by Emily Minton
Julie
Our day in Nashville turned out great. We stayed at the zoo all afternoon, and Jenny had tons of fun. Jase carried her around on his shoulders and showed her every single animal. He spent an hour climbing on the jungle gym with her, then bought her nearly every stuffed animal the gift shop had. She loved it. Yes, he over did it a little, but I’m glad he did. He and Jenny both needed it.
I think, I hope, he will be the kind of dad Jenny needs. Dean may have been good to her, but he was never her daddy. Matty has always held a special place in her heart, but he is her uncle. It’s just not the same. She needed a father and now she has one.
When we got home, Jase asked if he could take Jenny to Dairy Queen for an ice cream. I was a little nervous about letting her go, but I knew I had to give him a chance. He said they would only be gone about an hour, and I know it’s going to be one of the longest hours of my life. Thankfully, Bethany is home, and Kristen has stopped over to visit. They can help me stay sane.
“Sit your ass down,” Kris calls from the couch as I pull back the curtain to look for Jase’s truck.
I slowly let it go and make my way to the other end of the sofa. “I’m just worried. What if she gets scared?”
“He’ll bring her home,” Bethany says, like the answer is the simplest thing in the world.
“She might not tell him. You know Jenny. She’ll put on a smile and pretend to be having fun. Then, she’ll come home and tell me how awful it was,” I say, reminding her of the first time Jenny spent the night with her friend Autumn.
A small smile crosses her face. “This is not a sleepover at her friend’s house. She’s with her dad. She’ll be fine.”
Kristen shifts in her seat, throwing her feet onto the couch. “Enough worrying. Tell me about your day in Nashville with the guys.”
I tell them everything, even about the way Matty and I acted when he first got here. “I don’t know why I did it. I couldn’t help myself. I wanted to hurt him the way he hurt me.”
Kristen seems angry, but she doesn’t say anything. Instead, Bethany pipes in. “I don’t get it. What’s the big deal? You hug Matty all the time.”
Kris shifts again and stands up. “The difference is that she doesn’t normally rub herself all over him.”
With that, she walks out of the room. I can hear her rummaging through the fridge for what I guess is another glass of wine. I shrug my shoulders at Bethany. “What was that about?”
She shakes her head, clearly disappointed in me. “I don’t know, but if you don’t want to hurt her, you might want to think twice about using Matty to make Jase jealous.
Shit! There must be more to this Matty and Kristen thing than a few stolen glances at each other. “Yeah, that’s not happening again.”
“What’s not happening again?” Kris says, walking into the room with a glass in one hand and a bottle in the other.
I’m saved from answering by the sound of Jase’s truck pulling into the driveway. I instantly jump from my seat and head out the door. I reach the truck before he can even get Jenny unbuckled. The smile on her face, a true smile, lets me know that the trip went well.
As soon as her door is open, she runs to me and wraps her arms around me. “I had a Blizzard with Oreo cookies in it. It was so good.”
Leaning down to place a kiss on the top of her head, I peek over to where Jase is standing. Thank You, I mouth. Thank you for giving her this is what I want to say.
He looks confused for a second before a smile spreads across his face. Thank you, he mouths back. Thank you for giving me the chance is what I think he means.
Those two little words hold such meaning. They also hold promise; promise that one day, we will be able to be friends again.
Chapter 8
Julie
It’s Monday morning, my first day at work, and Jenny’s first day of school. Last night, Jenny asked Jase to take her to school today. It’s really hard to watch him walk away with her, but she is so happy that I have to smile. “Have a wonderful day.”
“I will,” she chirps excitedly as she grabs her dad’s hand and leads him to the door.
Just before they step outside, he looks over his shoulder. “You have a good day too.”
I don’t have time to respond before he is shutting the door and walking away. I’m not sure what I would have said. After the dreams I had last night, I can barely look him in the eyes. I’m a grown woman. Aren’t I a little too old to be having erotic dreams about my child’s father. Looking at the clock, I realize I don’t have time to contemplate my sexual fantasies. I’m running late. What a great way to start my first day.
After a quick swipe of lipstick, I grab my purse and head out the door. Jase is just pulling out of the driveway when I step outside. He and Jenny both wave before driving away. I wave back as I walk to the car.
I walk into Friedman’s Law Office twenty minutes later. My steps falter when I see Becca sitting behind the receptionist desk. No, no, no… this can’t be happening.
“Hello. May I help you?” she says with a fake smile. Both her eyes are black, and she has a small white bandage across her nose. It may make me a bitch, but I let out a soft laugh.
“Yes, I’m Mr. Friedman’s new legal secretary. Just point me to my desk.”
She points to the right. “It’s right down the hall, first door on your left. Mr. Friedman’s not in yet, but don’t worry. I’ll make sure he knows you were late,” she adds with a smile.
Yep, she’s still a bitch.
I fight the urge to say something snotty as I walk to my office. As soon as I get inside, I close the door and sit down at my desk. Closing my eyes, I start to rub circles over my temples. Becca. I work with Becca. I cannot believe this shit is happening to me.
After my pity party is over, I finally get up and start to look around. The office is a mess. Mr. Friedman’s last secretary left without giving notice, so there’s three weeks of work to catch up on. I’m so busy that I am able to ignore Becca, but she isn’t ignoring me. I catch her looking down the hallway every time I go to the copy room. I know she’s planning something, but I have no idea what.
I’m so behind that I decide to work through lunch. I’m on the floor trying to organize the files when Becca walks in with Brittany.
“Britt came over to take me out to lunch. Would you like to go with us?” she asks, like we are all the best of friends.
“I’m going to work through lunch,” I say and look back down at the files. Hopefully, if I ignore them, they’ll go away.
“If I had an ass like yours, I would too,” Brittany adds in her normal bitchy voice, then adds a low “moo” before walking out of my office.
Becca doesn’t even bother hiding her smile as she follows behind her. As soon as I hear the door shut, I jump up and grab my phone to call Kristen.
“Did you know that Becca works here?” I ask without giving her time to say hello.
“Works where? What in the hell are you talking about?”
“Becca, the bitch, is Mr. Friedman’s receptionist. Her desk is twenty-feet from mine,” I say in a near shout.
“Shit, no, of course not. You know me better than that, Jules. I just heard that his last secretary quit on him, and he was looking for someone to take her place. I never would have mentioned it to you if I had known that Becca worked there.”
I take a deep breath and say, “I know you wouldn’t. I’m sorry, but hell, I’m pissed. She and Brittany just came back here to invite me to lunch, but Brittany made sure to point out that I need to skip as many meals as possible.”
“You have got to be fucking kidding me.”
“Nope. Brittany even mooed at me, just like in high school.”
“What did you do?”
“Nothing. I don’t have time for their games,” I reply, letting out a deep breath I hadn’t even realized I’d been holding. “I guess they’re friends now. So much for Becca hating her, huh?”
“Yeah, I’ve seen them around
town together. Becca follows her around like a lost puppy.”
“What happened to Becca? When did she change? When did she start hating me so much?” I have asked myself these same questions a million times.
“I don’t know, Jules. I’ve stayed clear of her since I came home, but I hear things, and they’re not good,” Kristen says. I can hear the sadness in her voice, the same sadness I feel when I think of the girl I used to call my best friend.
“I miss her. Can you believe that? I miss her, and I miss Jase. I miss the way things used to be.”
“I know you do. I do too,” she says in a quiet voice. I hear someone saying her next client is there.
“I know you’re busy, so I’ll let you go. I need to get back to work anyway. Talk to you tonight. Love you, girl.”
“Love you too, Jules.”
Jase
I’m under a ‘65 Chevelle. Most of the time, I would love it, but not today. I love my job, but I can’t wait to get out of here. I keep checking my watch to see how many hours there are until quitting time. I get to see my little girl tonight, and I’m excited.
I got to drop Jenny off at school today. I was proud as hell, walking in holding her little hand. I know most people don’t think much of shit like that, but it’s a big fucking deal when you’ve missed the first eight years of your daughter’s life. No, I’ve missed nine years. I should have been there to watch her grow in Julie’s belly too.
I’m doing my best to forgive her for not telling me about Jenny, but it’s hard as hell. How the fuck do you forgive someone for something like that? Nothing will ever bring those years back, and the thought of Jenny having to live with that monster Julie was married to kills me.
I hear my Pop walk around the front of the car. “What’s got you so antsy today?”
I slide from under the Chevelle and smile up at him. “I get to see Jenny when I get off today. If I’m lucky, I may even get to talk to Julie for a while.”
“What are you waiting for then? Get your ass out of here!”
“Are you sure? I got two more hours,” I ask, but pray that he lets me go.
“Go on now. Give my granddaughter a kiss for me. If you get lucky, you can give Julie one too,” he says with a wink.
I clean up and am out the door in five minutes. Ten more and I’m pulling into Julie’s driveway. Jenny is riding her bike around the carport. As soon as I step out of my truck, she gets off the bike and smiles at me. I squat down and open my arms, and she runs right into them, giving me a huge hug.
“You’re early, Daddy. Momma said you wouldn’t be here until it’s almost dark.” She looks toward the sun. “It’s not almost dark.”
“No, it isn’t, but Pop let me off early today. But, he said I had to do something for him, to pay him back for leaving.”
“What?”
I kiss her cheek. “That was from Pop.” I kiss her other cheek. “That was from me.”
She laughs and grabs my hand. “Come on, Daddy. We’ve got to get cleaned up. It’s almost time to eat.”
Oh shit! I hadn’t even thought about it being dinnertime. Julie might not want me here for dinner. I know she’s been okay about me seeing Jenny, but I don’t want to push my luck.
“Baby doll, I’m not sure if Momma has enough for Daddy to eat too. Maybe I should go, but I’ll be back in an hour or so.”
“There’s plenty. Hurry up you two. It’s time to eat.” I look up and see Julie standing on the porch. She’s wearing a pair of red shorts that barely cover her amazing ass. She has on a plain white tee that hugs her body, giving me a great view of her tits. Her dark brown hair is pulled into a ponytail, and her beautiful blue eyes are staring right at me. She smiles and motions for us to come on in.
I smile back and allow Jenny to pull me into the house. As she pulls me past Julie, I lean close and whisper in her ear. “Are you sure you’re okay with me staying?”
She stares at me a second before nodding. “I made bacon wrapped meatloaf. It used to be your favorite.”
“It still is,” I reply and allow Jenny to lead me to the table.
I can’t believe I’m going to have dinner with my family. This is fucking fantastic. I watch Julie pull out an extra plate and head toward me. As she hands it to me, my chest starts to burn. It’s a good burn, cleansing. It’s my heart finally waking up after being dead way too damn long.
Chapter 9
Julie
I’m not sure how it happened, but Jase has been at my house every night for nearly three weeks. Sometimes he takes Jenny to the park or to get an ice cream, but most of the time, they just hang out here. He’s really awesome with her. He’s up for anything she wants to do. The other day, I walked in on them having a tea party. He was wearing a bright pink boa, and he looked uncomfortable as hell. It was the sweetest thing I’d ever seen.
Tonight, they are out back playing on the tire swing. Bethany and I are sitting in the living room watching Army Wives. I can hear Jenny shouting for him to push her higher. I smile when I hear her laugh. God, I wish things could have been different. I wish we could have been the family Jenny needs.
“When are you going to forgive him?” Bethany asks.
I look over to her and just shake my head. Doesn’t she realize it’s not about forgiveness? Staying away from Jase is pure self-preservation. “I have forgiven him. I just can’t forget.”
“You know I love you, Jules, but you’ve let this go on for too long. You love that man, and he loves you. Both of you love Jenny, and you need to be a family.”
I start to respond, but the front door opening cuts me off. Matty walks in, and I can tell something is wrong. I get up and walk over to him.
“What’s wrong, Matty?”
“I need to talk to you for a minute,” he responds, and then looks over to Bethany. “Can you give us a few minutes alone?”
“Sure,” she agrees and quickly leaves the room.
Matty looks at me and runs his fingers through his hair. “What’s going on between you and Jase?”
“What are you talking about?” I shake my head and add, “He’s Jenny’s dad. That’s it.”
“Are you sure?”
For some reason, I hesitate. Am I sure? Hell no!
“Look, Jules, I need to know if you’re still in love with Jase.”
“Why? What’s this all about?”
“Shit! You have to know how I feel about you. I’ve been waiting my whole life for you. When you came back to town, I thought I’d finally get my shot, but I see the way you look at Jase, and I wonder if you’ll ever look at me that way.”
I’m shocked. I never even considered that Matty has feelings for me. In fact, I’m pretty sure he has a thing for Kristen. I’m not sure how to respond to him. I do love him, but not in the way he wants.
“You know I love you.” Before I have a chance to explain my words, Matty pulls me into his arms and kisses me. I’m shocked, frazzled. For a second, I stand there like a statue. When my brains finally kick in, I start to pull away. Before I can back away, I hear a door opening.
“Yuck, Uncle Matty’s kissing Momma!”
Matty and I separate in an instant, and we both turn toward the kitchen to see Jenny and Jase coming in the back door. Jenny is scrunching her nose up, like she just smelled something really bad. But Jase? Shit! Jase looks like his heart is being torn in two.
Jase
I’m pushing Jenny on the tire swing, and she’s telling me all about her day. I love spending time with her. She’s an amazing little girl. She loves school. She’s smart as hell. Jenny hasn’t even been in school for a month, and I’ve already got a refrigerator covered in her drawings. She laughs all the time and is always in a good mood. Being with her makes me happy as hell. The only thing that could make me happier is being with her and Julie, becoming a real family.
I think Julie is starting to come around. She’s invited me to stay for dinner a few times, and she never complains when I come over. She’s even made bacon
wrapped meatloaf two more times. Better yet, I caught her looking at my ass yesterday. That’s got to be a good sign, right?
“Push me higher, Daddy.”
I reach over to give her a little lift, and her doll goes flying across the yard. Oh shit! I hope it’s not broken. She carries that doll everywhere, every damn where.
“Daddy, go get Lulu, please,” Jenny says so frantically I almost laugh. How could a doll be that important?
I walk over and pick it up. It’s a little dirty, but the head, arms, and legs are still attached, so I guess we’re good. I walk back to Jenny and hand the doll to her. “Why do you like Lulu so much?”
Jenny just looks at me like I’m crazy. “Because, she was the first doll you ever gave me.”
What the hell is she talking about? “Sweet Pea, I didn’t give you that doll.”
She shakes her head and laughs. “Yes, you did. You gave it to me for when I turned six.” She looks at me and makes a sad face. “You didn’t come to my birthday party ‘cause you were too busy, but you sent me Lulu. I love Lulu, but I wish you could have been there.”
What the fuck? Did Julie tell her I gave her the doll? “Did you ever get any other presents from me?”
“Sure, lots. You always send the best birthday and Christmas presents, but my favorites are the big chocolate bunnies you send at Easter. You know, Momma says I can’t eat a bunch of candy because it’s not good for my teeth, but she lets me eat as much of my bunny as I want ‘cause they’re special.”
What the hell? Why would Julie do that? Why would she keep Jenny away but give her shit from me? It only takes a second for the truth to hit me. Julie never had a dad. She wanted to make sure Jenny did, even if I wasn’t around.
“Come on, Daddy. Let’s go inside. I’m hungry. Momma made no-bake cookies yesterday. I think there’s a few left. I’ll sneak us some.” Jenny grabs my hand, and I follow her to the back door.
When she opens it, I feel like my heart is being cut out of my chest. My fucking brother is kissing Julie. I can’t believe they would do this to me. I start to walk forward and whoop his fucking ass, but Jenny squeezes my hand.
