Total pages in book: 30
Estimated words: 29018 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 145(@200wpm)___ 116(@250wpm)___ 97(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 29018 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 145(@200wpm)___ 116(@250wpm)___ 97(@300wpm)
Having another sip of my water precedes asking, “Anything else I should know before I run a background check?”
His head cocks to the side in curiosity. “What are you running one for?”
“To see if you’re lying.”
“And when you see that I’m not?”
“To discover what you left out.”
“And when you learn that the answer is nothing?”
“Then I’ll help you get back on your feet.”
“You don’t have to do that, man.” Jedd lifts his mug on a headshake of denial. “I know you’re just doing this shit for your kids. There’s no need to waste more time or money or resources on someone like me.”
The speech feels too familiar.
Too heartbreaking.
“I’ll make up some bullshit next time I see ‘em.” He downs a couple gulps of what I imagine is a room temperature beverage. “Tell ‘em that things are really looking up. And that um…I’ll have a place of my own real soon or some shit.”
“No.”
My answer stops him from having another sip.
“You’re not gonna lie to my girls like that.” His mouth twitches to argue with me but is met by a hardened stare. “I’m gonna buy you lunch, what I assume you’ll have for dinner, and put you up in a hotel room for the night while I verify the shit you’ve said. If everything comes back good, we’ll work on getting you back on stable ground.”
“Really, Archer. You don’t have to do that. Any of that.”
“I don’t.” Remembering how kind and caring my wife was long before that’s who she became has me adding, “But I’m going to.”
What looks like tears begin to appear along the edges of his eyes as he asks, “What’s the catch?”
“No catch.”
“No one’s this…fucking…generous, man.”
There’s no stopping the grin that crosses my lips. “That’s where you’re wrong.”
Jedd sniffles away the emotions threatening to be shown and prepares to scoot out of the booth. “Gonna go hit the can.” He lightly chortles to himself. “Inside. Because I’m a fucking customer and can do that.”
He’s offered a small, grunted laugh in return.
Watching him move from our table towards the nearby restrooms lets me know more of his unspoken story.
He too has a limp.
Rubs at his lower back as if it aches.
Keeps his head down like shame weighs too much to keep it lifted.
If it weren’t for the fact he left his guitar case at the table, I might be concerned that he was making a run for it. That this much…unexpected kindness would have him looking to escape back into the bleak abyss I’m sure he’s convinced himself he deserves.
Pulling out my personal cell is promptly followed by swiping at the contact I know won’t hesitate to help.
The phone only rings twice before Charles is answering, “Yeah?”
“Busy?”
“Define busy.” He happily hums and puts something down on the table from the thud I hear. “What do you need?”
“A favor.”
“Is it legal?”
“Of course, that’s why I called you and not Dane.”
Charles lightly laughs at the retort prior to requesting more information. “I’m listening.”
“Gonna text you a name and need you to do a background check on him.”
“Standard?”
“Thorough.”
“How thorough?”
“The type you did on me when you first found out your daughter moved me into her garage.”
Another hum escapes my father-in-law. “Roger that.”
Our call ends right as Christina arrives with our dishes to be served.
I lean back to allow her space to arrange the plates and quickly shoot him the info.
Fingers crossed this guy is who he says he is and is as honest with me as I was with Jaye. The last thing I want is to disappoint my little ones. Having to explain to them post-Christmas that ‘Santa’ tried but failed isn’t really something I wanna have to do over ice cream sundaes with extra hot fudge. And don’t look at me like that. If I have to hurt my daughters’ feelings of course I’m gonna provide a treat to cushion the blow. I do the same shit with my wife. Although, that’s a completely different type of treat if you know what I mean.
Chapter 5
Jaye
“Mrs. Cox,” Wardell whines up at me, tablet being flung across the table, “I don’t wanna do this project. I shouldn’t have to do anything on holiday break.” His chubby arms fold defiantly across his prep school sweater covered chest. “Plus, it’s stupid. Why do I have to learn about things I’m never gonna celebrate?”
I lean back in the seat beside him and swing one leg over the other. “First off, be careful with the N word. Life is weird and wacky and wild and wormy. You can’t predict everything you’ll do or even everything you think you’ll do.” Pulling his tablet back to him occurs next. “Second, it’s a great thing to learn about different cultures and experiences and situations. Sometimes it’s fun. Sometimes it’s fascinating. But above all else, it gives you a superpower that not everyone has.”