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“We have some concerns.”
“Concerns about what?” I ask, sounding more defensive than I mean to.
Her back stiffens. “Concerns about how much time you and Lainey are spending with James. Now, I know he’s paying you to babysit Grayson, but I can’t imagine why he’d need you to babysit as late as you have been—ten, eleven, sometimes even twelve o’clock at night—and every weekend too.”
“Well, no, technically I don’t. He lets me stay late so I can get my homework done in peace. You know how Bailey and Autumn are. They’re always fighting about something, and it’s hard to get anything done with them around. And you also know it’s hard for Lainey to fall asleep and stay asleep when they’re awake.”
She sighs heavily, but I see my words haven’t affected her stance. “But still. From what you’ve told us before, it seems like you and James have grown quite close. Perhaps too close, which is concerning, to say the least. We understand why you went out of town to help him with Grayson at his dad’s funeral, but then you didn’t come home last night, and—”
I slide my hands out of Mom’s and shift a few inches away. “Mom, please hear me when I say there’s nothing to be concerned about. James is good. He’s safe. He cares about me and Lainey and—”
“Honey.” I bristle at the slightly condescending tone she’s now adopted as she cuts me off. “We don’t think you should be spending as much time with him as you have been. Your dad and I have agreed that we would like you to quit babysitting and find something else. Maybe try to find a job at another ice cream shop?”
“I’m not quitting.”
“Honey—”
“Don’t.” I stand, place my hands on my hips, and look her square in the face, hoping she’ll listen to me. “I’m not going to quit. Yes, I’ve grown close to James and Grayson. Of course, I have. But there is absolutely nothing wrong with that. I care about them.”
Mom stands and slides her hands down my arms, pulling my hands away from my hips to hold them in hers again. “Shayla, we want you to think of your future, not get wrapped up with an almost thirty-year-old man and his nephew, not when you’re only eighteen years old and have Lainey to think about.”
I take a deep breath and blow it out so I can talk to her calmly. “I am thinking about my future. No one else is going to pay me what James does while also allowing me to bring Lainey to work with me. You know how hard it was for me to leave her before I started babysitting for him,” I tell her pointedly and raise my eyebrow as I pull away to pick Lainey up when she reaches for me. “Listen, I know you and Dad mean well and that what you’re saying is coming from a place of love. I’m grateful for that, truly. Even more so after meeting James’s family. But like you said—I’m eighteen, so I will be the one deciding who I spend my time with and what job I will have.” I catch the time on the clock hanging on the wall behind her. “And as of right now, I’m late for work, so we need to go.”
I have the front door half-open when she stops me with a hand on my forearm. “Ok, ok. Just wait.” She studies my face and nods once. “Here’s the deal. If you say that we have nothing to be worried about when it comes to James, then I trust you and trust that you know what is best for you and Lainey. But”—she draws the word out, and I brace myself—“we want to meet him.”
“You want to meet him,” I deadpan. “The man that you’ve met and talked to dozens of times and whose house you sent me to in the middle of the night so I could help.”
She tsks. “You know what I mean. Officially. We want you to invite him and Grayson out to dinner with us so we can get to know him better. Go deeper than the neighborly small talk.”
“If he agrees to come to dinner, will you drop this? Dad, too?”
“Yes.” She grins when I agree to pass along the invite, then leans in for a quick hug before stepping back and motioning to the door. “Better get a move on so you’re not too late.”
Chapter 16
James
I’m not sure when I’ll ever not feel the need to pace with worry by the front door when Shayla is late because here I am again, pacing and pulling at my hair. When we were interrupted this morning, Shayla’s expression quickly transformed from ecstasy to disappointment to horror, and I haven’t been able to get that last look out of my mind. What had nearly been the greatest moment of my life had turned sour when she shoved me off her and threw herself out of my bed and into the shower without a word. She avoided my eyes and my touch as she gathered her things and took off with Lainey.
And now she’s almost an hour later than usual coming over after school. My heart seizes with fear that she’s going to quit, and I’ll never again get to touch her or even just bask in her presence ever again.
I close my eyes and bang my forehead against the door. I pushed her too far. I know it. I had her consent to push my cock inside her, and my body was instantly flooded with bliss, but I did so when she was in the throes of pleasure and perhaps not thinking clearly.
I just couldn’t help myself. Shayla was so beautiful, so angelic, laying naked in my bed with her blonde hair haloing her face, looking at me like she wanted me more than her next breath—the same way I always look at her. Her legs were spread wide and so inviting, my lips and tongue coated in her arousal after she came. I doubt any man could have pulled himself away at that point.
I groan and press my palm against my cock that hardens and throbs, thinking about this morning before we were interrupted, trying and failing to get it to go back down. I’m thankful Grayson is playing happily for the moment on his activity mat while I wallow in self-pity and worry.
I bang my head again, but instead of hitting the door, I stumble forward just as it swings open, barely getting my footing before I crash into Shayla and Lainey on the front porch.
My angels. They’re here. They came back!
I’m so overjoyed that I take them both in my arms, hugging them tightly as I close my eyes and say a silent prayer of thanks. It’s obvious I’ve caught Shayla off guard, and she stiffens momentarily in my arms, and I want to bang my head again. But then she softens and leans into me, circling my waist with her free arm and fisting my shirt at my back, clinging to me as much as I am her.
We break apart when Lainey squirms and squeals unhappily from where she’s crushed between us. “Shit—I mean shoot. Sorry, Angelainey.” The endearment I’ve been calling her in my head slips out for the first time. All is well with her again when I take her from Shayla unprompted and tickle her cheek with my nose, making her giggle, then settle her on my arm.
Shayla has a dreamy look on her face. I hope with every bone in my body that it means she’s not on the brink of telling me she never wants to see me again. I pull her in with a half-hug and dare to brush a kiss to the crown of her head, pausing for a moment to close my eyes and inhale her sweet scent.
“I missed you. Both of you,” I whisper.
