Page 66 of Flyboy
"That's bullshit. You're living on caffeine and running yourself ragged. I swear, you've dropped ten pounds since I moved here. How many shifts did you do at the hospital this week?"
"I'm fine. It was only for the last few weeks. I'm back to one shift a week after last night."
Now Alyssa was the one with a guilty look on her face. She wasn't about to bring up her schedule for next month when she would cover two different nurses' vacation time, but that didn't mean she liked lying to her friend.
After months of unexpected expenses, she needed extra cash. Especially when Penny needed a more powerful computer and special software for the start of the next school year. And then there was the car that needed some part or other replaced as well as a set of new tires,andher higher mortgage payment. Higher than her previous amount her income from Mercy-Life only just covered it, never mind all the other bills she had in a normal month.
She really shouldn't have bought the bigger house but with Mrs. Alverez needing her own space, the five-bedroom, three-bathroom house with in-law suite behind the garage had been perfect for them. Mrs. Alverez could come and go through her own entrance and when Alyssa was home they could, if they wanted to, keep the connecting door between the two living spaces closed for privacy.
It also meant neither Penny nor herself relied on the older woman more than necessary.
And none of the dollar stretching would be an issue, the extra shifts not a necessity, if she didn't have to pay off her lawyer. But she wasn't going to think about that bill. Or the added complication of Jack. And she definitely wasn't going to think about the fact that one word to Jack could wipe out all her bills. She refused to be a user like Gina; she could and would stand on her own two feet. And she refused to let her troubles affect the excitement of her friend’s day.
Today was about Ry and Maz, their upcoming wedding and baby. As Maz's maid of honor it was Alyssa's job to make sure the simple ceremony to make them husband and wife went off without a hitch. And as her best friend it was her job to organize a baby shower.
Not that either of those things were a chore.
She was looking forward to both and couldn't wait to get into the details. Her gaze moved to where Ry waited—with Jack. Again, she wondered what he was doing here.
As if Alyssa had spoken her thoughts out loud, Maz said, "Jack offered to help."
She turned to Maz. "Oh?"
"Yeah, he said he knew how busy you were with Penny and the hospital and offered his muscles for any heavy lifting as well as his legs for any running around you might need to do and don't have time for."
"Hmm…" Of course, he did. The man seemed to live to help her.
Maz's hand landed on her arm. "Look, I don't know what's going on with you two and I don't want to get in the middle of it, but I think his offer is genuine. I don't think it's to get close to you or anything like that."
Alyssa laughed. "Yes, it is." At Maz's shocked gasp, she explained. "He's made it clear what he wants. This is just one more way to get it."
"I know we haven't talked about whatever happened between you two before I moved here, but is what he wants all that bad?" Maz asked.
How did she explain it to Maz when she hadn't told her friend—any of their friends—they were married? Sighing, Alyssa ran a hand over her tight neck muscles, dug her fingertips in. "No. But I don't have time to deal with him and everything else."
"What's going on? Other than you working yourself into the ground."
"I—" Cutting herself off, she drew in a deep breath. Now wasn't the time or the place for this discussion. And if she were honest, she wasn't ready to reveal anything, not about her sister, their mother, or that she'd married a goddamn billionaire.
Her lack of sleep didn't help. She had managed to grab a few hours yesterday afternoon between shifts, but it wasn't enough to make up for what she'd missed this week. Or last week. Or the one before that. Or…
Yeah, she hated to admit Jack and Maz were right, if she didn't rectify her sleeping habits soon instead of being the one to administer medical attention, she'd be the one in need of it.
"Alyssa?"
"Can we leave it for now? Can we just get our drinks and talk about your wedding?"
Maz studied her through narrowed eyes for a long time before relenting. "Fine. We'll put it aside. For now. But don't think for one second I won't come back to this topic."
Alyssa refused to argue or agree so changed the subject. "You said you thought you'd found your dress?"
Maz's face lit up, her eyes sparkling, her mouth stretched in a wide smile. "Yes!"
"And you're not worried about keeping it a secret from Ry?"
"Hell no. It's not like this is a traditional wedding."
"Still, are you sure?"
