Clean Start

by S. M. Shade

  Dad and Bailey both look up when we enter. They’re sitting on the couch, Bailey with her guitar on her lap. Aiden plays with his new toy hippo on the floor.

  “What’s wrong?” Dad says.

  “Uh, let’s talk upstairs.”

  Bailey casts a worried look at me, and I give her a reassuring smile. “Everything’s fine. No one is hurt.”

  She doesn’t quite look like she believes me, but she nods.

  Noble sits on the floor with Aiden, keeping him occupied.

  Dad and Jani follow me upstairs. There wasn’t much point explaining things away from the kids when his voice booms through the house. “Arrested! Your mother was arrested? For what?”

  “Feeling up a cop she thought was a stripper,” Jani blurts when I hesitate. “It was totally my fault. I’m going to explain everything to them.”

  Dad rubs his face and coughs out a laugh. “For fuck’s sake, Holly,” he mumbles. “Okay, let’s go get them.”

  I hope it’s that easy. If we can’t convince them it was all a terrible mistake, they’ll probably keep them until they go in front of a judge tomorrow.

  Fortunately, the two officers on duty at the station know me pretty well. I’ve helped them get Barney, our resident alcoholic, back into his apartment a time or two and they generally stop to chat when they pass by.

  “Officer Green,” I greet him, approaching the desk. He takes one look at my plug costume and his chest shakes with laughter.

  “Are you missing an outlet, there, Neal?”

  “There’s been a misunderstanding.”

  “That’s what I hear.” Chuckling, he gets to his feet.

  Jani rushes up to him. “It was my fault. I told her there were strippers coming and when the officers showed up, Veronica and Holly thought they were strippers in costume. They didn’t mean to…manhandle the officers.”

  Officer Green laughs and wipes his eyes. Waving to us, he says, “Come on back.”

  It’s a tiny station with two holding cells, usually reserved for the few drunk and disorderly offenders that are picked up. Anyone who is a true threat is sent to the bigger annex run by the staties.

  Mom sits back on the bench, her ankles crossed like she’s lounging at home, and laughs at something Veronica says.

  “They aren’t exactly remorseful,” Officer Green snorts.

  Veronica struggles to her feet in her outlet costume. “We apologized to all three officers. And explained what happened.”

  “You can’t charge us with public intox,” Holly insists. “We were inside. You dragged us out into public.”

  Officer Green turns to me and Dad, shaking his head. “Are you sure you want them back?”

  “Somebody’s got to make breakfast,” Dad replies, relaxing now that he sees they aren’t going to keep them.

  “Are you pressing charges?” I ask.

  Officer Green opens the cell door. “No, you all gave me a new story to tell. Get their asses out of here.”

  “Thank you.” I shake his hand as Mom and Veronica step out into the hall.

  “Do you have anything to say for yourself?” Dad asks.

  Mom flips her hair back and lays a hand on her stomach. “I’m starving. Is the Breakfast Hut still open?”

  Veronica cracks up laughing, and I hook an arm around her neck, pulling her against me. “What’s this I hear about you feeling up his bicep?”

  “Me?” she scoffs, grinning. “Do I look like I’d do something so immature?”

  As we make our way out of the station, one of the officers that brought them in walks past and nods to us. He’s barely out of earshot before mom announces, “Firm ass on that one. They must make them run a lot.”

  When we get to the parking lot, I call Noble, who assures me the kids are fine. Mom and Veronica are still going on about breakfast, and Noble mentions the kids are hungry. Fuck it. “Have them put their shoes on. We’re going to go to the Breakfast Hut. Do you want to go?”

  “No thanks. I want to get back to the party.” He tells the kids, and I can hear them cheer.

  What the hell, it’s summer. One late night won’t hurt them.

  We pick them up, and Dad drives since he’s the only one who hasn’t been drinking. It’s a tight squeeze in his car, so I pull Veronica onto my lap. We’re both a lot more comfortable since we ran inside to change out of our costumes.

  We drop Noble and Jani off and a few minutes later, we’re all seated around a table in the twenty-four hour restaurant. At least it’s not near three a.m. yet, when the drunks pour in from the local bars.

  Everyone is pretty much sobering up, especially after we dig into the food. Bailey and Aiden giggle and draw on the kid’s placemats with crayons in between bites of pancakes. Mom and Dad laugh and chat with Veronica, while she fills Dad in on their night’s adventure. Maybe I’m getting old, but this is more my idea of fun.

  Gathered together, enjoying each other. This is family, and that now includes Veronica and Aiden, whether we ever seal the deal with a marriage or not. By the time we’re finished eating, Aiden is asleep with his head in Bailey’s lap, and Bailey’s eyes are drooping as well.

  Veronica reaches to wake Aiden as we get ready to leave, but I stop her. “I’ve got him,” I tell her, scooping him up and carrying him to the car. He doesn’t stir as he’s strapped into his booster seat.

  That’s one of those memories I love from being a kid. Being asleep in the back seat of the car and waking up in my bed. It was like teleporting. Aiden’s warm weight in my arms as I carry him upstairs and tuck him into his bed reminds me of doing the same with Bailey. I always wanted a son as well, and now I have one.

  # # #

  One look at Veronica’s face when she comes in from work, and I know she’s had a bad day. The kids are playing in the backyard when I take a seat beside her on the couch.

  “They’re selling the hotel. And the next people plan to staff it with friends and family. I have a month to find a new job.”

  I wrap my arm around her. “I’m sorry. I know it wasn’t your favorite place, but you’ve been with them for a long time.”

  “Yeah, I’m not pissed at the owners. They have every right to sell, and they’re giving me three month’s severance pay, but I hate to start over somewhere new.”

  Seizing my opportunity, I remind her. “You enjoyed filling in for Margo when she first went on maternity leave. She’s decided to be a stay at home mom, and my temporary employee couldn’t sell snow cones in hell. Come and work with me.”

  She scoffs, dropping a quick kiss on my jaw. “You mean come and work for you. I don’t think that’s a good idea.”

  “You promised to marry me after one year.”

  “I did.” She grins up at me.

  “So, then you’ll just be working for our family business, not as your boyfriend’s employee. If you need another incentive to be my wife.” I run my palm down my bare chest. “I mean, you’re already getting all this.”

  Her fingers pick at the seam of her jeans as she thinks about it. “Do you know why I wanted to wait a year?”

  “In case I don’t age well?”

  She laughs and rubs a finger over the stubble on my cheek, where a bit of gray is starting to mix in. “I had a few accounts go to collection, medical bills from Aiden’s birth and childhood that I was still paying on. They tanked my credit. After all you’ve done to get your finances straight, I wasn’t going to let mine drag you down.” She lays a finger over my lips when I start to argue. “But, with this severance, I’ll have them covered.”

  “Does that mean…”

  “If you still want to get the government involved, I’d love to be your wife.”

  From bad news to the best fucking news in the world.

  I practically dive on top of her, pinning her under me on the couch, and kiss her giggling mouth. “It’s about damn time. Are you going to work with me?”

  “Anything but doing windows,” she laughs.

  The back door slam
s shut and Aiden’s voice rings out. “Gross! They’re kissing!”

  Laughing, we sit up, and Veronica gives me a small nod. “That’s what people do when they’re going to get married,” I tell him.

  Bailey squeals and leaps onto the sofa next to Veronica. “Really?”

  “If you’ll be my maid of honor.” Bailey hugs her with the biggest smile I’ve ever seen on her face.

  Aiden hasn’t said anything yet. He stands in front of us, looking uncertain.

  “What do you think, A?” I ask.

  He chews his lip and asks, “Do I have to wear a tie?”

  All three of us laugh at his main concern. “No, buddy, we won’t make you wear a tie.”

  “Will you be my dad, then?”

  Silence reigns, and he fidgets as I soften my voice to ask, “Do you want me to be your dad?”

  His little face is serious as he responds. “I think you already are my dad. Because Eddie says that dads teach you how to ride a bike, and help you with schoolwork, and keep your secrets. Like when I broke that glass, and you told Mom you did it. Or when I pooped the bed and you washed the sheet before anyone could see.”

  His eyes suddenly widen as he realizes he’s just told on himself. Before he can regret any of it, I grab him in a bear hug.

  This kid.

  My kids.

  My family.

  They’re fucking everything.

  “You’re right, buddy. I’m already your dad.”

  Epilogue

  One year later

  Neal

  “Closing early today?” Harrison asks, nodding at the sign outside Jetsky’s. He’s brought in his weekly cars that he’s just acquired as trade ins.

  “Yeah, it can’t be helped. Veronica and I have to be in court at three.”

  “Did you rob a bank, or have you been prostituting yourself again?” Harrison cracks up at his own joke.

  “Don’t hate me because I’m beautiful, old man.” He chuckles as I go on to explain. “I filed to adopt Aiden, and Veronica did the same for Bailey. The adoptions are being finalized today. We’ll both officially be the legal parents of both kids.”

  Harrison beams and shakes my hand. “Well, congratulations! You have a beautiful family.”

  “Thank you.”

  “And I have a beautiful new SUV crossover that I’m sure you’d all love.” There it is. The sales pitch.

  Laughing, I nod. “Actually, Harrison, I am looking for a new vehicle. Why don’t I come in on Monday, and you can show me what you have?”

  “That’s what I like to hear! I knew I’d wear you down eventually.” He slaps me on the back.

  “Just shy of ten years, man. Killer skills,” I taunt.

  Greg, the kid whose job is to drive the cars onto the track, jumps into his last one and pulls it around. “I’d better get moving. I’ll see you Monday.”

  “No minivans,” I caution him. “I still have a penis.”

  He throws back his head, and I can hear his laughter all the way across the lot as he makes his way inside.

  Veronica walks up to me with a smile. “What did you tell him?”

  “That we’re shopping for a new car. Made his day.”

  “Clearly.”

  Two hearses pull in and stop next to the vacuums, and the look of dread on Greg’s face as he approaches them makes me hide a smile. The funeral home is one of our newer accounts. After they deliver the coffin to the graveyard, they come to us to get the dead flowers vacuumed up, and the hearses washed and ready for the next procession.

  The kids are endlessly amused by the creepy cars, but Greg doesn’t see the humor. Aiden and Bailey show up just in time to see the hearses pull in.

  “Aiden was eager to go,” Bailey explains, as he rushes up to me. Bailey has been watching him at home all day and I’m sure she’s been asked if it’s time to go a million times.

  “No problem, these are our last two.” I motion for another employee to put up the cones to block the driveway entrance.

  “Are there dead guys in there?” Aiden asks, excited, pressing his face against the tinted glass.

  Greg gives us all a look as he quickly sweeps out the back, between the runners where the caskets are placed.

  “Nope, no dead guy,” I tell him.

  Harrison is waving at me from the front corner of the building, so Veronica keeps an eye on things while I head to see what the issue is.

  One of the cars he’s brought in won’t start, so I grab my battery jumper and have him on his way in a few minutes. The first hearse is pulled out by an employee, and the others jump to wipe it down, so I walk inside to see if the other one is about finished.

  Now, usually, no one rides through with the car, unless there’s some reason or the owner prefers it, so I’m a little surprised to see Greg sitting bolt upright in the driver’s seat as the hearse is being pulled through the brushes and water. He looks like he’d rather be anywhere else in the world.

  As I’m watching through the glass, and just as the hearse is reaching the end of the track where it’ll be stopped by a rubber bumper, I see him freak the fuck out. I don’t know what just happened, but the boy is seriously losing his shit, bouncing around the front seat until he finally jumps out and runs away like it’s on fire.

  My first thought was that a wasp or bee got in with him and he was getting stung. But when I rush into the garage to see what happened, two different creatures climb out of the back of the hearse, laughing so hard they can’t speak.

  “What the hell did you two do?” I ask Bailey and Aiden as Veronica approaches from behind me.

  “A-Aiden slammed his hands onto the glass partition and smashed his face against it, growling like a z-zombie,” she gasps, holding her stomach as her laughter intensifies.

  Yeah, those would be my kids that climbed into the back of the hearse while Greg wasn’t watching, waited until he was trapped by the brushes with no way to escape, then scared the living shit out of him.

  Aiden runs over to Veronica, still giggling. “I scared him good, Mom, did you see?”

  “He yelled help!” Bailey snorts. “Like, who was he yelling at?” She sits on the top of a plastic soap barrel, trying to catch her breath as laughter pours out of her.

  When I look to Veronica for help, something occurs to me. “Why did he ride through with it in the first place?”

  Aiden grins. “Mom told him the man wanted him to.”

  I should’ve known she was in on it. When I raise my eyebrows and meet her gaze, her laughter spills out, and she shrugs. “He sprayed us with the hose. Totally had it coming.”

  Greg approaches in time to hear her and raises his hands in front of him. “Truce! No more pranks!”

  “What did you think was back there?” I ask, trying not to laugh.

  “I didn’t know and wasn’t about to find out.”

  By the time we have the final hearse dried off and returned to the owner, it’s time to head to court.

  We’ve been told today is just a formality. All the papers have been signed. Both Aiden’s biological father and Bailey’s biological mother signed over their rights with no arguments, and neither showed up at the past court dates.

  Still, it’s a relief to hear the judge announce that we are now their legal parents. We don’t hear those words alone, not by a long shot. My parents are there, and pretty much everyone from Violent Circle.

  Violent Circle isn’t such a bad place to live now. After the threats from the Housing Department and the scathing report by the local news, the new management quickly retracted its former regulations. The money paid by tenants to reclaim the toys and bikes stolen from them was returned, and the owners were put on probation by the Housing Department. The tenants all know how to contact them if management steps over that line.

  I was so glad I could help make things better before we moved. We smile back at the crowd of neighbors, friends, and family, gathered at the back of the courtroom, all so happy for us and our kids.


  “I can see you have a very large and loving support system,” the judge says, after his pronouncement.

  “Yes sir, one big family,” Veronica replies.

  THE END

  Thanks for reading! If you’d like to check out more of my work, I have two books that are always free!

  Everly, Book one of The Striking Back Series:

  Amazon Link http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00UEVPO5G

  iBooks https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/id1073817328

  B&N http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/everly-sm-shade/1123243336?ean=2940152813722

  Kobo https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/everly-1

  Landon, Book one of The In Safe Hands Series:

  Amazon Link https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01H173WKO

  iBooks https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/id1225344975

  B&N http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/landon-sm-shade/1124433063?ean=2940154340769

  Kobo https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/landon-5

  Acknowledgements

  This may be my favorite of the books I’ve written, mainly because I got to use so much of the stuff that came out of my son’s mouth when he was Aiden’s age. I’m sure any mother of boys can relate.

  Of course, this book couldn’t have happened without all the support I get from the book community and these awesome people. First, I’d like to thank my PA, Melissa Teo, who puts up with my weird, middle-of-the-night messages when I’m stuck, frustrated, or just need an opinion. She runs an amazing book group where I spend far too much time. So, if it’s taking me too long to get a book out, it’s her fault.

  You can yell at her here, but be sure to stick around because it’s an amazing group to belong to. B.A.N.G.

  To my betas, who make sure my books aren’t riddled with mistakes and typos, you guys make me look so much smarter than I am. Thanks so much, Veronica Ashley, Paige Sayer, Colette Trainor, Aimee Degagne, Amanda Munson, Theresa O’Reilly, and Bridget McEvoy.

  The cover of Clean Start was created by Ally Hastings, of Starcrossed Covers. Thanks so much, Ally. Not every designer would take a request like putting a toilet brush on the cover and run with it.