Page 18 of Night By Night
Five minutes later, he was filling out forms and he’d worked out he could afford two of the outfits for her, and a gear bag, and he bought those.
Well, they went on one of his credit cards, and he’d pay it off Wednesday.
He also promised Eliza that, as soon as he could afford it, he’d start paying twenty-five percent of the usual cost, which would risk stretching his budget a little, but he could make it as long as he was careful.
It was worth it.
It didn’t help him with JJ’s care during summer hours, but then Eliza left him alone for a moment to make a phone call and came back wearing a beaming grin.
As soon as school ended, JJ would go to a gymnastics day camp in the mornings, and then Eliza herself would pick JJ up and drive her to the dojo for afternoon classes.
The woman who ran the gymnastics school with her sister was a close friend of Eliza’s, and—oh, look at that—shejusthappened to have a full scholarship available for JJ, too.
The tears hit him again. “I’m sorry I’m such a wreck,” he whispered, hoping JJ didn’t overhear him this upset. “These are good tears, I swear.”
“It sounds like you’re maybe working on a good case of PTSD you’ve never been able to deal with.”
“I’ve…I’ve been in survival mode. I’ve had to stay strong for her. I’m exhausted.”
“What are you two doing for dinner tonight?”
“Maddox is coming over at six to make dinner for us.” He tearfully laughed again. “I haven’t seen the guy in fourteen years, and he messaged me last night on Facebook. I replied, but when I called him first thing this morning and asked if I could use him for one of JJ’s school emergency contacts, he said yes without hesitation. I’ve missed him so much.”
“Sounds like the best kind of friend to have.”
“Yes, ma’am. I’ve never had a friend as good as him,” he admitted. “Never one as close, either.”
“How about tomorrow night, then? You and JJ, and heck, Maddox, too. Or does he have a wife or girlfriend? Or husband or boyfriend? Invite them, too.”
A slight tendril of jealousy unexpectedly shot through him at that thought, and it was something he decided he’d have to unpack later. “I don’t even know. I don’t think he does. I’ll ask him tonight.”
She pulled out her phone. “Give me your info again, so I don’t have to look it up, please.”
“Yes, ma’am.” He recited it to her, and she texted him so he had her personal cell number, plus she gave him June’s information.
By the time they left, he had everything set up for JJ to start classes tomorrow, including the forms to give to the school in the morning to authorize the dojo to pick up JJ. Then they stopped by the gymnastics studio, where June Jarette, a tiny woman with a huge smile, immediately engulfed them in a hug and swept JJ into their small shop to get her outfitted.
“I can’t tell you how much I appreciate this, ma’am,” he said, his hands trembling as he dug out one of the credit cards to buy JJ two outfits.
This was worth it—wellworth it.
“Aw, you’re welcome, sweetie. You’re adorable.” She seemed to size him up. “Just to let you know, a group of us are pretty dang good with matchmaking.”
He laughed. “I’m too busy with JJ to even think about that right now, but thank you, ma’am. Maybe in a couple of years.”
“Just keep it in mind.” She grinned. “We have a one-hundred-percent success rate so far.”
It would be too easy to fall into a self-pitying mood if he stopped to contemplate his MIA love life. “I’m still trying to process…this. You all are amazing, and I promise I’ll find a way to pay y’all back. I’ll even help out working on the weekends, if you need me to. Chores, repairs—whatever. I’m good with my hands.”
She waved him off. “Hey, we take care of family. Eliza said you’re just as good as family. My sister, May, handles the gymnastics side of things. I focus on teaching adult yoga and pole-dancing classes now, but JJ is going to love May. And she’ll absolutely be safe here with us.”
He nodded, swallowing hard. “Mrs. McElroy said that, ma’am. I trust her. She was my favorite teacher in school.”
It was a little after five by the time they were heading home. In her car seat, JJ chatted away, excited to start her new class tomorrow at the dojo.
Maybe I should be just a little religious and give thanks.
Because it sure as heck felt like divine intervention going on right now.
Then again, every time in the past it felt like things were going too well, that’s when massive piles of shit hit the fan and blew up his life.
