Page 4 of Made for You
I banged on Rosie’s bright yellow door one more time, deciding I’d give up and start calling her friends’ parents if she wasn’t home. The little junker still sat in the driveway, which might mean she had guests and couldn’t help.
Irritation surged through me. I needed to eat something and get back, and I needed to do it allafterfinding someone to hang with Kiley. I’d already messaged her to let her know, and she was unfazed, as usual, but would I be able to tell if she was bothered over text? No.
I knocked one last time, and just as I was about to turn away, the door swung open. A woman I definitely hadn’t seen before peered back at me, blinking at the early evening sun just starting to fade behind me.
“Uh, hi. Is Ms. Rosie in?” I asked, mildly annoyed this person was answering my neighbor’s door. This meant more time lost—time I didn’t have.
“Um… she….” Her big light-brown eyes blinked back at me like I might hold the answer to a question I’d just asked.
I exhaled, willing the impatience thrumming in my veins to chill. The day going to the garbage wasn’t this woman’s fault, and me standing here huffing and puffing like an angry bull wouldn’t solve any problems.
Checking my watch, I gritted my teeth and pressed my mouth into a smile because apparently, finishing that sentence wasn’t going to happen without prompting.
“She…? Is she in?” I didn’t normally push people like this. I was actually pretty good with them, but right now, I had no time and this girl was… was she intoxicated?
She gave a slight shake of her head. “Sorry, no. She should, um, be back in a few. Can I help you?”
She tipped her head to the side and seemed genuine—the clarity in her words and those eyes banished any question of her sobriety. Shame on me for jumping to quick, erroneous conclusions.
“No. It’s fine. I’ll figure it out.” I was already turning and jogging down the sidewalk, wishing I could restart this day as I searched through my contacts for Kiley’s friend’s mom’s number.
“I’m happy to help if there’s anything I can do,” the woman called out before I’d reached the street.
“I don’t know you.” I dialed the number and it instantly hit busy.Crap.Turning back to the woman, I gave her a chin nod. “I’ll give Rosie a call. Don’t worry about it.”
She shrugged and lingered for a moment before shutting the door. And because it felt like I was out of options, I did dial Rosie, who answered immediately.
“Bruce, honey, to what do I owe this pleasure?”
Her warmth glowed through every word, even over the phone. I took a breath, her presence via the line easing a touch of the tension winding its way through me. She was one of the most welcoming, genuinely kind people I’d ever encountered, and I considered myself very lucky to have bought the house next door to Ms. Rosie Renwick.
“I’m sorry to bother you, but I’m in a pinch and was going to see if you’ll be around later to hang with Kiley? I’ve got to head back to work and she’s been… well, I want to make sure she’s got company since I might be late.” Silently praying, I made my way back up the street to my house.
“Of course I will. You know I’m always available to you two. I’ll be home within the hour and we’ll have a great evening. Did you have a plan for dinner or am I allowed to order pizza?”
I snickered, gratitude swallowing up some of the ire pulsing through me. “Pizza and whatever else you want. Kiley has my card, so let her buy. And I’ll owe you one.”
“You will not. Also, I wanted to mention—”
My phone beeped, alerting me to another call. I swore under my breath and returned it to my ear. “I’m so sorry, Rosie, work’s calling me.”
“No problem. We’ll talk later. Leave it to me.”
With that, I ended with Rosie and accepted the call from Beast, bracing for it because I already knew it’d be something bad if he was calling.
“Sorry, boss, but this guy’s about to get himself arrested.”
I scrubbed a hand over my face, then jogged into the garage. At some point, I’d eat a solid meal and not sub in a protein bar for dinner. Sometime soon, I’d take Kiley out for a nice dinner and catch up on her life without either of us distracted by our phones.
But for tonight, I’d be babysitting a drunk idiot with too much money and too little self-awareness. As inglorious a job as it came in this line of work, and yet, it was all for a purpose. Right?
Right.
Or so I kept telling myself.
CHAPTERTHREE
Nikki
