Read Lonely Heart Online

Authors: MJ Kane

Tags: #Dating, #Friendship, #Second Chances, #Love Triangle, #Parenthood and Children, #Career and Workplace, #Women’s Fiction, #Family Life, #Interracial Relationships, #Interracial Romance

Lonely Heart (3 page)

BOOK: Lonely Heart
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“Kaity, she’s gettin’ ready to be homeless. Daddy’s not kiddin’. He’s got momma stuffin’ her clothes into garbage bags. Not suitcases, mind you, garbage bags.”

“Justin, what can I do? You all are in Texas, I’m in L.A.”

“Can she stay with you? I can put her on the Greyhound tonight. She can’t stay with me because I’ve got guys for roommates. Bailey’s wife can’t stand her. You’re her last resort.”

I looked around my bare-bones apartment. Packed boxes still sat in corners. Maybe Tiffany’s misfortune would be my benefit. Lord knows she needed to get away from our father’s tyrannical reign.

“Fine, put her on the bus and text me the information. Let me know how much it’ll be and I’ll send you back half. With the baby comin’, I can’t part with much more.”

“Thanks. I’ll get her out of here as soon as I can. Take care of her.”

“You know I will.” The call disconnected.

Tiffany was as bull headed as our daddy. It seemed they bumped heads about everything from the time she learned how to walk. Even if she didn’t aggravate him, the fact she was a girl was enough.

My mother bore two sons and two daughters for the man. All he wanted were boys. Girls, in his opinion, were headaches.

Being female, and the oldest, made living at home unbearable. I couldn’t wait to escape the confines of the Rodgers household. The moment my acceptance letter from UCLA came in, my bags were packed. I high tailed it out of Texas after graduation.

Nearly nine years later and I haven’t been back. Not even to see momma.

Getting out of Bailey Rodgers Senior’s house was a good thing, but regardless, Tiffany would not live with me with her bad habits. Not with my baby on the way. When she got here, things were going to change.

My cell phone chimed; Justin sent the bus information. Boy, he worked fast. The bus would arrive at six the following night. My car should be ready in the morning. Somehow, we would make this arrangement work.

 

####

 

“What do you mean my car isn’t ready?”

This could not be happening. How long did it take to replace a fuel filter? I knew nothing about mechanics, but seriously, this was ridiculous.

“Señora, lo siento, it will be tomorrow,” the mechanic said.

“Tomorrow? It’s been two days already. I need my car!”

Tiffany’s bus was due in a few hours. I considered my options. I could call one of my friends, but they were by no means able to help. Ebony’s schedule at the zoo was tight, and Yasmine was in the middle of transitioning from being married to getting divorced. Though if I called her, she’d drop everything to help.

Exasperated didn’t begin to describe my mood.

“I will get my boss.” The line went dead as if I’d been put on hold, then words I couldn’t understand came through the phone.

“Hola. Hola? ”

“I don’t speak Spanish.” It was hard to keep the sourness out of my voice.

“Oh, sorry, miss, how can I help you?”

Finally, someone I could understand. “My car was supposed to be ready today.”

“Ms. Rodgers? It’s me, Antonio.”

“Antonio, you’re just the man I need to talk to.”

“I know, I’m sorry. We got backed up here and well…I apologize.”

At least he didn’t make up some crazy excuse. “That’s not enough. I have things to do and can’t keep takin’ a cab. For starters, I have to pick my sister up from the bus station… tonight.”

“What time should I pick you up?”

I pulled the phone away from my ear, stared at the screen. “Excuse me?”

“You need a ride and it’s my fault your car isn’t ready. This is the least I can do until it is. Think of me as your personal taxi service, free of charge.”

“Um…, thanks.” Okay, this was just plain weird. I’d heard of businesses offering free shuttle service at dealerships. This was an auto mechanic shop. But, if he was offering… “The bus arrives at six. Can you be here by five?”

“Done. I’ll get your address off the work order.”

The only problem resolved at the end of the call was the ride to the station. I still needed my car.

At least if I was now accepting rides from strangers, it helped he was attractive, or at least he could be. The last time I saw him he was wearing dirty overalls covered in grease and grime.

I went to my closet to find something to wear and tried remembering what he looked like. His hair was jet black and thick. He wore a five o’clock shadow that framed a nice pair of lips and warm smile. His red-brown eyes were very observant.

Not that any of that mattered…

At least once in his car there’d be no running away from telling me when my car would be ready.

 

Chapter 4

 

I arrived at Ms. Rodgers’ apartment at exactly five o’clock. Who knew she lived in the same complex as my grandmother? I checked the address on my notepad again. She also lived across the hall. Small world.

She answered the door just as I reached for the doorbell.

“Thank God you’re on time.” She reached for a sheet of paper and her purse sitting on the sofa. Her expression was quizzical when she faced me again. “What?”

“Nice shirt.” I allowed my grin to spread.

‘Embrace Your Bump’ in big, bold, black letters graced the top of the shirt, while two hands resembling Mickey Mouse’s gloved ones seemed to wrap from the back of the pink shirt and stop on both sides of her belly.

She looked down and laughed. “Oh, thanks. Sometimes I forget I have it on. It’s a gift from my friend who’s pregnant, too.” We stepped into the corridor; she locked the door, then grimaced.

“Are you alright?” I reached out to steady her.

“I’m fine, thanks. Just one of those Braxton-Hicks contractions. Nothin’ to worry about. I still have a few months before the big day. ” She started down the walkway. “Sometimes it feels like there’s more than one baby on board.”

I glanced at her as we walked to my truck. “Is there?”

“Thank God, no. I’m already doin’ this on my own. Twins would drive me crazy.”

Even though my Chevy S-10 was a low-rider, I was glad for installing the running board. I opened the door, then offered my hand as she stepped up and got in.

“My mother gave birth to twins, my younger sisters,” I said once I got behind the wheel and started the engine. “They are fourteen years old and a handful.”

“I bet. How does she handle it?”

A glance showed green eyes watching me as she pulled long blond hair out of her face. I rolled up the windows, turned on the AC. “She didn’t. My mother died during childbirth.” My attention went back to traffic as we merged onto the street.

“Oh…I’m so sorry.”

I shrugged and fought to ignore the pain of memories. “So, which bus station are we going to?”

Ms. Rodgers unfolded the paper in her lap to read off the address. “How far is that from here? After living in L.A. for eight years, there are still places I haven’t seen.”

“It’s about twenty minutes from here.” She nodded and settled in for the ride. “I’m sorry about your car. It took longer to get your part than I anticipated.”

“Will it be ready by Monday?”

“I’m going to the shop as soon as I take you home. Hopefully it will be ready tomorrow.”

“Thanks. And thanks for the ride. I was goin’ to call a friend, but they are so busy I try not to hassle them with my drama unless I have to.” Her attention went back to the window.

“I take it your sister is the drama?”

“That has yet to be seen,” she murmured.

We rode in silence. I glanced over; she appeared lost in thought.

“Ms. Rodgers?”

“Oh, please, call me Kaitlyn. “Miss” is for old ladies.”

“Okay, Kaitlyn,” I paused, surprised at how easily it rolled off my tongue. “Do you want to talk about it? I have three younger sisters. I may be able to share some advice.”

One of her eyebrows went up in amusement. “No offense, but you’re a guy.”

“Who helped my father raise three sisters. Trust me, the oldest, Adrianna, was so wild there were times I had to track her down in the middle of the night. It kept her out of trouble and my father from having a heart attack.”

She cocked her head to the side. “Seriously?”

“Oh, yeah. “I laughed. “Talk to me, what’s the problem?” I glanced over.

Kaitlyn sighed, then ran a hand through her thick blond tresses. “Our father kicked her out of the house last night. My brother put her on the bus to come live with me.”

“Wow. How old is she?”

“Nineteen but thinks she’s twenty-five.”

“Ah, the I-know-everything-and-you-don’t-know-shit age, I remember that well.”

Kaitlyn laughed. “So do I, but that about sums it up.”

“That’s the age Adrianna learned a very valuable lesson.”

“Really? Is she okay?”

“She’s fine, but let’s just say it’ll be twelve more years before she can be free of that responsibility…well, almost.”

“What are you…oh, she had a baby.”

I nodded. “And a stupid father who went to jail. My nephew’s father, not mine. Though there were times I wondered if my father wouldn’t be there for killing the guy if he had the chance.”

“Oh.” Her voice softened as if in deep thought. “How does she handle bein’ a single mom?”

“Having a big family who pitches in from time to time helps. She’s moved into her own apartment not far from here, and has a good job working at night. Mi abuela… my grandmother, babysits for a few hours during the day so she can get some sleep.”

“It must be nice, having that amount of support.”

I glanced over when traffic slowed. Her expression was hard to read, but it appeared something I said bothered her.

“Where is your sister coming from? By bus, that is?”

“Texas.”

That explained her accent. “Do you have a big family?”

“Sorta. I’m the oldest. Tiffany is the baby, and there are two brothers in-between.”

“Are they going to help you with your baby?”

Her sarcastic laugh surprised me. “Hell would freeze over first.”

My eyebrows rose.

“Everyone doesn’t have a happy family.”

“How about your sister? Will she help?”

“She’s not goin’ to have a choice. And to be honest, the last time I saw her was three years ago when she spent the summer with me. It was awkward because we hadn’t seen each other for years before that. She was eight when I left home. There’s a ten year age gap between us. I have no clue how we’ll get past it.”

“Don’t worry, you will. Sisters always do.” She shot me a look of disbelief that made me smile. “Remember, I have three.”

There weren’t any available parking spaces when we arrived at the bus depot. I parked at the entrance, let Kaitlyn out, then doubled back to park with my flashers on in the fire lane, keeping an eye out for the police. Fifteen minutes later, she returned with a slender version of what I imagined was her, pre-pregnancy, by her side. Both women had long blond hair, similar frames, and mirrored height. Her sister hauled two large black garbage bags behind her while Kaitlyn struggled with another. I jumped out of the truck to help them both.

“Thanks,” Kaitlyn said when I reached for her bag.

“No problem.” I grabbed one of the bags her sister carried, slung it over my shoulder, and walked to the bed of the truck.

“Is that your baby’s daddy?”

“Tiffany!”

“What? He’s hot!”

My attempt to ignore the exchange failed, though I managed to hide my smile. Kaitlyn’s exasperation was evident when they reached the truck.

“He is my mechanic,” she clarified.

Her sister burst out laughing and rolled her eyes. “Is that what you old people are callin’ it these days?”

“Tiffany,” Kaitlyn’s voice was stern. “That’s not funny. Antonio, this is my sister, Tiffany. Tiffany, Antonio.”

I reached out, shook her hand. “Welcome to L.A.” I opened the door for them, moving the front seat so her sister could slide into the extended cab portion of the truck.

On the road again, Tiffany watched me in the reflection in the rearview mirror. She sat in the middle of the bench seat, winding a long string of chewing gum around her finger. I cleared my throat and turned my attention to my front seat passenger. “Kaitlyn, do you need to make any other stops on the way back to your place?”

“Hold up, did you just call her Kaitlyn? That’s not her name.” Tiffany glared at me as if I’d just committed a cardinal sin.

I glanced at the woman sitting beside me who now massaged her temples.

“You sold out,” Tiffany continued. “You promised you wouldn’t go all Hollywood when you left home.”

“I didn’t,” Kaitlyn replied, laying her head back against the headrest.

“Yeah, right.” She sat back in a huff, crossed her arms. “Changin’ your name is─”

“For cryin’ out loud, Tiffy, I didn’t change my name! It’s just what everyone calls me!”

Wow, she was really pissed off.

“So what is your name?” I asked and got shot the side eye instead of an answer.

“Kaity Lynn.” Tiffany appeared smug for having announced the truth.

When we reached the light, my attention went back to my front seat passenger whose face morphed into a bright shade of pink from either embarrassment or aggravation. “I like both. What would you like me to call you?”

She angled her head and studied me. “You can call me Kaity.”

 

Chapter 5

 

“Thanks for your help.”

“No problem.” Antonio set the last bag down, reached into his pocket, and pulled out a business card. “Do you have a pen?”

I handed him one from my purse. He scribbled on the back. “Here’s my cell number. If you need a ride anywhere else, let me know. In the meantime, I’ll try my best to have your car back before Monday.” He addressed Tiffany. “It was nice meeting you.”

I shut the door behind him and found my sister staring at me with raised eyebrows. “You’re really not sleepin’ with him? That man is just too good lookin’ for words.”

I shot her my sternest expression; she laughed.

“Sit.” I nodded at the sofa.

Her hands went up. “Okay, fine, don’t share. Just remember, I’m not a kid anymore. I lost my virginity ages ago. We can talk about sex.” My baby sister flopped down.

BOOK: Lonely Heart
13.67Mb size Format: txt, pdf, ePub
ads

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