Page 16 of Crow's Haven
She nods slowly, understanding what I’m laying down for her. “That explains a lot about this situation.”
I stare at her and shake my head. “Just doing my best, that’s all.”
Her eyes get wide, and she begins nodding. “Clearly you are. I think you’re doing a bang-up job, and I didn’t mean to seem like I was insinuating otherwise.”
I step back and nod. “So, what do you say? You in?”
She hesitates for a second more before answering. “Alright,” she says finally. “I’ll take the job.”
A small grin jumps onto my face. “Good.”
“When do you want me to start?” she asks, her voice barely above a whisper.
“Hell, you can start now if you’re up for it. Wanna help wrangle groceries?”
She smiles at me, seeming surer of herself. “Sure. Why not?”
The boys cheer. I watch her closely, noticing how the tension in her shoulders has eased just a fraction. It’s not much, but it’s a start in the right direction towards building trust. I pull the twins out of the truck, and I grab a nearby cart. They squeeze between me and the cart, walking right in front of me.
The automatic doors whoosh open as we walk in. Scout and Chase run ahead to the bakery case, looking over the display of cookies and frosted cupcakes. I watch my two little whirlwinds in sneakers pressing their faces against the glass excitedly. They’re picking out those treats I promised them.
Sharon walks up behind them. She hovers, hesitating about joining them through the process.
“Don’t sweat interacting with ‘em,” I murmur as I grab a cart. “They already like you.”
Sharon helps Chase get his treat while I pick up some muffins and fresh-baked bread. When we get to the cereal aisle, Chase points to my blueberry cereal. “This one is full of lies,” he says bluntly.
Sharon lets out a little laugh. “What makes you think that?”
“My dad says so,” Chase says confidently.
“Oh really? What kind of lies?” she asks, crouching down to Chase’s level.
“The ones that say it’s good for you.”
Scout cuts in, wrinkling his nose. “But it makes your poop blue.”
Her head jerks up to look at me. “Seriously?”
I clear my throat. “Regrettably… yeah.”
Her laugh bubbles up again. It’s brighter and less inhibited this time. I can feel the boys responding to it like sunflowers turning towards light, particularly Chase. Scout is still guarded, but he’s intrigued by her.
We make our way down the first aisle, the boys darting around like pinballs, gathering up all the more nutritious snacks, the ones they know I let them get as much of as they want. Sharon keeps pace beside them. They pick out their favorite nuts, granola, dried fruit, and yogurt and throw it into the buggy.
I tell her, “Toss whatever you want in the cart.”
Much to my surprise, she does. First, she grabs snacks right along with the boys and then puts a few girly grooming supplies in the buggy. There’s something different about her now. She’s more relaxed and casual. I get the feeling that more of her natural personality is shining through. And I truly like what I’m seeing.
This sure as hell ain’t what I pictured when I realized I couldn’t keep juggling it all by myself. I thought I’d find some older woman with years of childcare under her belt, someone tough and no-nonsense who’d keep the boys alive and fed while I scraped drywall and collected rents on my properties. I never expected to hire a homeless woman who slept in her car, someone with secrets she kept carefully hidden.
We pass the pasta section, and Chase grabs a box and holds it up. “Can we make noodles with cheese tonight, Dad?”
I nod and jerk my chin for him to toss it in the cart. “Yeah, Throttle. Let’s do it.”
Sharon raises an eyebrow. “Noodles with cheese?”
“Yeah. Mac and cheese is one of their favorite meals,” I reply. “They call it noodles and cheese because they like to feel like chefs when they name things.”
