by Lisa Shelby
“Oh, did he leave that out? Her big brother works with our boy here and is also a cop. He’s not just a co-worker, but he is Mickey Freaking Jacobs. He’s a bad man that you don’t want to mess with. He’s also very protective of Emily and Ireland. This could become a situation if he found out about our star-crossed lovers,” he says leaning back in his chair with a look of satisfaction on his face.
“Wow, this just gets better and better dude,” Liam says with a shake of his head.
“I still can’t believe that her daughter is named Ireland…it’s like it was meant to be or something.” Kate says with a dreamy look on her face.
“Oh good God, she didn’t name her after me! Her Grandmother’s maiden name was Ireland! Enough about my non-existent love life people. Let’s play a game or something. I can’t take much more of this!”
“Spoil sport…as for the game how about Would You Rather?” Liam chimes in and we all groan at his suggestion.
The next morning the five of us get up early so we can get to Pine State Biscuits for breakfast as soon as they open. Then we take a whirlwind trip to the waterfront so that the Fanuas can visit the Saturday Market before they leave. It’s a good thing we ate at Pine State first or we would have never gotten out of the Saturday Market in time with all the food options they have.
We make it back to the house by noon and when we walk in the door I see their packed suitcases waiting to be loaded into their rental car. My chest tightens at the thought of them leaving. I loved having them here and I’m actually starting to miss home for the first time since moving to Portland.
I help them load the car and Kate, Robert and Liam give me hugs, thanks for having them and see you laters. Liam and I both hate goodbyes so this works for both of us, and besides, we text so often it’s like we talk all the time anyway.
Fiona stops me outside the closed passenger side door and takes one of my hands in hers and cups my cheek with the other. She has tears in her eyes, but she isn’t letting them fall. This is something she seems to have perfected over her years of raising kids.
“Dear boy, your mother would be so proud of you. You have a good job that means something to you, you have a beautiful home, a beautiful heart and most importantly you are a good man. We love you so much and if you need anything, even just to talk, you know that we’re all here for you.”
“I know, Mrs. F.”
Letting go of my hand and my cheek she pulls me in for a hug and whispers in my ear. “You stay safe out there, honey. Go get your girl and once you have her you better bring her home to meet me. Now give me a kiss and let this old lady go so I can cry in the car.”
I give her a kiss on the cheek as I let her go.
“Love you, too. Safe flight home,” I say quietly.
She nods, gets in and Robert reverses out of the drive to head to the airport.
Frances and I watch until we can no longer see their car.
Chapter 18
Emily
It’s been a week and Jesse still isn’t back in class. I sure hope that I did the right thing. It really worries me that he hasn’t been back. It’s been keeping me up at night that he hasn’t returned and I don’t know what to do. I’m a member of the staff here and it wouldn’t be professional for me to reach out, but I am going to make a point to stop by the office today and see if they will tell me anything at all. I’m sure they won’t as it’s all confidential, but it’s worth a try.
In the meantime, I need to focus on the kids that are here in class today, one of those kids being Austin. He seems to have a bit of hero worship going on since I helped Jesse. Some of these kids don’t have the support that they need at home, so the fact that an adult actually took his concern to heart and acted upon it, means a lot to him. I think it helps for him to feel as though he has somebody on his side now, but I’m afraid that he’s starting to feel a bit too close to me.
“Hey Austin, how’s it going? Any missing assignments?”
“Nope, I’m all good Miss Jacobs.”
“Good, need any help with math this week?”
“Nope, not so far.”
“Hey, you heard from Jesse?”
“I haven’t talked to him myself, but from what I hear he’s ok. His dad’s in jail and he was staying with his aunt, last I heard.”
“What do you mean was?”
“I think he’s back at his house with his little brother. He turned eighteen this weekend and I think it was cool for him to go home.”
“Well, I’m glad to hear he’s okay,” I say to Austin, but it does concern me he and his brother are home alone.
Class is over in the blink of an eye and my day here at school is done. I don’t stop by the office after all, now that I have a bit of an update from Austin. I decide to let it lie for the time being. I head to my car and notice there’s a note under my windshield wiper.
Watch your back bitch!
What the hell?
A chill runs down my spine as I hold the note in my now clammy hand. I scan the school parking lot to see if there’s anybody around, but I don’t see anybody. I jump in my car and head out of the parking lot much faster than you are supposed to in a school zone, and I haul ass to Ireland’s school. I know just giving her a squeeze will calm me down, and knowing she is okay is all I can think about.
I pull into the school parking lot, park haphazardly and rush from my car to the front doors of the building. At first I don’t see her playing in her usual spot over by the doll house, but after a quick look I see her in the back sitting on a teacher’s lap. She looks lethargic and her cheeks are rosy.
“Hey baby girl, what’s wrong?” I ask moving her hair off of her face.
“I don’t feel good, momma,” she whimpers.
I know when she calls me momma there’s something wrong. I’m usually mom or mommy but when she’s sick, tired or pouting she pulls out the momma card and it gets me every time.
“She had a temp of a hundred and one when we checked about five minutes ago. We knew you would be here any minute to pick her up so we hadn’t texted you yet,” her teacher explains.
“Wow, poor baby. Come here and let’s get you home and feeling better,” I say as I take her from the teacher’s arms and into my own. I can instantly feel the heat radiating off of her.
“I know you know, but just a reminder that she won’t be able to come back to school for twenty-four hours after her fever is gone.” Turning her attention to Ireland she says, “You feel better, little one, and we’ll see you later this week.”
Shit! I’m going to have to miss work and I have class tonight! Thank God it’s an online class and I don’t have to go anywhere.
“Thanks, Beverly. Hopefully she’s better soon and just misses tomorrow.”
Ireland is limp as I carry her to Justine and isn’t much help as I get her snapped into her big girl booster seat. She’s quiet all the way home and practically asleep by the time we get to Mickey’s. I hate that we’re at Mickey’s and now not only does he have the two of us invading his space, but he has a sick child to put up with. I know he doesn’t look at it that way, but I hate to be a burden to him or to anybody for that matter.
When I walk in the front door, Mickey’s sitting on the couch, eating cereal and watching TV. When he sees that Ireland is not her usual self he instantly jumps up and asks if he can help. I tell him she has a fever and I don’t want him to get sick either, but he tells me to shut up, takes her from me and carries her to her room. I bust out the Children’s Tylenol and have her drink it down, then I get her in her jammies and sit with a cold, wet, wash rag held to her forehead. I settle in for what I’m sure is going to be a long night, with a sick Ireland and class to get through. It’s a glamorous life, I know, but somebody has to live it!
Ireland’s fever finally broke around midnight on Monday night after she threw up all over her bed and herself. Mick got home from work shortly after while I had Ireland in the bath trying to clean her up. He came in and stripped her
bed, started the wash and put clean bedding on her bed for me. He sure does have moments that just melt my heart. Once he settles down he’s going to make himself a great dad and husband. It may be years from now, but he’ll get there. It’s just going to take the right woman.
It’s now Wednesday and I’m sitting at my desk waiting for the bell to ring so that I can head home. Between taking care of my baby girl, class and not sleeping from worrying about life and where I’m headed, I am exhausted. Throw in the fact that every text from Jonathan makes my heart soar and butterflies dance around my insides and there is no sleep happening in my world. Fingers crossed Ireland will want to take a nap or at least watch a movie and I can crash next to her for a bit.
Ah, there it is, the gift that keeps on giving…the bell that says I get to go home. I gather all of my belongings, say goodbye to Heidi and I bail. I cannot get to my car, to the pre-school and to Mick’s fast enough.
Before I even reach my car though, I stop in my tracks when I see a piece of paper stuck under my wiper blade again. I look all around and don’t see anybody, but I still approach my car on high alert. I look under the car and check the back seat before I grab the note and get inside.
Smart of you not to come to work yesterday bitch!
Once again I race out of the parking lot and to Ireland. I just don’t understand why this is happening. Is this about Jesse? I don’t know who else would want to threaten me. This just doesn’t make sense.
Just as I reach the school my phone pings and tells me I have a text. I see it’s from an unknown number and break out into a sweat when I read it.
Unknown Caller: You will get what you deserve - Just stay away
I drop the phone in my purse like it has some sort of disease and sit in my car trying not to panic. What the fuck?
Calm down Emily. You have to walk into the school and get your daughter and not freak her out. Just breathe and get home to Mickey.
Mick looks like he’s getting ready to head out to the gym when Ireland and I walk through the door.
“Uncle Mick!”
“Hey I, how was school today?”
She throws her backpack on the floor, runs to him and jumps in his arms.
“It was fun, we learned about our personal pace and if somebody is in your pace or doing something you don’t like, the nice way to tell them to stop is to hold your hand up like this,” she demonstrates by holding her hand up a few inches from his face. “And say pease stop!”
“Oh, so the next time you get in my personal space to give me one of your icky girl kisses, I just have to say please stop and you have to stop?”
“You don’t love my kisses, Uncle Mick?”
She says as she looks down and her lower lip starts to come out but Mick is quick and starts to tickle her as he tells her, “Of course I do! I was just joking with you, silly!”
“I knew it!” she yells out between giggles.
“Mick…”
As I stand in a calm panic and watch all the cuteness in front of me, I can’t help but whisper Mick’s name. When I realize he can’t hear me over the tickles and giggles I try again.
“Mick,” I say a little louder.
He finally looks at me and I can tell that he can read my face and knows that something is wrong.
“Hey I, why don’t you go in your room and pop in one of your movies so I can talk to your mom. I’ll be there in just a little bit to check on you.”
“Okay, Uncle Mick but you have to have one of my icky girl kisses first!”
She kisses her uncle on the cheek, he thanks her as he sets her feet on the ground and she scampers off to her room without a care in the world.
“Emmers, what’s going on?” Mick asks.
I hand him the note and show him the text message without a saying a word.
“What the fuck, Em? When did this start?” he yells as his face turns red with anger.
“I found a note on my car on Monday, but Ireland was sick and I got so distracted with her and school that I forgot to tell you. Then when I left work today there was another note and then five minutes after I found this I got the text. I have no idea who would do this, Mick. The only thing I can think of is that I noticed some abuse on a student at work and I reported it, but the dad is in jail and there isn’t a mom around so I’m not sure if it’s his family or not.”
“I want you to write down the name of the kid you reported and his dads name if you have it. I want to make sure he really is in jail. Could there be anybody else? A pissed off student? A jealous co-worker? Anybody at all that you could have pissed off?” He says while I watch him try to calm himself by opening and closing his now clenched fists.
“No Mick, I can’t think of anybody else. It has to be somebody with my phone number…I just don’t get it.”
“Well, you are not going to work the rest of the week!” he orders.
“Yes, I am Mick!” I shout.
“No, you aren’t Em!” he shouts back.
“Mick, if I don’t go then they win and we’ll never catch them.”
“Shit! I’m supposed to leave Saturday morning for my hunting trip with the guys! I’m gonna call and cancel. There is no way I am leaving you two home alone,” he says pacing and pulling his phone out of his shorts pocket.
“You are not going to cancel your trip. I’ll have mom come over and we have Frank. It will be fine,” I try to convince him as much as myself.
“Oh, mom will protect you? That is supposed to make me feel better? Leave all three of you home alone together for a week? I don’t think so.”
“Mick, you have an alarm on the house. Even if it’s not monitored yet it will still make noise. Frank will bark if anybody gets near. I’ll have Cami and Alex hang out and you can leave me numbers to any of the guys you trust that I can call if I get scared and need them to stop by and check things out.”
“Anybody I would trust is going with me…wait…Kelly…I can have Kelly do drive-bys and check on you every day. You cool with that?”
Oh big brother if you only knew….
“I’m cool with that, Mick.”
Chapter 19
Jonathan
Standing at Mick’s front door I raise my hand to knock and my mind goes back to the frantic text I got from him a couple of days ago. It was telling me what some asshole is doing to Emily and if I would mind stopping by to check on her every day while he was off hunting. He also said that he had given her my number in case she needed anything. He would freak the fuck out if he knew that we already had each other’s numbers and that I was in love with his little sister. I don’t even want to think about that conversation.
When I read his message, the first thing I wanted to do was find whoever was doing this to her and kill the son of a bitch! There is nobody else I would want watching over her while Mick is gone. In fact, I don’t plan on letting her out of my sight.
I know Mick told me to come by in the evening to check on her, but here it is ten o’clock in the morning and I’m already here knocking on the door. Mick texted me to say thanks when the guys hit the road, and I ran to my truck to get here as fast as I could. The thought of her and Ireland home alone with somebody out there threatening her brings out a possessive side I never even knew I had.
The sight that I see when Emily opens the door is probably the best thing I have seen in five years.
In front of me stands Emily, with an embarrassed shade of pink coloring her make-up free skin, her hair is up in a mess on top of her head, and her long legs are on display in her short little boxer shorts. But the best part? The best part is that on top of those boxer shorts is my old USMC t-shirt. And if my eyes do not deceive me there isn’t a bra on under that t-shirt.
She stole my t-shirt, has kept it all this time and still fucking wears it! There is a God!
“Hey,” she barley squeaks out.
“Hey, Em. Mick told me he wanted me to check in on you while he was gone, so here I am.” I’m trying my best to keep a st
raight face when all I want to do is give her shit about my shirt. It’s so hard to keep my mouth shut and the smile off of my face.
“He just left like ten minutes ago. I don’t need a babysitter but it’s nice of you to come by.”
She sounds irritated and I can tell she’s trying to brush me off when I see a little head full of blond curls and big brown eyes sneak past Emily’s leg. As soon as she sees me she jumps up and down in her footy pajamas.
“Jonafon! Mommy, Jonafon’s here!”
Thank God for this kid because she grabs me by the hand and pulls me right past her mom and into the house. She takes me over to the family room table where her dolls appear to be having a party. I can see a stack of books and Emily’s computer open on the kitchen table.
“Do you wanna play dolls with me?” Ireland asks. How could I ever say no to her?
“Baby girl, Jonathan doesn’t want to play dolls,” she says to Ireland and then turns her attention towards me. “Besides I was just trying to get some studying done while she played, so see? We’re all good.” She’s still trying to get rid of me.
She squirms a little bit as she tries to cover her bra-free chest with her arms crossed in front of her. I think she’s hoping I won’t notice the t-shirt she’s wearing, but there is no way I would have missed that.
“I’m good. Why don’t we play dolls and you do your studying for a bit?”
“Yeah!” My little partner in crime yells, affirming that my idea is better!
“No, you don’t want to babysit,” she says still fighting me.
“I won’t be babysitting. I’ll be hanging with my new friend just a few feet away from her momma. Sounds like fun to me.”
Weakly she says, “Jonathan, you don’t have to do this.”
