Everything (6 page)

Chapter Eleven

Leo

I spent most of the phone call assuring Bobby that I was making the right decision. I was lying through my teeth, of course.

“Yeah, mate, I’m telling you, she’s totally qualified. She does have a kid, but it won’t be a problem. We’ve worked out an agreement that suits us both.”

Bobby sighed. “Have you interviewed her properly?”

“Come on¸ Bobby. How hard is it to do this job, I mean really?”

“Do not let her sign that contract until you know a little more about her background.”

“I won’t.” I rolled my eyes, knowing I probably would. How could I say no now? If she wanted the place, it was hers.

“I just don’t want her moving in expecting some kind of free ride or something.”

“I really don’t think that’s the case. Besides, what’s the worst that can happen? If it doesn’t work out, we’ll just ask her to leave. We’ve covered ourselves with that six-week trial period. You looked over the contract this morning, and I’ve made those tweaks you suggested. It’s all good.”

“Yeah, yeah, okay. I guess there is that out clause with the whole six-week thing. Just make sure you keep an eye on her.”

I grinned; I couldn’t imagine that being a problem.

The pleasure of that idea took me by surprise. I jolted upright and shook it from my head.

“Scan the contract through to me once it’s signed.”

“Got it.”

I hung up, snatching the documents off the counter and walking back across the hall.

The sound of her pure voice cresting over the lyrics of “Defying Gravity” stopped me dead in my tracks. Bloody hell, she sounded
amazing
.

I paused in the doorway, utterly entranced. She was standing in the kitchen, her arms spread wide, a massive smile on her face. She looked like sunshine and sounded like a nightingale. My mouth dropped open in awe, my eyes popping wide. The way she held her long notes with such sweet beauty enchanted me.

She dropped her arms and spun, opening her mouth to crescendo into the final chorus...and spotted me.

Her lips smacked together and she cringed, her cheeks heating with color as she scratched her right eyebrow.

“Don’t stop, please. That was beautiful.” I stepped into the room.

She grinned and mouthed, “Thank you.”

“No, I mean, that was seriously magnificent. Why aren’t you on a stage?”

Her smile fled, her eyes darting to the little baby playing on the floor. “I was studying performing arts last year, but things have been put on hold.”

My heart sank for her; the sadness in her voice told me everything she couldn’t say.

As much as I wanted to learn more, I couldn’t stand the crestfallen look on her face; it was mixed with a humiliation I knew all too well.

Screw the interview. Bobby would just have to take my gut instinct as proof.

I cleared my throat and walked up to the counter, placing the contract down.

“So, why don’t you have a read through this.”

“Okay, thanks.” She pulled it toward her and I got busy entertaining Angel. Sitting cross-legged in front of her, I used my best Uncle Leo voice and coaxed a quick smile out of her. She chattered back to me, making a string of unintelligible sounds that were lyrical and sweet.

“You trying to sing like your mummy, aye?”

She rocked back on her bottom, nearly toppling over. I caught her and pulled her back upright and she kept going, the sweet babble making me grin.

“She loves music, too,” Jody murmured, her eyes still on the contract.

“It’s food for the soul.”

Jody paused and looked down at me, a smile pushing at her lips before she resumed reading.

Ten minutes later, she asked for a pen.

“So, you’re all good with everything?”

She nodded. “All good. I can’t see anything that needs changing. I like the job description. It’s a really good deal, Leo. Thank you.” Her sincere gratitude was endearing. “Are you sure you’re happy for me to do this?”

“Yeah, well, there’s the six-week trial, so we should be sweet, right? I mean, we’ve both got an out if we need it.”

“Yeah, that sounds good.” Her head bobbed. She pressed her lips together, the pen wiggling in her fingers before she lurched forward and quickly signed her name. Her writing was fluid and twirly, just like I imagined it would be.

When she was done, I spun it around and signed my own name, handing her a copy before folding mine in half and shoving it in my back pocket.

“Well, I look forward to you moving in next week.”

“Thanks, me too.” She stepped around me and collected Angel into her arms. “This is going to be a great home for us.”

She was still unsure; I could tell by the waver in her voice, but I got why. I’d spotted her birth date on the contract. She was only twenty. This young thing had been thrown into adult shoes before she was even ready for it. I didn’t know her very well, but I could see she was trying to make the most of it, which only impressed me more.

I helped her downstairs, holding the baby bag while she buckled Angel into her carseat. I made sure to get one more squealing laugh out of the girl before closing her door and opening Jody’s.

“You’re good with kids.” She smiled as she pushed the key into the ignition.

My nose wrinkled the way it always did when people gave me compliments. “I have nieces and nephews back home. I lived with them for a short while.” I nearly said more but went for a shrug instead. I’d actually used Kev’s heart attack as a reason to move out of home with Gerry and shift in to help Deb with the kids. I’d convinced myself they’d needed me there full-time to cope, and in a way they had, but everyone knew it was just an excuse.

Jody buckled up and slid on her shades before glancing at me. “Where is home?”

“Here, at the moment.” I winked.

Her head tipped, and I could tell she was giving me a dry look behind those sunglasses.

I chuckled. “Sydney, Australia.”

“Wow, cool.” She started the car with a nod, and I took the chance to close her door and wave goodbye. As much as she didn’t want to tell me the details of dropping out of college, I didn’t want to tell her about why I left my home country.

I had no idea where she currently lived and why she was leaving, but maybe we didn’t need to know about each other’s histories to work together.

I liked the idea of a fresh slate with my new assistant. The less we knew, the better.

Chapter Twelve

Jody

The suitcases were open on the bed, clothes strewn across the floor, and two half-packed boxes lay next to Angel’s crib. Ella had Angel for the afternoon as Reynolds, the bar restaurant she owned with her boyfriend, Cole, was having a lighter day. She rang me that morning on the spur of the moment and asked if I needed a breather.

“How about I take Angel for you?”

The offer had been such a relief, I burst into tears and spilled the beans to my best friend. I hadn’t told another soul. I knew that was stupid. I mean, like Morgan and Dad wouldn’t notice me leaving, but I just wanted to be packed and ready to go before they found out.

Thanks to my petite bestie, I’d had the day to myself. It was a relief to realize I really didn’t need that much stuff, just everything from my room, the stroller from downstairs, and the carseat. I couldn’t take the car; Morgan needed it for work, and since I was going to be living where I worked, I figured I could either bus or walk. I still wanted the carseat, though, and today was a prime example of why. Ella had been forced to take Angel out in the stroller because Morgan had the car, and we had no way to safely transport my baby.

I had no idea where they’d ended up, but I knew they’d be safe. Ella was the sweetest person on the planet, proved by the fact that half an hour after I told her my plan, her boyfriend called and offered to help move my stuff.

I nearly cried the words ‘thank you’. The towering hunk just laughed. “It’s never a problem, Jody.”

Of all the couples in the world, Ella and Cole were the best. I knew they were probably worried about me making this big decision, but they were supportive anyway.

I feared I wouldn’t get the same reaction from my family.

The front door clicked open downstairs. I tensed, waiting to hear Ella’s greeting. It never came, and my muscles wound that little bit tighter.

“Hello? Is anybody home?”

Oh, shit! It was Dad.

I steeled myself, pulling in a breath as I folded my pants and shoved them into the suitcase.

“Jody?” He peeked his head into my room and froze. “What are you doing?”

“Packing.” I kept my words short. I didn’t want to get into it. I knew he’d pretend to be shocked at my decision, but deep down he wanted me out of here. It’d be easier for everyone.

He crossed his arms, his stocky frame filling the doorway. “And where do you think you’re going?”

I kept my eyes on my clothes and attempted to steady my voice. It didn’t work.

“I’ve found an apartment in Santa Monica.” I dared a glance in his direction.

Dad’s head jolted back, giving him a double chin. “And how are you going to pay for that?”

“With the job I also got.”

His jaw worked to the side, his voice like concrete. “What are you doing with Angel?”

It was hard not to get rattled, so I kept my hands busy and my sentences short. “I’ll be working from my new apartment. She can be there with me.”

“What is this job?” His eyes narrowed as he stepped into the room.

I threw my last pair of pants into the bag and flipped the lid shut. “Building manager. I’m going to be looking after the tenants of the apartment building I’m moving into.”

Dad’s face wrinkled with doubt, and I spoke before he could tell me how stupid I was.

“I can do it, Dad. The job description fits my skill set, and I signed the contract a couple of days ago. I’m moving in tomorrow.”

“Tomorrow? When were you going to tell us about this?”

“Tomorrow.” My voice was small.

“Jody...” Dad closed his eyes, shaking his head with that disappointed look on his face.

Anger burned.

“I know you think stupidity is my MO right now, but I’ve thought this through, and it’s the right decision for everybody.”

“What’s the right decision?” Morgan appeared in the doorway, her tall, curvaceous frame making Dad look short and round beside her. He was only half an inch shorter than his eldest daughter, but the effect was kind of comical.

She took in my messy, half-packed room with a frown, her umber gaze landing on the crib. “Where’s Angel?”

“With Ella.” I rubbed a finger under my nose. Damn that it was shaking!

“What’s going on?” Morgan’s voice was quiet, but I knew it wouldn’t stay that way for long.

“Jody’s moving out!” Dad pointed at me. “Got herself a job and is taking Angel with her!”

“What? Wh-when!” My sister always looked so funny when she was flabbergasted. I would have laughed if it hadn’t been for the hard expression on Dad’s face.

He wouldn’t make eye contact, just kept scanning the room and shaking his head. You know what, screw him! If he didn’t want to man-up and talk to me about this stuff, then that was his problem. I didn’t have to talk to him, either. I wanted to yell at him to get out, but I didn’t have to. He flicked his hands in the air as if he was done with me and walked out of the room.

Morgan stayed.

Unfortunately.

Her hands were planted firmly on her hips, and it was in moments like this that she moved from the friend corner smack back into the sister zone.

“Why are you doing this?”

I hefted one of the boxes off the floor and dumped it on the bed, emptying my bedside cabinet and deciding to go for the truth.

“I can’t live here anymore. I feel like I’ve lost all my joy. I’m sick of moping around this house feeling sorry for myself. It’s time to get out of here and figure out what I need to make me happy. Living in this negativity is killing me.”

“What negativity?”

I threw a small stack of books into the box and spun. “Oh, come on! I know what you guys think of me! Dad can’t even look me in the eye anymore. I screwed up! And he’s never going to let me forget it!”

Morgan’s long fingers smoothed back the curls trying to pop free of her short ponytail. “Dad just struggles to deal with his emotions. You know what he’s like. But he loves you...and Angel. We don’t want you to move out.”

“Yes, you do,” I mumbled, kicking at the floor with my toe. “If I wasn’t here, you would have said yes to Sean’s proposal and you’d be living with him now. I’m holding you back.”

“I don’t—” Morgan’s frown was sharp. “How do you know about that?”

“I heard you talking in the kitchen.”

“Oh, you mean the day you took off without telling anybody?”

“I texted you.” I rolled my eyes.

Morgan straightened her back and lifted her chin. She always did that when she was feeling antsy, fighting to stay strong. “Jo-Jo, you’re not holding me back. I like helping you raise Angel.”

My hip jutted to the side as I crossed my arms and threw her a dry look.

She gave me a sheepish grin. “Hey, she’s my niece and she’s adorable...and you’re my sister.”

“Yes, your sister, not your daughter.” I kept my voice soft, knowing Morgan’s face would fall with my words. I’d only been ten when Mom left and Morgan had been forced to fill the gap. I would have fallen apart without her, but the truth still remained—she wasn’t anyone’s mother, but I was.

I licked my lower lip. “I’m not your responsibility, Morgan, but Angel is mine. My only priority is keeping her safe and happy, and in order to do that, I need to be happy, too. Give me a chance to prove that I can be everything she needs me to be.” I stepped forward and took Morgan’s arms. “I need you to believe in me.”

I could tell that would be a struggle. Morgan was so used to being in control and organizing everybody. She was good at it, a total pro, and I’d always taken advantage of her motherly spirit, but it was time to spread my wings.

“Are you sure you’re going to be okay? I mean, there’s so much you’re gonna have to do, and I don’t know anything about this situation. How am I going to help you?”

“You’re not.” I squeezed her arms. “I’m going to do this on my own.”

She frowned.

“It’s okay. I know what I’m doing.”

Total lie.

I mean, I did, but her doubts were giving me a major case of the jitters. I’d been so confident telling Ella this morning, but that’s because Ella was telling me how awesome I was. She was Miss Encouragement. Morgan, on the other hand, was Miss Practicality, and the doubt on her face tore straight through me.

Crap! How much did she do already that I didn’t know about it?

I wanted to drop to my knees and beg for a detailed list.

Give me everything you’ve got!

But I couldn’t, because then she’d see how useless I really was, and like hell I was admitting to that.

No, this was me defying gravity and wishing on every star in the sky that I didn’t come tumbling down with an almighty crash.

The last time I’d gone out on my own, I’d come home pregnant, my dreams trailing behind me in tatters.

I couldn’t let that happen again, because this time I had another human being to consider, a sweet, precious Angel that I’d rather die than hurt in any way. The sad reality was, if I fell, she’d come plunging down beside me.