Page 74 of The Deadbeat Next Door

“When you’re done, why don’t you come out back. I’ve got something to show you.”

I carried Jenny to the back yard. I’d picked up a few surprises for them while I’d been out getting groceries. I’d spent money I should have saved for the winery, but Jenny’s face-splitting smile and squeal of joy when she saw the tree swing I’d tied to a high branch of a huge Oak, made it all worth it. I took a seat at the picnic table on my patio and watched her swing. When she got hungry, I offered her the fruit and cheese I’d prepared for her and she read me a short book for her homework. She ran right back to the swing after, her smile still firmly in place. I couldn’t bring back her father, I couldn’t be her father, but I’d given her a few moments of happiness and I felt pretty damn proud of that.

Simon came out the back door not long after. “We’re not staying here you know,” he said. “We’ll go live with relatives we’ve never met or go into foster care. You shouldn’t have wasted your money.”

“I don’t know about that.” I wasn’t going to tell him anything until I’d talked to Carrie. “But you’re here now, and I’ve got something for you, too.”

I reached under the table to grab the new soccer ball I’d gotten him and pointed out the goals I’d set up to the left of and just behind the tree swing. Simon’s scowl didn’t fade, but he took the ball and carried it over to the goals.

“What’s going on here?” I spun on my seat at the table to see Carrie, Kayla next to her, looking seriously pissed off.

“I got a couple of things for the kids,” I said.

“Kayla,” Carrie said. “Why don’t you go say hello to Jenny and Simon.”

Kayla did as she was asked, but she gave me a small smile and whispered thank you as she passed.

“Cody,” Carrie said. “Can I speak to you inside for a moment?”

“Sure,” I said, my own anger ramping up. If she was going to get pissed at me for doing something nice for the kids, I was going to get pissed right back.

“What the hell is all that?” she asked once we were standing in my kitchen.

“It’s not a big deal. The soccer goals were on sale.”

She threw her hands up and started pacing. She was angry and I should have been worried about that, but it had been three days since she’d smiled at me, three days since she’d touched me or let me touch her, and the way her hips swayed when she walked was hypnotizing. I pushed away thoughts of sex, of how much I hated the way she’d been pulling away from me, and focused on her words. “That’s not the point, Cody. You buy them this stuff and they think this is permanent, that you’re permanent. They might have a new home in a few days and you’re setting them up for hurt.”

I put a hand on her arm, but she pulled away like I disgusted her. “Albert stopped by today.”

Her face drained of color. “He found a relative.”

“Yes, an aunt, but she doesn’t want the kids. Albert said you need to decide if you want to keep the kids and apply for guardianship if you do.”

Carrie dropped into a seat at the dining room table. “Me? He wants me to apply for guardianship?”

“If you don’t, the kids will be placed in foster care and there’s a possibility they’ll be separated.”

She straightened her spine and steeled her expression. “I won’t allow that to happen. Of course I’ll apply for guardianship.”

I knelt in front of her. “This isn’t your dream, Carrie. I know you wanted to get married and have your own family.”

Tears glittered in her eyes. “Those kids need me. I won’t let them down. I have no idea how I’ll afford to take care of the three of them, but I’ll apply to be their guardian.”

“What do you need?” I asked. There was no point in arguing with her, and the truth was I didn’t want to see those kids in foster care or separated either. “What can I do to help?”

Her expression shuttered and closed. “This isn’t your problem. We made a mistake staying here.”

“I’ve liked having you here. Stay as long as you want.”

She swallowed and shook her head. “This thing between us was never supposed to be anything but fun. Kids were never part of the deal. I’ll move us back into my house this weekend.”

“There’s more room here. You should stay here. Stay with me.”

“Why?” she asked, her chin high. “Why would you want us to stay?”

“Because it makes more sense.” I knew my words were the wrong ones as soon as tears spilled down her cheeks, but I couldn’t give her the right words. I wasn’t ready for a family, wasn’t the dependable sort of guy those kids needed. “I’d like…I’d like you to stay here.”

“I’ve had fun with you, Cody. But the longer we stay with you, the more we’ll all come to depend on you. The more the kids will see you as a permanent fixture in their lives.”

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