by Cathryn Fox
She laughs. “I guess they’re really not that bad. Sylvie told me she had a French maid outfit I could wear for when I’m cleaning your place.”
Oh, maybe I like these girls more than I thought.
She leans back, a tiny, mischievous smile on her face. What is going through that brilliant mind of hers?
“You know you can’t do that, right?” I say.
She angles her head, and blinks at me. “Do what?”
“Wear a French maid costume around me.”
“Oh,” she says.
“What did you think I meant?” I ask as I take the turn to her campus.
“That. That you didn’t like French Maid costumes.”
I squeeze her hand. “Believe me, Rach. I’d love it on you but if you ever came near me in one, I’d blow before I ever got inside you, and you know how much I like filling you with my cum.”
She squeezes her legs, and memories of this morning jump to the forefront of my brain. I put my hand on her thigh, and she exhales a slow breath, the sound reminding me of air being let go from a balloon. Her cheeks turn a pretty shade of pink, and I have to say, I like when she gets all sexually flustered.
“I’m probably going to have to pay you back for this,” she says as I pull up to the curb.
“Back for what?” I ask, feigning innocence.
She glares at me. “How do you expect me to concentrate when you say things like that to me?”
“If you can’t concentrate, we could always try that video technique that got you back on track last night.”
“Oh, yeah, I’m definitely going to pay you back for this.” She whacks my chest and I laugh.
“Well, for what it’s worth, I’m probably going to have to go home and tug one out,” I say bluntly, just to get a reaction out of her.
“Ohmigod, Jaxon,” she says and reaches for the door handle like she’s in need of a quick escape.
I capture her arm. “Wait.” She turns to me, and I settle my lips over hers. She tastes like coffee and mint. I kiss her a little longer, not quite ready for her to go just yet. When our lips break apart, we’re both breathless. “What time do your classes finish?”
“Three, but I can walk.”
“And I can pick you up.”
“Jax—”
I point downward. “I’ll be right here, at three.”
She rolls her eyes at me and exits the vehicle. She does a quick scan of the area, like she always does, and then catches up with friends. She angles her head to see I’m still watching, and when she finds me still here, she gives me that awkward wave that always thickens my dick. Yeah, I’m definitely going to have to rub one out.
Chuckling to myself, I head back home, and after a quick shower, I get to work on the cars in my shop. Time slips by, my morning gone before I realize it. I grab a sandwich. As I eat, I wonder what Rachel is doing for lunch. Something tells me she skips a lot of meals. I make a mental note to make a lunch for her when I’m making Cassie’s.
I head back downstairs and my buddy Jericho pulls up to the curb. “What’s up?” I say as he walks toward me.
“Do you have time for a safety inspection?” he asks as he adjusts the ball cap on his head.
I close the hood on Rachel’s car. “Yeah, sure,” I say but from the way he’s looking at me I’m guessing he has something on his mind. I’m about to ask him what’s up when my phone rings.
My heart lurches when I see its Cassie’s school calling. “Shit. I have to take this?” I slide my finger across the phone and pace the length of the driveway as the principal alerts me to an incident on the playground.
“I’ll be right there,” I say. Fuck, man, I spent more time in the principal’s office than I can recount. I never in this lifetime expected to get a call about Cassie, though. Shit, if the in-laws get a whiff of this…Nothing good could come from it. Nothing good at all.
I end the call and turn to find a very concerned friend eyeing me. “I have to go.”
“Everything okay?” he asks, like he knew who the caller was.
“Cassie punched a guy in the face at school. That was the principal.”
Jericho cringes, clearly not expecting that from me. I want to ask what he knows, why he just showed up out of the blue, but I have other more important things on my mind right now.
“Jesus,” he says, and shoves his keys into his pocket. “Want me to come with you?”
“No, I got this.” It’s a lie. I don’t got this. I’m so overprotective of my daughter, I fear I’ll do or say the wrong thing. I breathe and think of Cassie, and what’s best for her. She might need someone with a softer touch today, someone with clear reasoning skills. Unfortunately, I’m worried that someone is not me.
“Okay, call me if you need me,” Jericho says, and climbs back into his car. I watch him disappear around the corner, out of sight, and before I can think better of it I shoot a text off to Rachel.
Hey, do you have any free time?
I wait a moment and her text comes in. What’s up? Just headed to lecture hall.
Cassie punched Jacob in the face. The school just called. I’m headed there now. I just…not sure how to handle this. Any advice?
I’ll go with you.
I feel a measure of relief. But the truth is, I shouldn’t be relying on Rachel like this, or pulling her away from her classes.
What about class? I text.
The lectures are recorded. I’ll watch it tonight.
I let loose a slow breath. Thanks Rach.
I end the call, shove my phone into my pocket and lock the house. I drive quickly to her campus and find her standing at the spot I’d dropped her off at a few hours earlier. My heart leaps, a little too happy that she’s helping me out with this. She hurries into the car, and her eyes are wide when they meet mine.
“What happened?”
“I don’t know, really. All I was told was that Cassie punched Jacob during lunch on the playground.”
She goes quiet for a second, like she’s searching the recesses of her mind. “Oh no.”
“What?”
“What if she overheard us this morning. You were talking about how you handled playground bullies, remember?”
“Yeah, but she was playing music.” I think about that. “Still…I guess maybe she did hear.” I run my fingers through my hair. “Fuck, if she tells the principal that, I’m sure child protection services will be called in.”
“Oh, God, Jaxon. That won’t be good, but I was there, and witnessed the whole thing. I will assure them you never told your daughter to do such a thing.”
I nod, and slide my hand across the seat to grab hers, hold her much like I did this morning on the way to school. It’s amazing how life can change in a heartbeat. It’s something I should be used to by now, I guess. Sarah left ours in an instant, and Rachel entered it.
“Everything will be okay,” Rachel says, and puts her other hand over mind, giving it a gentle squeeze.
“I’m sorry for dragging—”
“Stop. I’m here to help you with anything while you fix my car, and that includes you daughter.”
“Okay, thanks.”
We both go quiet as I take the corner leading to Cassie’s school. I park and take in a breath as I meet Rachel on the sidewalk. I hurry ahead, and Rachel practically jogs along with me. Inside, we head to the principal’s office.
“Want me to wait out here?” Rachel ask.
“No, come in.”
We both enter, and find Cassie sitting on a chair in front of the secretary’s desk. “Daddy,” she says and comes running to me. My heart lurches when I see that she’s been crying. In another chair along the wall I spot a boy, who has ice on his cheek. I can only assume he’s Jacob. His parents must not be here yet.
Principal Emily Hawkins comes from her office. “Mr. Morgan, Cassie…” she hesitates when she sees Rachel. “Will you all come this way please.”
We step into her office. “Mr. Hawkins, this is Rachel…”
I pause for a second, because it suddenly occurs to me that I don’t know Rachel’s last name.
Rachel sticks her hand out. “Nice to meet you,” she says without offering up her last name either. That bothers me more than I would like. “I’m the next-door neighbor, and babysitter.”
“Very well then please have a seat.” As we all sit, Cassie settles on my lap, looking sullen and frightened. Mrs. Hawkins continues. “As I said on the phone, Cassie punched Jacob in the face today. We don’t tolerate any sort of violence in this school.”
“He pulled my hair again, Daddy. It hurts.”
“I know,” I say to her, and give her a little hug. I glance at Mrs. Hawkins. “Cassie didn’t want to come to school today. Jacob has been pulling her hair.”
“She mentioned that, but a punch to the face is pretty severe retaliation, and worth an investigation, don’t you think. I mean, after all, girls like Cassie…”
“What’s that supposed to mean?” I ask, instantly going on the defense.
The principal sits up a little straighter. “Well, Cassie doesn’t have any female influences in her life. Perhaps she’s learning the wrong things at home.”
“If you think—”
Rachel’s hand on my arm stops me. “She does have female influences. She has her grandmother and she has me, and you can be rest assured that none of us, including Jaxon, would teach her to do such a thing. What the real issue here is, why has Jacob been allowed to pull her hair, even after she reported it to the playground monitor?”
I take in Rachel’s calm demeanor, and try to get myself under control.
“I don’t condone violence of any sorts, but as far as I’m concerned, Cassie was defending herself,” Rachel continues. “Not in the way we would have preferred, but the boy in the chair out there…” She pauses and point to the window separating the principal’s office from the secretary’s, “…has been mistreating her. Yet nothing was done until she fought back. Do you know what that does, Mrs. Hawkins?” Rachel doesn’t wait for her to respond. “That creates a ‘boys will be boys’ culture, and teaches girls that unwanted touches are acceptable. Except that hair pulling eventually turns into a tug on the elbow, or other things I’d rather not discuss in Cassie’s presence.”
“I don’t necessarily think it turns into—”
“Maybe not in every case, but definitely in too many. Why wouldn’t it, when society makes excuses for such behavior? If you’re calling Jaxon’s parenting into question here, rest assured, he’s one of the best fathers I know, and I’d be more than happy to tell child protection services that.”
A noise sounds on the other side of the glass pane, and I turn to see the little boy’s mother.
“Well, I don’t think that’s necessary,” Mrs. Hawkins says, and makes a note in her file.
“We’ll talk to Cassie about the incident, and we expect she won’t be coming home telling us about Jacob touching her again.”
Rachel stands, and I stand right along with her. I stare at her, seeing a whole different side to the quiet girl next door, one who is in hiding from someone who did some horrible things to her, clearly. My blood boils, wanting nothing more than to hunt the bastard down and hurt him, but I work to keep my composure for everyone’s sake.
I hold Cassie to me, and Jacob’s mother keeps her head down in a nervous, intimidated way that has me worried that Jacob’s learned behavior comes from home. Cassie remains quiet as I buckle her in, and I let loose a breath before I climb into the driver’s seat.
I start the car and turn to find Rachel staring at me. “What you did in there…thank you. You’re going to make one hell of a lawyer, Rach.”
Her smile is soft and slow. “Thank you. Now let’s get her home so we can have a talk with her.”
Home.
Odd how both Rachel and I think of my place as home. She’s been spending a lot of time there but… I cut my thoughts off, not like the direction they’re going.
“Daddy, am I in trouble?”
“No, you’re not. But we’ll have a little talk when we get home. First we’re going to get ice cream, though.”
“Daddy?”
“Yeah, kiddo.”
“I don’t think Jacob will pull my hair anymore.”
I stifle a laugh, and Rachel bites her bottom lip beside me. “I don’t think he will either.”
11
Rachel
Rachel
Thankful that’s it’s Friday, I tug my coat tighter around my waist and exit the campus. My gaze goes straight to the spot Jaxon has been dropping me off and picking me up at every day for the last week. I smile the second I see him, and hurry toward his car. It’s insane how I’ve gotten so used to him doing things for me as we engage in a secret affair. Never in my life have I relied on anyone, well, after my mom died, that is. We actually relied on each other, and there isn’t a day that I don’t miss her. Since I lost her, I’ve had no choice but to be independent, and self-sufficient, and if I’m not careful, when this thing between us is over, it could very well have an emotional impact. The truth is, over the last couple weeks, I’ve gotten a little too close to this family, closer than I would have liked.
“How was your day?” he asks as I slide into the passenger seat.
“Not bad. How about you?”
“Good,” he says and after I buckle up he pulls into traffic.
I turn and glance at Cassie, who’s holding a bright pink card. “Hey, Cassie. What’s that you have there?”
“Gina’s having a birthday party.” She holds the invitation out for me to see, and kicks her legs out with excitement.
“Oooh, that will be fun. Is Gina turning six?”
Cassie nods, and the ponytail I put in her hair earlier this morning after sneaking out of Jaxon’s room before the alarm went off, bounces with her glee. “She’s older than me.”
“Not by much, you’ll be six in a couple of months,” Jaxon says.
Her big blue eyes go wide. “Can I have a party too, Daddy?”
“Of course.” Jaxon looks at me. “We need to go pick up a gift. I’ll drop you off at home, then take Cassie to the mall. She’s going to her grandparents for supper, and overnight. I took some steaks out for us. I thought I’d barbecue when I got back.”
I smile at that. I’ve been enjoying the meals we’ve all been sharing, maybe a little too much, and I’m kind of putting on weight. “Actually, I could come with you,” I say casually. “I work the late shift so I have plenty of time. Besides, I need to pick up a pair of mittens.” I hold up my bare hands. “I seem to have lost mine.” Truthfully when I left New York, there were plenty of things I left behind in my hurry to leave my ex in the rearview mirror. “It’s getting cold fast.”
He scrubs his hands though his hair, and I study his face. Ever since Cassie found me in his room that morning, he’s been acting a bit ‘off’, distracted. But maybe it has more to do with the incident at the principal’s office. He’s scared of losing his daughter, but if I have anything to do with it, it won’t ever happen.
“You sure?” he asks.
“Positive.”
I set my backpack on the floor, and settle in for the trip to the mall. Jaxon pulls into a spot near the main entrance. We all climb from the car and Jaxon reaches for Cassie’s hand. My heart jumps a little when she grabs mine too and squeals, “Swing me.”
Jaxon looks at me, his eyes questioning. I nod and we both lift her into the air as we hurry across the parking lot. When we reach the front doors the small hairs on the back of my neck stand up straight, and I go still.
“More, more,” Cassie cries out as Jaxon gives me a concerned look.
“What is it?” he asks, and looks past my shoulder.
“I just got a chill,” I say, and try to brush off my unease. “I really do need those mittens.” Jaxon stares at me for a moment longer, and when he finally drops it and opens the door for us, I’m grateful. I really don’t want to drag my demons into the open, or let them
interfere with the last few days I have with Jaxon.
“So what do you think we should get for Gina?” I ask, as I lead her to the big toy store.
“A Barbie doll,” she says excitedly. “That’s what I want for my birthday.”
“Okay, easy enough,” I say. We hit the store, and since Cassie knows exactly where the dolls are she grabs my hand and practically drags me through the aisles. We reach the toy section and she squeals. The hollowed-out part of my soul weeps when I see the dolls, the sight taking me back to my childhood with my mom. Every little girl needs a mom, and it breaks my heart that Cassie doesn’t have one. I told the principal I was a positive influence in her life, and dammit, as long as I live next door, that’s exactly what I plan to do—even after the car is done. There is no reason we can’t remain friends.
From behind, Jaxon puts his mouth near my ear. “You okay?”
“Yeah.”
“You want one too?” he teases as we stare at the dolls.
I sniff, and laugh. “It’s not my birthday.”
“When is your birthday?”
I don’t normally give too much information about after I fled New York, but find myself saying, “Tenth of December. When’s yours?”
“Summer baby. Ninth of June.”
“What do you want for your birthday?” he asks quietly as Cassie examines all the dolls and chats endlessly to herself.
Stability. Never have to run again. A happy life. A family of my own—one just like Jaxon’s. I nearly swallow my tongue at that last unexpected thought. Since I don’t see any of those things in my future, I say, “I don’t need anything.”
“I never asked you want you needed. I asked you want you wanted.” He turns me, and lifts my chin until we’re eye to eye. I instantly see want shimmering in the depths of his gorgeous blue eyes and my body reacts.
“Daddy, let’s get this one,” Cassie says, breaking the intimate moment. I step back to examine the doll.
“I think it’s perfect.”
“Me, too,” Jaxon agrees, but when his eyes meet mine I get the sense that our conversation is not over. We walk to the cash register, pay for the doll, and head into one of the less expensive department stores so I can grab a pair of mittens, and a new hat.
