Читать книгу Temporary Nanny - Carrie Weaver - Страница 14

CHAPTER SIX

WHEN THE PHONE RANG on Friday, Royce checked the caller ID display, half expecting it to read “unknown caller,” the digital trick employed by some telemarketers.

Instead, it read “Garner, Katy.”

“Hi, Katy. What’s up?”

“I was just calling to see how it went yesterday.”

“Fine. No problem. Jake’s an easy kid to be around. As a matter of fact, he insisted on loading the dishwasher.”

“Most of the time he’s very good.”

He thought he detected a smile in her voice.

“Most of the time? Now you’ve got me worried. Does he grow fangs during the full moon?”

Her chuckle was warm and made him smile.

She said, “I have the feeling this might be the honeymoon period.”

“Honeymoon?”

“As in, he’s on his best behavior because he doesn’t want to scare you off.”

“Hey, it takes a lot to scare me. I’m not totally unaccustomed to ten-year-old boys.”

“Not much recent experience, though, huh?”

“It’s coming back to me. Piece of cake.”

If Saturday afternoon went just as well, he would be home free. Jake’s grandmother would take him for the two nights and Royce would watch him during Audrey’s Saturday shift at work. And Katy would be home Sunday. Not a bad arrangement as long as it was temporary.

“Good. I’ll stop by with your pay Sunday night if I don’t get in too late.”

“Sounds good.” Not only to have some much-needed cash, but to see Katy, too.

“HOW ABOUT WE PLAY some video games?” Jake asked, controller already in hand. “Since Grandma can’t get here till seven.”

“Just for a few minutes. We still need to clean up our mess in the kitchen.” He’d shown Jake how to make his own Rice Krispies Treats.

Both Friday and Saturday afternoons had gone surprisingly quickly. Royce idly wondered why he could spend time with Jake and enjoy himself, but hadn’t been able to do the same with his own son without getting restless.

Royce suspected the answer was complex. As long as he thought of being responsible for Jake as a job, he didn’t get that panicky, hemmed-in feeling he’d gotten during Michael’s early years. He’d loved seeing the boy, but Royce’s mind had quickly strayed to the next job, next adventure.

But it looked as if there might not be any new adventures for him.

Royce pushed away the thought. It would be too easy to lose hope completely. Picking up the second game controller, he proceeded to give Jake a run for his money.

“Royce?”

“Huh?”

“D’ya ever get scared?”

If only the kid knew. It was hard to remember a time when he hadn’t been scared. But he would guess it had been roughly seven months ago. “Yeah, sometimes.”

“My mom gets scared. She tries not to show it, though.”

“Like scared of spiders? Noises in the dark?”

“Nah. Like if people come to the door and she’s not expecting them. Or weird things, birthday parties.”

Royce chuckled as he maneuvered the joystick. “Okay, I have to admit, clowns kind of freak me out. Maybe I’ve seen too many bad horror flicks.”

“Clowns make great bad guys. But it’s not the clowns…. I’ve never been to a birthday party.”

“Oh, come on. Not even one?”

Jake shook his head, his hand pausing on the controller. “Nope. I didn’t used to get invited to them much. But now, I have a couple of friends. When I bring home an invitation, Mom gets this really weird look and makes an excuse why I can’t go.”

“Maybe it’s just a coincidence.”

“I don’t think so.” The boy’s expression was so glum it made Royce hurt for him.

“Sometimes adults have reasons no one else understands.”

“It’s not fair.”

“No, it isn’t.” He refrained from pointing out that a lot of things in life weren’t fair. Such as having his hand blown to bits and losing everything.

“I got an invitation to my friend Chris’s birthday party. He’s gonna be eleven.” Jake’s expression brightened. “I bet you could talk my mom into letting me go. She likes you.”

Even though it was an obvious snow job, Royce was flattered by the idea that Katy had a soft spot for him.

“You think?”

“Sure. You got a government clearance. And with only one hand, it’s not like you could choke her or nothing.”

Ah. His injury apparently made him non-threatening to women and children. Something he might consider using to his advantage in dating, if it didn’t make him seem so damn pathetic.

“I guess you’ve got a point there.”

“And you make her smile.”

“I do?”

“Uh-huh. Will you talk to her about Chris’s party?”

“It’s not my place to butt in, kid.” The whole situation smacked of getting involved. And the last thing he wanted was to get entangled in Jake’s life on more than a short-term basis.

“You’re my friend. And my mom’s. I’d help you if you needed it.”

The boy’s logic was so straightforward and, well, noble, Royce found himself nodding in agreement. “Okay. But only if the subject comes up.”

“What if it doesn’t?”

“Then we’ll know it wasn’t meant to be.”

KATY WAS RELIEVED when she saw the light shining beneath Royce’s door. Good. She didn’t want to wake him, but for some reason it seemed important that she pay him tonight.

Maybe the urgency came from the knowledge that he needed the money.

Who was she fooling? Katy simply wanted to talk to Royce, one adult to another. She’d been able to relax with Royce and found him easy to be around. Not her general experience with members of the opposite sex. Maybe that’s why she’d married Eddie. They’d known each other since kindergarten, so she’d never had a hard time talking to him. Until they were married with Jake on the way and couldn’t seem to stop fighting.

Katy knocked and heard rustling inside.

The door opened and Jake stood there, his shirt rumpled and his hair standing on end.

“I’m sorry, did I wake you? I saw your light on and thought it would be okay….”

“It’s fine. I fell asleep on the couch.” He rotated his shoulder. “Not a good idea.”

“No, I guess not.”

He stepped aside. “Come in.”

“Just for a minute.” Suddenly, she felt awkward about being on his doorstep.

“Have a seat.” He ran his hand through his hair. “Oh, wait. You probably need to get right back to Jake.”

She perched on the easy chair. “He’s still at my mom’s house. Since I’m so late, she offered to keep him tonight and take him to school tomorrow.” Handing him the envelope, she said, “Here’s your payment.”

“Great, thanks.” Royce tossed the envelope on an end table and sat on the couch.

“This arrangement seems to be working out. Jake is thrilled. You’re all he talked about on the phone. How do you feel about it?”

Royce grinned, setting her at ease. “Better than I even anticipated. We had a good time.”

“That’s great. I was afraid you might have had enough. Kids can be wearing when you’re not used to being around them twenty-four hours a day.”

“They’re definitely that. To be honest with you, Jake’s a welcome distraction. I’ve had too much of my own company since I’ve been back in Phoenix.” He leaned back. “Funny, when I was recovering at my sister’s house, all the activity drove me nuts. I just wanted peace and quiet. But now that I have it, I’m a little lost.”

“I know what you mean. My apartment seems really empty without Jake there. If my ex-husband insisted on his visitation rights, I’d probably be lost.”

“He’s not in the picture?”

“Not really. Eddie rarely asks to see him. Just often enough to confuse Jake. And my dad died when Jake was a baby. It’s mostly just me and my mom.”

“You’ve done a great job with him.”

His words meant more to her than he could ever know. She cleared her throat. “Thanks. I needed to hear that.”

“It’s the truth. I wasn’t around much to notice what a terrific job my ex did until Michael was a grown man. Now I see how hard you work and I can appreciate Tess more.”

“You, um, still have feelings for your ex?”

“Not the romantic kind. I admire her, admire what she’s done with her life. And owe her big-time for pretty much raising our son.”

“It takes a secure man to admit that. I don’t know if Eddie will ever understand all he’s missing. Maybe after the new baby is born… His girlfriend’s pregnant.”

“How’s Jake taking it?”

“Better than I thought. Telling him was one of the hardest things to do. I owed it to Jake to be tactful and nonjudgmental when all I wanted was to say, ‘Your daddy doesn’t give a damn about you, but he’s bringing another child into the world, anyway.’”

Royce shifted, glancing around the room.

Katy’s face warmed. “I’m sorry, Royce. I’ve made you uncomfortable when all I wanted to do was thank you for being so great with Jake.”

“No need to apologize. I’m just a little sensitive about the whole absentee dad issue.” His posture remained stiff. “Though I’m paying for it now.”

“How?”

“My son doesn’t return my calls. My fault for not being the kind of involved father I should have been. It still stings, though.”

“I’m sorry. I wouldn’t wish that kind of hurt on anybody. At least you’re trying now. Maybe he’ll come around.”

“Yeah, maybe.”

“Well, you have a new fan, anyway. My mom’s decided you might be okay. You won her over by teaching Jake to cook.”

“Just Rice Krispies Treats.”

“Still, she was impressed.”

“So that’s why she quit glaring daggers at me. I still get the feeling she’d rather Sally was back.”

“Not necessarily Sally. But another female would probably make her more comfortable.”

“She doesn’t see the importance of Jake having a guy for a role model?”

“She probably hasn’t given it much thought. Though she knows my spending time with my dad was important. He taught me the value of hard work, showed me what was what under the hood of a car and encouraged me to be involved in the auction business.”

“It is kind of an unusual occupation for a woman.”

“It’s been a man’s world for so long. But there are more and more women involved in the actual auction itself. My dream is to be a bona fide auctioneer. There’s something so exciting about being up there with all those people hanging on my every word, with things moving so fast most people can’t keep up. It’s such a rush.”

“I wouldn’t have you pegged as somebody who likes to be in front of an audience.”

“That’s just it. When I’m calling it’s like I’m a whole different person. I’m good at the preauction administrative duties, but it’s participating in the auction that I love most.”

“No college?”

Katy shrugged. “A two-year degree. After that, all I wanted to do was join my dad and learn the business. When he died five years ago, I was glad I had that time working side by side with him. He was a gifted man.”

“Sounds like it.”

“How about you? Did you always want to be a welder?”

“No, I fell into it by chance. I was in community college and took a welding class as an elective, just to see what it was like. After that, I was hooked. There’s something so organic about the process. It requires a special mind-set, a gift. And I have that gift.” He frowned, scrubbing his hand across his face. “Had that gift.”

For the first time, Katy clearly understood all he’d lost in the accident. Not only his hand and ability to do a lot of tasks, but also his identity.

Sadness washed over her as she searched for words of encouragement. There were none. So she simply reached out and squeezed his hand.

The silence grew awkward.

“Well, I better get going.”

Royce cleared his throat. “Thanks for the pay.”

Katy strove to get back on safe ground. “I’ll need you to work the same days next week, if that’s okay?”

“Sure.”

She made her way to the door, then stopped. “Jake said there was something you wanted to discuss with me?”

He frowned. “No. I wonder where he got—” Snapping his fingers he said, “I know what he’s talking about. He wanted me to put in a good word so you’d let him go to his friend’s birthday party.”

Katy swallowed hard, unable to meet his gaze. “We don’t do outside birthday parties.”

“Is it a religious thing? I know there are faiths that don’t celebrate birthdays.”

“No.” Though maybe she should have thought of joining one. It would have been easier than dodging an issue most people wouldn’t understand, even though many had phobias of their own. Some people were terrified of flying, some hated heights. Katy got nauseous at the very thought of children’s birthday parties. Though her reasons were logical in an illogical way, she was still embarrassed. And it wasn’t as though she was going to share that part of her history with just anyone.

“We just don’t.”

“Okaay.”

Glancing at her watch, she said, “Well, I’ve got to go.”

Katy left, throwing “See you later” over her shoulder. Her hands were still shaking when she reached her apartment.