Page 2 of Steel & Jenna
Guilt seized his heart and made his stomach churn. He hated taking her with him, waking her up at four in the morning, getting her to the bathroom and then into his wagon. But what choice did he have? He couldn’t leave her alone in case their father woke up. More than once since their mom had left, John Duncan had threatened to ‘get rid’ of Lilly. He refused to raise another man’s daughter, as he was convinced she was. Jack couldn’t risk coming home one day to find Lilly was gone.
The worst was on bad weather days. Once, he’d stolen the keys to his father’s beater and left Lilly inside while he did his route so she wasn’t out in the torrential rain.
Even now, she was sitting on their front lawn across the street waiting for him. Jack glanced behind himself to see her playing patiently and quietly with her doll.
Turning back to the door, his shoulders slumped. A little girl deserved more than a single doll to play with. If he was able to find everything she needed to start school, maybe there would be enough left over for a new doll.
Well, not anewdoll. But a new-to-her doll.
One day, when he had a real job and had gotten them a house of their own, he’d buy her a real new doll.
Even if she was an adult by then.
Frustrated that he was losing daylight, Jack pounded on the door even harder. He knew the grumpy old man was inside because he’djusttalked to him before starting on his lawn. Fucking hell, was the man trying to stiff him?
Maybe Jack needed to start taking money up front.
Damn it. He needed that money to be able to get Lilly’s school supplies. Otherwise, he had to get it from his stash and he couldn’t do that with his father in the trailer. If John Duncan hadanyidea that there was a thousand dollars hidden in Lilly and Jack’s room, he’d throw a fit—and then he’d drink it all without a care that his children needed that money.
Jack didn’t care that he was wearing jeans that were too short on him or shoes with a hole in the sole. He needed to take care of Lilly. Every penny was for her.
God, sometimes he hated his life. But if he went down that rabbit hole of pity, he’d never come back out. Hehadto rise above. For her. Lilly deserved the best life he could give her. She deserved more than cold meals, hand-me-down clothes, and a single toy.
Frustrated, Jack kicked at the door. “I know you’re in there, Mr. Barlow! You owe me for mowing your lawn!”
Still nothing.
Shit.
Damn.
Fuck.
It wasn’t like Jack could break inside and steal the money. Mr. Barlow was the type to shoot first and ask questions later.
Looking over his shoulder, he stared at Lilly across the street.
Her blonde hair shimmered in the afternoon light like sunshine. He had fifteen dollars in his pocket. It was going to have to be enough.
“Asshole!” Jack shouted at the door before storming off of the concrete stoop.
Jack dragged his mower away, careful not to catch the blades on the gravel as he headed across the street. The worst thing he could do would be to ruin a blade in his anger. Vernon Charmouth was expecting him tomorrow before noon. Maybe he’d be able to get back into town the next day if they didn’t get everything Lilly needed today.
After using a bike lock to secure his mower, he grabbed his bike and walked it across the lawn to where Lilly sat in the high grass. Jack knelt down next to her.
She looked up at him with the same gunmetal-gray eyes that stared back at him every time he looked in a mirror. But her smile gave her eyes a light that his did not possess.
“Ready, Jackie?”
He smiled down at her. “Ready.”
He helped her stand. She was wearing a long dress and flats, which wasn’t ideal on his bike, but they didn’t have a choice. Her pants that he’d cut into shorts for her over the summer no longer fit her. Unlike Jack, who was tall and lean, Lilly had a pudgy little body. While society might look down on her for not being a beanpole, especially as a girl, Jack felt a sense of pride when he saw her. He might have missed some meals this summer, but she’d been fed.
They walked down the road, Lilly skipping more than walking as Jack pushed his bike. The gravel road in the trailer park was not ideal for riding a bike on, especially when he had to ride with his little sister on the handlebars. They would walk to the main drag and then start out on the bike.
Jack didn’t like when Lilly rode on his handlebars. Truth was, the wagon would only get in the way in town and it wasn’t like they were going to be purchasing enough to need it.
Fifteen dollars.
