Page 14 of Unexpected Love
“Sweet dreams, Belle.” I kiss her forehead and flip the light off, plunging the room into darkness and stepping out. I’ve barely closed the door when the crying starts again.
I call Liv. “She’s crying. Again.”
Liv has been a godsend. A patient mentor. A savior. “Babies do that.”
“How do I make her stop?”
She chuckles. “Oh, you sweet, innocent soul. You’ve fed her, right?”
“Yeah, right before the apocalypse. Then we had a bath,got jammies on. Had a bottle of milk. Got her stuffed fox. Why’s she crying now?”
“Probably because it’s new and different. She’s probably also feeding off your stress level. Give her a few minutes to settle, and maybe she’ll go to sleep. Oh, did you speak to the babysitter?”
“Yeah, we’re meeting her tomorrow.”
I thank Liv profusely, and she reassures me that crying is normal. I force myself to sit and wait out Charlie’s tears.
It’s awful. How can fix it and make her stop?
Also? What the hell is my sister up to and why is she torturing me and Charlie like this? I try to call again, and for the hundredth time, I get sent to voicemail. But this time, I get a message that her box is full.
Frustrated and defeated, I slouch into the chair. I make another call to my shift commander and explain that I might need to take a couple of shifts off to resolve this issue. He informs me of my options—I can take three days leave before I get placed on family medical leave, but I have to use my time if I want to get paid. Time I don’t have because I’m still so new at the department. So this sitter has to work out, or I’ll be taking leave without pay.
I’ve barely gotten myself out of the financial hole. I don’t want to go back there.
No, I want my damn sister to come get her kid. That’s what I want.
The crying eventually stops, and I tiptoe to the guest bedroom door and peek inside. Charlie is on her belly, legs curled up under her. A wave of relief washes over me.
I survived a day in charge of a tiny human.
The mattress jostles as I collapse into my bed a few minutes later, exhausted. My eyes drift closed before I get both feet offthe floor.
ABBA’s “Dancing Queen” blasts through the paper-thin wall of my apartment, jerking me straight up in bed. Like they’re at a damn disco, it’s so loud, it might as well be playing through speakers in my bedroom.
“Mother. Fucker,” I growl, banging a fist against the wall.
If this jackass wakes my niece after the day we’ve had, there will be hell to pay.
I rap again after a moment, this time harder. If this keeps up… if they don’t turn this shit down… I don’t care if they are brand new, or if it makes a bad impression, or whatever the hell they think about me… I’m going to march over there and?—
The music dies to a reasonable level.
“Fucking hell.” I lie back down and listen intently for any sign of disturbance from my tiny houseguest. When none comes, I deep breathe until my heart rate slows and my muscles quit twitching. If I’m this exhausted already, how am I going to survive this until Dani gets her head out of her ass?
Chapter 6
Jules
“Soooo, tell me all the things.” Lissette plops down across from me at the table.
The morning rush has passed, and it’s time for our weekly recap. This is supposed to be a time for us to discuss all things business, but usually, we veer off topic.
“We made a ton of progress. Delivery went well. And I got everything moved in, at least. The contractor finally texted that he’d be starting today.”
I glance around the coffee shop. The bones of the place remind me of my new shop, but Lissette has changed over to sleek furniture and replaced the eclectic art I’d loved so much. “The shop’s got a different vibe than here, but I think you’ll like it.”
“Different how?”
