Everything (8 page)

Chapter Fifteen

Leo

I wanted to punch Mr. Kransten in the gizzard for calling Jody a hussy and suggesting I fire her. What the hell was his problem? She worked her damn backside off to keep him happy, and it still wasn’t good enough. He was a bigoted arsehole.

I couldn’t fix the bloody TV. I wasn’t a techy guy, and I didn’t know what the hell was wrong with it.

“I’ll get Jody to call a repairman this afternoon.”

“I don’t want to deal with her.”

“Why?” I growled.

He crossed his arms, his chin pointing into the air. “Any teenage girl fool enough to get herself pregnant is not capable of looking after a baby and running a building.”

I pointed at him, willing my quivering limbs to stay put. “Now you listen to me, mate. Jody may be young, but she’s doing a damn fine job running this place, and if you can’t follow process and deal with her, you can bloody well move out!”

“I just might do that.”

“Go ahead!” I stormed toward the door and turned back in time to see him reaching for the remote. “Don’t even think about it!”

He dropped it onto the couch with a scowl and muttered, “I want a repairman here by the end of the day.”

“Fine, I’ll get
Jody
to call one right now.”

I smiled at his black look before storming out the door and slamming it shut behind me. Muttering a string of obscenities, I took the stairs two at a time, pausing outside Jody’s door to reel in my anger.

It didn’t work; she heard me outside and swung the door open before I could contain myself.

Her face was blotchy, her eyes that vibrant blue color I’d seen before.

Shit, she’d been crying. Bloody Mr. Kransten!

She had a jar of baby food in one hand, and her shirt was already smeared with a spoonful of it. A large curl had escaped her ponytail and curved across her left breast. I averted my gaze.

“Did you fix it?”

“No.” I brushed past her, glancing at Angel in her highchair before turning back to Jody, my eyes darting to that damn curl again. I spun away from her and waved at Angel, who kicked her legs and started babbling.

“So, what do you need me to do?” Jody walked back to her daughter, perching her perfect butt on the edge of a stool and attempting to get another spoonful of yellow slop into Angel’s mouth.

“I told him you were going to call a repairman.”

“Okay.” She nodded, looking nervous.

Curse that man!

“But does he want me to do that, because if I show up with one I’m worried he won’t let the guy in, and then if his TV doesn’t get fixed, Ms. Thornby’s going to complain again, and you know what she’s like. I just...” She cringed. “Do you think he’s right? I mean, should you fire me?”

I grunted and threw my hands in the air, hating that an old, wrinkly-faced, bald-headed
loser
could make a sunshine girl like Jody start doubting herself.

“That man’s as thick as bloody pig shit if he thinks I’m going to fire you! And I’ve told him if he can’t follow process then he can move out!”

A sudden burst of laughter made me turn. It was an explosion of colorful sound that sounded sweet to my ears. It only got better when Jody snorted, her eyes popping wide with horror as she slapped a hand over her mouth.

“What?” I found myself chuckling in spite of my confusion.

She dipped her head and tried to hide it, but couldn’t. Her shoulders started shaking and she held her nose, no doubt trying to ward off another snort.

“I’m sorry,” she finally giggled the words. “
Thick as bloody pig shit
. That has got to be one of the funniest insults I’ve ever heard.” She raised her hand in the air, her head shaking as the tip of her tongue popped between her teeth.

I chuckled, feeling my cheeks heat as I scratched the back of my neck.

Her laughter continued to float through the room like dancing butterflies. It was punctuated with a few quick intakes of breath and a lyrical sigh...and then her giggles would start all over again.

It sounded more like a hysterical release of emotion after the way Mr. Kransten had treated her, but I didn’t care. It sounded beautiful.

My smile grew as Angel soon got into the action, doing a funny dance and banging her spoon on the highchair tray. Jody grinned at her, wiping some food slime off that chubby chin, her laughter finally dying down.

She cleared her throat as if embarrassed by her sudden outburst. Tucking that long curl behind her ear, she smiled at me. “I’ll make some phone calls as soon as I’ve finished feeding Angel.”

“Yeah, good, thanks.” I headed for the door, my fingers suddenly burning for some piano keys. “Start with Mac. He’s Bobby’s go-to tech guy. I think his number’s in the book I gave you.”

“Okay.” She grinned, looking lighter. Her blotches were already fading.

“You’re doing a great job, Jo. Don’t let the Cray-Cray get to ya.”

“Thanks.” Her smile was sweet and endearing. I took a mental snapshot of the image back to my piano. Sitting down with a slight sense of awe, I played a G chord then shifted to D major. Yeah, that was it. Her sparkling laughter danced through my brain as my fingers took charge, recreating the melodic sound of Jody’s laughter while another scene came to me—a lush green meadow filled with flowers and dancing butterflies.

Chapter Sixteen

Jody

“I passed!” I giggled into my phone, enjoying Ella’s little cheer.

“Well done.”

Man, I was glad she’d called. I’d needed a positive blip on my radar today and her calling to check in was exactly that.

“So they must be really pleased with your work then.”

“Yeah, I mean, it’s not like it was a test or anything, but Bobby popped over yesterday and okayed me to stay. I am now
officially
assistant to the building manager, in spite of Mr. Cray-Cray’s complaints.”

“Yeah, well Mr. Cray-Cray can go shove it where the sun don’t shine.” Ella’s sweet voice saying that sentence was too funny.

I burst with laughter. “Listen to you, getting your Morgan on.”

She giggled. “I try.”

“You don’t really pull it off.” I wrinkled my nose.

“Shut up! I can do a Morgan!”

“You can try,” I teased, enjoying the light banter between us. It was a nice reprieve from my totally shitty morning, and doing wonders to pull me out of my funk.

“Hey, sorry, Jo-Jo, I gotta go. Cole needs me.”

And the funk was back.

“I’m sure he does.” My suggestive innuendo lacked its usual luster, but Ella didn’t seem to notice. I could imagine her blushing pink.

“Stop it.” She put on a funny voice.

“Go on then, go get some.”

She giggled, but didn’t deny my assumption. With their late hours, Ella had confessed to often sneaking in some mid-morning nooky before the bar opened at lunchtime. When she’d first told me, I’d swooned at the romance of it all. Now it made me feel green.

I tried not to let the fact my lady parts were
out of service
bother me. If anything, I had to get used to the idea. I couldn’t foresee any mid-day, mid-night, mid-
anything
nooky in my future.

Sucking in a breath, I pushed the depressing reality aside and instead focused on the fact that it was a beautiful, sunny day and I was out strolling the Third Street Promenade. I loved this street—the shops, the cafes, the vibe. It was artsy and creative, and it made me feel just a little bit alive every time I came down here. It didn’t take away my problems, but it helped me escape them for a while.

Angel had been awake most of the night. I had no idea what her problem was, but the after-effect of a lousy sleep had filtered into my day, turning me into a grumpy hag. I’d actually shouted at my baby girl. I rolled my eyes beneath my shades and cringed. She was snuggled into her stroller now, grinning up at me as if I hadn’t turned all dragon-lady on her less than an hour ago.

“I only have two hands, Angel! I can’t pick you up right now!” I’d screamed from the sink, desperately trying to finish cleaning the bathroom before I had to head downstairs to make sure the second guest apartment was ready for the next lot of short-term tenants. They were arriving that night.

She’d frozen on the floor, utterly shocked by my outburst. Her lower lip began quivering and her big eyes filled with tears before she elicited a feeble little cry that quickly grew with fervor and indignation.

I couldn’t handle her wailing so I threw the rag into the sink and dried off my hands.

“Screw the apartment.” I hefted her into my arms, grabbed the stroller, and we’d hit the sunshine. I could finish off the bathroom and the guest apartment when we got back.

I gave Angel a rueful smile as she gazed up at me.

“Ma-ma-ma-ma!” She grinned, tapping her teething ring on the edge of the stroller.

I smiled in spite of myself, pushing the stroller forward and lifting my face to the sun.

Yeah, I could survive this day.

I jerked to a stop, my eyes catching on something.

Or maybe I couldn’t.

My breath evaporated, my knuckles turning white on the stroller.

His lips parted when he saw me, his gaze unreadable behind his aviator shades. He paused, obviously unsure which way to turn, but I kept moving forward as if drawn by some gigantic magnet.

I stopped in front of him, the air in my lungs feeling dry and stale.

“Jody, hi.”

“Hi, Stefan.” I swallowed.

Shit, he looked good.

He slid his hands into his pockets. “What are you doing here?”

I shrugged. “Just out walking. How about you? I thought you’d be in Tucson right now.”

His lopsided grin was delicious. I remembered exactly what it tasted like, my mouth filling with saliva at the very idea of kissing him again.

“I moved to LA in January. I scored myself a role in a Disney musical. It’ll be showing at the Walt Disney Concert Hall in April. If it goes well, they’re going to take it over to Broadway. New York, here I come.”

Okay, so his smile was becoming punchable. Damn that it still had a power over me, though. If he leaned forward, I wouldn’t be able to resist. My autopilot would take over.

I leaned away from him. “Wow. Congratulations.” Hot jealousy burned though my insides, but I forced a smile. “How’d you—how’d you get that role?”

“I got it for him.” A sleek blonde appeared beside him. I had no idea where the hell she’d materialized from, but I instantly hated her. She was tall and lean, making me feel like a frumpy housewife. Except I wasn’t anyone’s wife! I was just a frumpy loser!

“My father owns the studio.” The blonde girl smiled.

“Nice.” I blinked, my head bobbing automatically before I gained control of it. My throat felt thick and swollen, but I forced my hand forward. “I don’t think we’ve met.”

“Selene.” She grasped my hand with her long fingers. Her smile was kind and sweet. “I’m Stefan’s fiancée.”

My grip on her hand went slack, my eyes bugging out. Thank God I was wearing shades. They could still read my expression, though. I could tell by the way Stefan squirmed in his designer jeans.

What did I say to that?

Stefan was getting married? So I had his kid and I wasn’t good enough for him? But she was?

Damn her! Damn him!

Angel, no doubt sensing my stress, started to fuss. I lifted her out of the stroller, more to settle her than anything, but I didn’t miss Stefan’s quick intake of breath.

Good! He should have to see her, come face to face with what he threw away.

Selene’s face lit with an enchanted smile as I spun Angel around.

“Oh, hello.” She put on that high voice adults use when talking to babies. “And who are you?”

I kept my eyes on Stefan, saw that little shake of his head and decided to ignore the hell out of it.

Pasting on a plastic smile, I introduced my little girl. “This is Angel, Stefan’s daughter, but I’m guessing he hasn’t told you about her yet, because he likes to pretend that she doesn’t exist.”

Selene shot back, her eyes darting between Stefan and me. His cheeks were red with rage or embarrassment, I couldn’t quite tell. Either way, I was out of there. Grabbing the stroller, I spun it around, perching Angel on my hip and storming away from them before they could see my tears. They burned something fierce, but I refused to let them fall.

How could he be getting married? Married!
And
he had a role in a show. It was so damn unfair.

“Jody! JODY!” His terse voice chased me around the corner, but I kept walking. Angel was fussing in my arms, but I didn’t want to slow down and strap her back into the stroller.

I squeezed her tightly against me, which only made her complaints louder.

“Jody, stop!” Stefan grabbed my arm, forcing me to stand beside him.

Not wanting to look him in the eye, I busied myself settling Angel back into the stroller and giving her a rattle to play with.

“How could you do that to me?”

“Do what? Tell your fiancée the truth? I was probably doing you a favor.”

“That was
my
business!”

“No!” I slapped his hand off me. “It’s ours. She’s your daughter, Stefan!”

“I never wanted her. I told you that. It’s not fair for you to punish me because you made a poor decision.” His voice was strained, the tendons in his neck pulling tight.

“Excuse me?”

“You could have had this, Jody. You could have been performing by my side if you hadn’t decided to keep the baby.”

“Look at her!” I pointed into the stroller. “How could I possibly give her away?”

“I don’t want to look at her.” He kept his eyes on me, his face cresting with sadness. Thank God he hadn’t whipped off those aviators yet. One glimpse of those chocolate orbs and my mind would turn into a puddly mess, especially when his voice dropped to a soft whisper. “I wanted you to come back. That was the plan, remember?”

His confession caught me off-guard, scorching like hot fire.

“You didn’t love me.”

“I told you I did.”

My voice was a squeak when I finally spoke. “But you didn’t act like it. You never called me. You never checked in once.”

“Look, I was mad at you, okay? I waited all summer, and then you never showed up for class. I couldn’t exactly ask around, but the rumors told me enough. Jody, how could you?” He lightly touched my cheek, a fleeting caress that made my traitorous knees wobble. “You have so much talent, and you just threw it all away. How could you make a choice like that?”

He may as well have slapped me across the face.

I jerked away from the question, my eyes darting to the sidewalk as love and rage fought for dominance within me. He was trying to make
me
feel guilty? Like it was somehow
my
fault that things hadn’t worked out between us!

Rage was winning. Thank God!

Clenching my jaw, I finally muttered, “I never chose for you to turn your back on me.”

Stefan pulled off his shades, those brown eyes getting right in my face. Damn it!

“Don’t put this on me.” He snatched my arm, all charm vanishing from his voice. “Don’t make me feel guilty. You had an out and you didn’t take it.”

“Let go of me.” I tried to wriggle my arm free, but he held tight.

Angel’s fussing had turned into full-blown wailing while I argued with her father. Her cheeks had turned red, but I ignored her cries, unable to look away from Stefan’s mottled expression. His usually warm eyes were a dark cocoa. I didn’t recognize them, and it made it so much easier to glare at him.

“And now you’re trying to punish me by fucking up my relationship with Selene!”

“Let me go.” My voice was rigid but still lacked the punch I really needed. His gripping fingers were actually starting to hurt. Desperation rippled through me, which hardly helped me get my Morgan on. I tried anyway, but my stupid voice wobbled over the words. “I mean it, Stefan, let me
go
.”

“I think you should do as she says.”

Stefan jumped at the sharp Australian voice behind him. He glanced over his shoulder, caught one glimpse of Leo’s thunderous expression and dropped my arm immediately, taking a step back.

“Now piss off.” Leo got in his face, stretching to his full height. He was still shorter than Stefan when he did that, but his attitude was ten times bigger. If this turned physical, I’d be putting my money on Leo for sure.

Stefan glared him down, but my boss was unperturbed. His arm muscles rippled as his fingers bunched into a fist. A tendon in Stefan’s neck pinged tight, his eyes quickly calculating the threat in front of him. Finally, he backed off, throwing me a dark glare before sliding on his shades and stalking off in his pointy black shoes.

I couldn’t move.

Angel’s cries were a dull muffle in my ear. I knew I had to turn and collect her up, but I couldn’t make myself do it.

“You all right?” Leo touched my arm.

I didn’t respond.

Nudging me gently out of the way, he unbuckled Angel and lifted her into his arms.

“It’s okay, cherry blossom.” He nestled her against him, taking the stroller with his other hand. “Come on, let’s walk your mum down to the beach and buy her a coffee, aye? You think she’d like that?”