Obviously, that hadn’t been the case here since she was dead. But he still wondered about who cared for him after she’d died, and why they’d waited to bring him to Orlando? If they’d known he was the father all along, why not just show up and explain the circumstances, instead of leaving him at his doorstep? His phone lit up, making him wince when he remembered he was supposed to call his mom back. “Hey, mom,” he said, answering it before it finished ringing the second time.
“Hi, Mijo. How are you? Getting excited?”
“Yeah, all moved in.” Taking his beanie off, he made a mental note that it was time to wash it again. “Now we just wait and pray it happens this week.”
“It will. I’ve been praying every day. I can hardly wait to meet him. From what you described, he sounds just like you. Big ole Baby Huey.”
Orlando smiled, remembering the doctor’s comments on how, if it weren’t for the note and vaccination records that led to his birth certificate, he’d think the baby at least two months older. He really was a big little guy. “Yeah, and he’s growing fast.”
“Listen, Mijo. I wanted to talk to you. Have you given much thought to daycare? I’d love to help as much as I can, but most of the time my hands are full with Abuela and Abuelo, so I’ll likely only be able to watch him a couple of days out of the week. What are you gonna do the rest of the time?”
“I’ve started looking into daycare, but the ones in the area of the shop I’m not crazy about. I already let Beast and Nine know I might have to take some time off until I can figure something out, but don’t worry. I will.”
He spoke with his mom for a bit longer, leaving out that he wasn’t crazy about leaving the baby in an environment where the attendants—some of them practically kids themselves—were watching thirty or forty other kids at one time. Most places he’d already checked out did have older women in charge, but the ones doing most of the watching of the kids were young girls. Too young to know much about caring for babies in his opinion. Not that he knew a whole lot, but at least he’d only have one he could give his undivided attention to. For weeks now, ever since he stepped foot into the first daycare center, he’d been seriously considering hiring a nanny. But the process for that might take a while. It’s why he’d be needing to take some time off. Once off the phone with his mom, he lay there on his mattress, doing the same thing he’d done every night since he found out about his baby: wondering what he was doing at that very moment. Was he crying? Was his missing his mom? His dad? The little guy had begun to show signs of getting attached to Orlando. At first, the courts had allowed a one-hour visiting time a week! Of course, Orlando had pushed for more time with him given his circumstances. The baby hadn’t been taken away for abusive reasons. They’d found nothing too damaging on his record except for some stupid shit he’d done way back. It was so long ago they couldn’t hold any of it against him. So, while they didn’t turn him over, he at least got three two-hour visits a week. And Orlando had made every last one of them. The last several times when Baby O had cried because Orlando had to leave, he’d barely made it to the car before getting choked up himself.
“This better happen this week, damn it,” he muttered, feeling choked up again. It really was insane how fast and profoundly this little guy had sucked him right in. Orlando was now feeling the same undeniable vulnerability he’d only ever seen in his hardened friend Beast’s eyes when he held his own baby. Taking a deep breath, he swallowed hard and decided to go about this another way. One he’d only shamefully ever resorted to when he was really desperate. He brought his hands together and closed his eyes. “Dear God. I don’t know how much more I can take . . .”
Chapter 5
Danica
Thankfully, Ted still didn’t suspect anything. Danica had almost blown it the day they had the oil change done at Orlando’s shop. First, she almost lost it when they’d driven by after running some errands in that area and she saw the moving truck outside the shop. The story of the abandoned baby had made the local news, so she knew Orlando was trying to get him back. But it wasn’t a big enough story that Ted had heard it. Danica had only found it because she’d been digging and searching for anything regarding it. As far as Ted was concerned, she’d simply informed the dad whose name she’d made up that she could no longer take care of the baby, and he agreed to keep him. Unfortunately, because it wasn’t a big headline, there hadn’t been anything big enough to update since it had initially been reported. Still, she’d been checking in vain for months for updates.
When she’d seen the moving truck outside the shop, she hadn’t known what to think. She’d insisted her car needed an oil change, made up some bullshit story on the spot about noticing a noise it’d been making for days. With Ted being such a stickler about keeping their cars up, she’d been quickly reprimanded for not saying something sooner. She’d convinced him that a co-worker swore by that shop, that it was the best price in town, and she didn’t want to wait another minute. Even back in the days when she’d gotten herself into so much trouble, she’d always sucked at lying. But she’d known from the moment she realized how torturous giving up the baby would be, she’d have to step up her game and learn to be as convincing as she could. Somehow lying came easier for her when it came to certain people, and Ted was one of those people. It had paid off and she’d managed to get them in there. She thought back to her performance that day and smiled proudly.
“What kind of noise is it making?” the guy behind the counter had asked Ted.
Ted turned to her as her eyes had widened. “Uh, it’s like a zooming sort of sound in the engine. It’s not always there, but I’ve heard it several times now.” She nodded, glancing from Ted to the guy behind the counter. “Like Zzzzuuurrr rrr rrr.”
The guy had smirked and glanced at Ted for a moment before looking back down at the paperwork and made a note. “Sounds serious. I’ll have them take a look.”
She’d had one chance to sneak outside and find out what was going on with the moving truck. When they’d been given the paperwork to fill out for the car, she said she had to take a call from her work outside. Ted was so busy filling out the paperwork he hadn’t even questioned what her work wanted when she got back. It wasn’t an entire relief to hear Orlando was moving but not the shop. She knew he was part owner of the shop. So, she’d been fairly certain he’d still be working there despite moving out. But she also knew how successful and driven he was. It’s why she’d wondered that day if maybe they were opening a second shop and he was moving there instead. Since all she could find on their website was a mention of a possible expansion of the shop right there at the same location, Danica crossed her fingers and just hoped Orlando’s move had something to do with the baby.
For once Ted’s insane insecurity had paid off. He’d been more pissed about the smug asshole trying to smooth talk her than anything else. “That dick probably throws the moves on every woman that goes in there with his ‘I can get you VIP treatment’ bullshit.” Ted hadn’t even noticed her nearly breaking down after overhearing Orlando’s conversation but especially the part about wanting his boy home. She’d since parked up the street from the shop several times in hopes of catching at least a glimpse of the baby. But each time she’d gotten nothing. She knew the baby was in his custody now because they finally updated the story with the heartwarming happy ending. Though there was no footage or even photos of the baby or Orlando in the short article. Just a statement Orlando’s attorney had given the media. “The baby has been reunited with his father and the rest of his extended family now, where he belongs.”
Danica had cried buckets that night. She took an extra-long shower with the excuse that she thought she was coming down with something, so it would explain the inevitable swollen red eyes and nose when she finally walked out of the bathroom. But Ted knew what a mess she’d been since she’d given the baby up. There was no hiding how utterly miserable she’d been that whole time, and many times she didn’t bother to hide it. The only bad thing
about making the bold move to stop in at the shop was Ted’s ridiculous accusations about Orlando throwing the moves on her. As if. The guy was a tatted-up, hard-as-rock god. She’d nearly choked on her gum when he walked back into the shop in the tiny tank. Of course, the first words Ted had said as soon as they’d walked out were, “Well, we’re never coming back here again.”
Danica hadn’t bothered to argue. She figured she’d already taken a big enough risk. The last thing she needed was for Ted to suspect there was more to her insisting they stop in that day. If she wanted the second part of her insane new plan to work, she needed Ted to forget about the place entirely. Lying to Ted had always come easy, and she was hoping to use those same lying skills to her advantage to make this work. Gasping when she saw Orlando’s truck drive by her, she brought her hands to her face when she spotted the car seat in the back row. “Oh my God.”
For weeks, she’d been praying to catch even the tiniest glimpse of the baby. Her shoulders dropped in frustration when she saw the truck turn into the back alley of the shop and out of sight. “Of course, he’d park in the back,” she muttered.
All this time she’d had visions of him parking right there in the front, watching him pull the baby out, maybe even hold him up in the air and make him giggle. The very thought had her crying again. Jesus, how would she ever pull this off without turning into a blubbering mess?
Pulling herself together, she wiped her face, fixed her eyes, and considered walking in there but for what? Pulling out her phone, she Googled most common car issues. What could she possibly sabotage on her own car that wouldn’t cause too much damage, but just enough for her to need to get it checked out? Then there it was. Some frustrated person was asking why their brakes only squeaked sometimes. Danica read the last sentence out loud. “I took it in to have it checked, and they wouldn’t squeak for the mechanic who insisted my brakes were fine.” She smiled big. “Perfect.”
Only her plan wasn’t so perfect. Both times she’d driven into the parking lot she got choked up just thinking about seeing the baby and drove off again, one of the times nearly colliding with another car pulling into the parking lot. How in the world would she hold it together when she finally did?
“He has the baby with him, you idiot,” she chided herself in the rearview mirror as she dabbed her eyes and powdered her nose. “He’s not there to work, so he won’t be there all day. You’re gonna lose this chance.” Her face scrunched up again. “Please don’t lose this chance.”
Somehow, she found the courage deep within her. The thought of missing out on seeing the baby was enough to make her dig deep and gather her strength. But she had to have a plan because she knew just the sight of him, or God forbid hearing him cry or giggle, would have her falling apart.
With a plan together finally, she drove back into the parking lot, relieved to see the truck still parked in the back. “You can do this,” she whispered to the pair of red swollen eyes in the rearview mirror. Taking one last very deep breath, she got out of the car, hoping she hadn’t wasted too much time. She was supposed to meet Ted and a few other friends for happy hour at five. It’s why she’d chosen today to do so. She figured, if she was going to go in there, she may as well do it on a day she was all done up. On a count of she was trying to make her best impression—that’s all. Only she was now regretting her choice of shoes. They were higher than what she was used to wearing and why she didn’t wear them often at all. But they were all kinds of sexy, and she was trying to leave an impression after all.
She glanced down at her phone. It wasn’t even four-thirty yet. Her brakes were fine, and it shouldn’t take too long for them to figure it out. She’d get that much needed glimpse of the baby and be on her way. To her disappointment, Orlando was nowhere around when she walked in. Good thing too, because she nearly went down when one of her ankles wobbled in the big shoes. The guy behind the counter, another tatted-up sight for sore eyes, smiled at her when he glanced up. “What can I do for you?”
She glanced down at the name embroidered on his shirt. Nine? That was odd, but she wiped her clammy hand on her pants and went back to concentrating on her plan “My uh . . . brakes are making this squeaky sound. I just wanted to have them checked to make sure I don’t need new ones.”
“When’s the last time you had your brake pads changed?”
“Few months ago?” She had no idea. Her mind was so befuddled with everything else she couldn’t even think straight, and she hadn’t thought that far ahead. “Few months?” he asked, looking surprised. “And they’re squeaking already?”
“Could be longer,” she said, backpedaling and not sure why placing her hand on her hip would make her sound more believable, but it felt like the thing to do, so she did and lifted her chin a bit. “I don’t remember to tell the truth.”
Thankfully, they got through the technicalities about which was her car, where she parked, and she handed him her keys. He told her to take a seat. Danica took one and sat there for a few minutes as Nine walked outside. She was anxious to hear a baby. He had to be here, somewhere, right? She’d begun to think maybe the baby hadn’t actually been in the car seat. Maybe Orlando had dropped him off somewhere and was really here to work today. Then she heard someone upstairs. “Because I don’t want him in daycare all week. A few days maybe but not the whole week.”
There was no response, so she figured he was on the phone. “Don’t worry about it, Mom. I got it. I’m interviewing a few nannies this coming week, and I have a very trustworthy friend who said she can help one day out of the week. Between the three of us and a nanny, I should be okay for now. But I’d prefer to eventually just get a full-time nanny.”
Her heart swelled when she saw him start down the stairs with the baby strapped in a holster against his chest. It was an amazing sight. The man was more perfect than she remembered, and she could already see and hear the love in his eyes and his voice when he spoke of the baby. Daycare wasn’t good enough for his boy. Panicked by the huge lump in her throat, Danica fished out her phone from her purse. Stick with the plan. Stick with the plan. Don’t blow this! She tapped a few things on her phone, already sniffling. When she finally felt in control enough, she glanced up. He was behind the counter now, still on his phone. The baby was asleep, which was a good thing. Danica had sorely underestimated how emotional it would be to see him again. It’d only just dawned on her as Orlando was coming down the stairs what might happen if the baby recognized her. What would she do if he cried out for her?
Glancing up from her phone, she took in long glimpses of the hefty bundle on his chest for as long as she could stand it before she felt herself choking up. One of the times she glanced up and met Orlando’s eyes, he seemed to peer at her but then started talking again. And thank God he did because for a moment there she’d been sucked into those mesmerizing eyes and lost all train of thought. “Alright, I’ll let you know. You just take care of Grandma and Grandpa and let me handle this little guy. I got it. Don’t worry.”
Danica took deep breaths. Thank God she’d made the right choice leaving the baby with Orlando. She hadn’t been sure if he’d be daddy material, but so far, her ovaries felt ready to burst. “You been helped?”
She glanced up at the question. “Uh, yeah, I’m just waiting on them to check my brakes.”
He tilted his head, peering at her again as he had earlier. Something about the way those intense eyes seemed to scrutinize her, did things to her she couldn’t even begin to understand. She couldn’t get over how much the baby resembled his father either. Angie had been right. The baby definitely got those beautiful eyes from his daddy. Angie, who’d been known to wear fake lashes because hers were so short and thin, had called it from day one. There was no way the baby had gotten his thick long lashes from her, and now Danica could see exactly where he’d gotten them. Focus, damn it! The door to the shop opened and Nine walked in. “Brakes look fine.”
Danica stood up, holding her phone tightly in her hand. “Really?”
She did her best to sound genuinely surprised.
“But your transmission’s another story. Did you know it was leaking?”
“My transmission?”
“Yeah,” he said, rubbing the baby’s back as he walked by Orlando. “Has a crack on the bottom. You’ll probably need to replace it and soon.”
“Replace it?” Her eyes went from him to the baby and then Orlando, who was still peering at her oddly. “How much will that cost?”
Nine stretched his lips in a slow-motion wince then glanced at Orlando. “Two thousand seventeen Kia crossover? What do you think? Two? Three grand?”
“What?” She gasped, pulling out of the trance Orlando’s gaze put her in. “My car’s not that old. I’m the only owner and I take care of it. How can it need a new transmission?”
“You may’ve hit something that cracked it,” he explained as Orlando shushed the baby who’d begun to squirm. “I can get you a quote on getting it fixed, but it’d only be temporary. You’re gonna need it replaced eventually.”
“I . . .” She shook her head, distracted by the baby’s whimpering as the lump in her throat was instantly there. “I can’t afford three grand right now or even two for that matter.”
“Well, don’t cry,” Nine said, looking panicked. “It’s still running. I’m just giving you a heads-up that you’re gonna have to have it replaced soon.”
Panicking herself, but thankful the baby seemed to lull back to sleep, she shook her head, glancing down at her phone and remembering the plan. “No.” She shook her head again, praying she could pull this off without blowing it. “It’s um . . . just that, uh . . ” Turning to Orlando again, she sputtered something out about a personal issue she’d been dealing with. She paused, taking in how they were both staring at her now, and quickly looked back down at her phone as her heart raced now in dread that she might blow this. She had this whole story about her make-believe grandpa being on his death bed. But the intensity of Orlando’s eyes had her nearly blurting out the truth. She shrugged now, trying her best to make less of it. “I’ve just been really emotional about a personal issue. I’m fine.” Orlando nodded, searching her eyes, but didn’t comment as Nine took her in for a moment before making his way back to the counter.
Orlando: Boyle Heights #4 Page 4
