Total pages in book: 78
Estimated words: 77106 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 386(@200wpm)___ 308(@250wpm)___ 257(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 77106 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 386(@200wpm)___ 308(@250wpm)___ 257(@300wpm)
“Heck yeah, I do.” Brooke looked tired at just the idea of a children’s birthday party. Something not to look forward to, it seemed.
“Did they get anything?”
“No, but Zoe’s worried about crime around here.”
“Only crime I’ve seen is the increase in room prices earlier this year,” Tasha called back.
“I know that’s right. Had to cut out our Sunday Sundaes at The Dip and start making ‘em at home,” Brooke called back.
“I’ll keep an eye out, though,” Tasha called up. “You need anything? We take care of one another around here.”
“They didn’t take nothing. Just made a big mess. We’ll be down in a few,” she called, waving at Tasha, then moving away from the railing. “That’s Tasha. She moved in three months back after catching her husband with some office w-h-o-r-e. Know I’m not supposed to use that word. But she knew he was married with a little boy, so I call a spade a spade.”
“Are there a lot of single moms here?”
“Just the three of us right now. Had Ava here until a few weeks back. She finally got her deadbeat ex to pay some child support, so between that and her checker-girl salary, she managed to get a nice little place. Don’t think any of us plan to be here forever.”
“Yeah,” I agreed. “It’s not ideal.”
“Definitely not. But it’s cheap. It’s got a pool. And right now, my writing gig is just keeping us afloat. And Lord knows, I can’t afford child care when school is out, so we do what we can. My own deadbeat,” she said, pitching her voice lower, “is living with his mama and not working so he doesn’t have to pay us anything.”
“Wow,” I said, shaking my head.
“I know. She was a real monster-in-law when we was together, too. That boy of hers never did no wrong. Not even when he brought the neighbor into our bed. Apparently, it was my fault for not hiding his gerken in my coin purse two weeks after popping this one out,” she said, jiggling her son.
“Sure you got your own horror story. And Tasha and I would love to hear it when you’re ready to tell it. Now that school is out, we are down at the pool each morning by ten. Hang there most of the day. Tire these little devils right out. I still have the little infant float with the visor and a life vest that should fit your sweet one. Come hang with us when you’re not busy. We gotta stick together, y’know?”
“Yeah,” I agreed, giving her a genuine smile. “Thank you so much. I really appreciate it.”
“Nothing to appreciate. We take care of our own. Come on, girls,” she called.
“Thank you so much, girls,” I said to them, getting matching twin smiles back.
“This is Scout and Soleil,” she said, petting her hand down the braid on one of their heads. “We keep this braid in to keep them straight,” she said, shooting me a wince.
I mean, not that I could blame her. The girls were identical down to the little clefts in their chins.
“And this is Joshua,” she added.
“This is Lainey.”
“Well, Zoe, Lainey, welcome to the building. I’m sorry your first week ended like this. But I promise it’s not a bad place. Come on, let’s go work off that sugar cereal,” she said, juggling her giant bag on one shoulder, her son on her hip, and managing to nudge her twins toward the steps.
I stood there, watching her go, feeling a kinship with her that I hadn’t felt with, well, anyone.
Sure, Brooke was juggling a couple more kids than me, but we both had bad fathers to our children, were trying to eke out an income, and were living in a motel with dreams of a more stable home someday.
I wasn’t sure how I could fit in much more in my busy days, but I wanted to take some time to go down to the pool with her and her kids—and Tasha with her son—and try to build a connection.
Maybe I wouldn’t be tearing up over some guy babysitting my daughter so I could shower if I had a support system around me to commiserate with.
It wasn’t until I moved fully into the room and looked around that I felt a churning in my stomach.
Because what if this wasn’t some random crime? What if those guys who’d chased me had come to… finish the job?
I reached back, locking the door, then the slide lock as I wondered if there was some way to make the room more secure even when I was gone. I knew there were things I could buy for when we were inside, but I clearly needed to worry about when we were out. Which was most of the time.
I righted Lainey’s overturned playard, then placed her in it so I could go systematically through the room, checking for any signs that might point to someone who wanted to do us harm, not just steal from us.