christmas gift or a birthday card. Mav was old enough to figure out their attention was never going to be lavished on them. They were considered lesser because of her bank balance. It never mattered why.
“You got fired today, didn’t you?” Mav spoke up.
Reese knew he listened carefully to their conversation, never interrupting but paying very close attention. At times it seemed like he was fifteen going on forty. He should be more worried about teenaged drama than keeping the lights on or what greedy underhanded adults did. Unfortunately, those things seeped together in their house.
“Yeah, I did,” Reese admitted. “I am going to have a hard time finding another job.”
“Why?” Pappy asked. “I bet there are a few places within walking distance who will hire you. You keep this house running and are a single mom. You can cook and bake better than most people can. You are smart enough to catch on to new things quickly. Some of those skills have to translate into a job somewhere.”
“What happened?” Mav asked.
“I started my shift just fine, but then the police station called. I knew it was the opening my boss was looking for to get rid of me. I tried to be calm, but then he grabbed my ass. I didn’t even think. I just lost it. I punched him. He called me worthless,” Reese finished quietly.
“Mom,” Mav said, fighting tears of his own. Scraping his chair against the floor, he went to his mother, hugging her from behind. “Now tell me it didn’t feel good to blacken that asshole’s eye.”
“Mav,” Reese covered her laugh with a groan. Pappy hid his smile with his coffee cup. “Oh, we are one hell of a family, aren’t we?”
Chapter 4
Reese finished her day like she did most other days, sitting on the front porch in the dark watching the lightening bugs dance in the postage-stamp-sized front yard. She had a beer most of the time. There was no room for extras with the budget being as tight as it is. Beer would have to wait until she got another job.
Just like the loose boards on the porch, they were going to have to wait. Mav knew not to sit on the step beside her. It only took the loose board to pinch his hiney once before he decided to sit somewhere else if he wanted to join her. The days of Mav chatting with her on the front porch were getting fewer and further apart. It was just part of growing up. Reese didn’t have to like it, but it was just one more thing there was nothing she could do about it.
Her son was reluctantly sharing his room with Pappy. After getting them settled, they were both asleep. Somehow, she would have to find space in the budget for another single bed and a chest of drawers. Mav’s sleeping bag on the floor wasn’t going to cut it for long.
Hopefully, the secondhand store has something. If not, it could be a while before she could afford new. A long, long time before she could consider buying something new. Since she was now unemployed and without any real prospects for another job, it would be an eternity.
Groaning, Reese pulled at the band that held her hair up. Running her fingers through the mess, she focused on the work possibilities within walking distance. There weren’t many jobs in a small town to be had, fewer if the entire town knew how you punched your last boss on your way out the door.
“Hey, Beautiful, you waiting on me?” The sound of Cash’s voice pierced through the night.
Reese watched a figure strolling through the darkness, wondering how she missed her new neighbor coming across the street. She hadn’t even noticed him walking up the driveway, but here he was, standing beside her, handing her a beer. Reese looked at the frosty bottle wondering why he was here again. Maybe he would leave the beer and go home. Reese wasn’t sure what she did to piss off the man upstairs, but she really needed to find out. Her nerves were about shot. She wasn’t sure how much more she could take.
Juggling life by herself was something she learned to do. There were a lot of balls for her not to drop. She didn’t want to let anyone down.
Cash made her nervous, and she didn’t want to think about why. Nope, she wasn’t dipping one toe into the dating pool even if he did look like a damn good time. She didn’t have the time or the energy. He would add another ball to her juggling act. It would be great to have someone to share things with, but she wasn’t sure the added strain was worth it.
“Take it or don’t. It is just a beer,” Cash chuckled, setting the bottle on the step between them.
Twisting off the cap and taking more than a healthy swallow, he kept his eyes locked on her. Cash took a seat on the front porch floor beside her. Shifting toward her, he brought his thigh within an inch of hers. His movement caused the boards on the floor to move.
“Watch out,” Reese warned a second too late.
“Damn,” Cash jumped, glaring at her as he rubbed the back pockets of his jeans. Splinters fell from the denim as his hand drew her attention to his ass.
“What do you want?” Reese tried to hide her smile, but she could tell how he was looking at her he saw it.
The man affected her more than she wanted him to. The cologne, soap, or whatever he wore wound its way into her senses. If she weren’t careful, it would be easy to become addicted to him. She needed to send him back across the street before she did something stupid. Like kissing the hot neighbor stupid or letting him help her stupid. Agreeing to things she usually wouldn’t and all those other things she told herself she didn’t need, stupid. There were a lot of stupid things rattling around in her head.
“Woman, isn’t that a loaded question?” Cash replied before cautiously sitting again.
Taking the beer between them, she took a drink. Reese relished the hoppy flavor before turning her attention back to him. It was time to get his gorgeous ass back across the street.
“What?” Reese uttered when she felt him staring. “Do you make a habit of staring at people?”
“Jesus, woman, you have no idea,” he growled before taking another swig.
The silence lapsed between them as they both gazed out into her yard. Reese was hoping if they sat in silence, Cash would get the hint.
