The Bakery Sisters (35 page)

“I know.” He shoved his hands into his front pockets. “You can tell me what to do. It's okay. I'll listen.”

Good to know. If only her sister had listened, things would have been a lot easier.

“So I can be bossy?” she asked, trying to dissipate some of the tension.

“Sure.”

She smiled. “Come on downstairs. You can tell me which of my food choices are too girly and make suggestions.”

They went into the kitchen where she wrote down his requests for cereal, soda and snacks.

“You eat lunch at school?” she asked.

“Uh-huh.”

“That's fine. Let me know if you're not going to be home for dinner. Oh, and if you're getting low on anything, just write it down and I'll buy more.” She showed him where she kept the list.

“You don't have to be this nice,” he told her.

“You can't stay in that building, Raoul. No one should live like that.” She looked into his eyes. He looked both hopeful and ashamed. She wanted to tell him that none of this was his fault. That he'd been failed by a lot of people—his family, the system, who knows who else.

“This situation may create some awkward moments,” she said, wishing they didn't have to discuss it, but knowing it was going to come up. “People might talk. I mean, because we're living together.”

She paused and felt herself blushing. Was she going to have to spell it out for him?

His expression cleared and suddenly he looked a whole lot older than eighteen. “Because I'm living with a beautiful woman who is single?”

Smooth, she thought, fighting a smile. Very smooth. In a couple of years, he was going to be able to give Hawk a run for his money.

“Something like that.”

“It's a good problem to have,” he said. “I'm okay with what people say. Brittany knows I love her and that I would never do anything to hurt her.”

Nicole found herself envying a high school cheerleader. Too bad Drew didn't have the same loyalty in him—it would have solved a lot of problems.

“I think that covers everything,” she said. “You can park your car on the street. There's no room in the garage, but this is a pretty safe neighborhood.”

Her brain went from his car, to the fact that he didn't have enough money to buy doughnuts a few weeks ago, back to his car.

“Do you have car insurance?” she asked.

His startled look told her what she needed to know. “Bad enough to do that as a minor,” she said. “You're an adult now. They get crabby when you don't follow the law. Get some. I'll front you the money. You can pay me back.”

He straightened. “I'm fine.”

“You need insurance. If you get in an accident, you could be screwed for the rest of your life. Do you really want to have to deal with some big settlement or someone else's medical bills? Take the money, say thank you and pay me back when you're a famous football player. Got that?”

“Yes, ma'am,” he said, but he was blinking fast and turned away.

“Good. I think that's everything.”

He cleared his throat. “You didn't have to do this.”

She thought about Jesse. She was trying to push her sister from her mind, but it was impossible. Was this her twisted way of trying to make up for messing things up with her? She wasn't sure.

“I didn't have to, but I wanted to.”

“I won't make you regret it.”

Nicole smiled. “Be careful with those promises, Raoul. I can be incredibly difficult and demanding.”

That made him chuckle. “I'll remember.”

“Go get settled, then we'll argue about what we're having for dinner tonight.”

“I'd like that.”

 

D
INNER ACTUALLY ARRIVED
in the form of takeout, delivered by Brittany and Hawk. Raoul lit up when his girlfriend walked into the room and Nicole was a little afraid that she got glowy, too, at the sight of Hawk strolling into her house.

She always seemed to forget how big he was, how tall and muscular. Which was dumb. She'd seen the man naked—the image of him should be burned into her brain. Not that she minded the little jolt of awareness she experienced when he moved toward her and gave her a light kiss on the mouth.

“How's it going?” he asked.

“We're getting settled. So far he hasn't left the toilet seat up so I haven't killed him.”

“That's a deal breaker for you?”

“It can be.”

“Good to know.”

He smiled and she got all hot and flustered. Just hormones, she reminded herself, enjoying the sensation. After all she'd been through, she deserved a little fun in her life.

“We brought Chinese,” Brittany said, carrying the large bag into the kitchen. “There's a ton of food, so you can have leftovers.”

“They're the best part of Chinese,” Nicole said.

“I know.” Brittany put the bag on the counter. “I'm glad you're letting Raoul stay here. It's so much nicer than that old abandoned building. It was cold and windy in the summer. I didn't think he could stay there all winter.”

Brittany stopped talking, seemed to realize what she'd said and covered her mouth with her hand.

Hawk stepped toward her. “You
knew
about Raoul being kicked out of his foster home and living on the streets?”

“Sort of, and he wasn't living on the streets.”

“Close enough.”

“Coach,” Raoul began, but Nicole grabbed his arm and shook her head.

She had a feeling it was better for him to stay out of it. Brittany seemed like the kind of kid who was used to charming her father into getting her way. Nicole doubted Hawk would stay mad at her for long.

“I didn't want to tell you because I knew you'd get upset,” Brittany began. “Plus, if you knew, you'd have to tell someone and we didn't know where Raoul might end up. It seemed better to let him stay there until he turned eighteen and was an adult. Daddy, I'm sorry if I upset you.”

Nicole waited for Hawk to figure out his daughter was apologizing for getting caught, but not for actually lying. When he nodded and gave her a hug, she tried to figure out if he hadn't noticed or simply didn't want to deal with it at that moment.

“Don't keep secrets,” he told his daughter.

“I won't, Daddy.”

Nicole thought about all the crap Jesse had pulled. Didn't Hawk worry about his daughter? The promise to not keep secrets aside, Raoul had been living in that building for at least a few weeks and Brittany had visited him there. Which meant they had been alone together for hours. Sex was a likely outcome.

Maybe Hawk didn't mind that. Maybe Brittany was on birth control. Not that it always worked.

Another problem for another time, she told herself.

“Why don't you two grab some plates and set the table,” Hawk said. “Then pick out a couple of movies for tonight.”

The teenagers did as he asked and moved out of the kitchen. The second they were gone, Hawk grabbed her and pulled her close.

“This is going to be a problem,” he murmured before he kissed her.

She let herself get lost in the heat of his mouth on hers, the feel of him against her.

“You have a kid,” he said between kisses. “I have a kid. So much for you being my sex kitten.”

She laughed, then ran her hands up and down his chest. “We're going to have to figure something out.”

One eyebrow raised. “Want a repeat of last time?”

She thought of how he'd made her feel, how he'd touched her all over and made her every cell cry out in surrender.

“Absolutely.”

He grinned. “Me, too.”

He kissed her again, his mouth firm against hers. When she parted, he slipped his tongue inside and aroused her with an erotic dance. She rubbed against him. He was already hard, which made her thighs tremble.

When he backed her up against the counter, she wondered if the height was right. When he eased a hand between them and cupped her breast, she decided that right or not, they could make the counter work. When she heard Brittany laugh, she swore in frustration.

“Tell me about it,” Hawk grumbled, resting his forehead on hers. “Can we send them out to a movie?”

“It's a school night.”

“I don't think I can wait until the weekend.”

She smiled. “What's your schedule like? Got any free time this week?”

“With you as the reward, I'll find it.”

N
ICOLE WALKED
into her house to find it filled with teenagers. There were several girls sitting together on the sectional sofa, a group of guys sprawled on the floor. There were books lying open, papers scattered around, chips, soda, a couple of bags of cookies and the sound of conversation.

She came to a stop, not sure what to make of the invasion. Raoul had moved in so it made sense that his friends would stop by to see him…except Jesse had never brought friends around.

Nicole hadn't thought of it before, but suddenly she remembered how Jesse had always been disappearing, rather than bringing people home. When Nicole had questioned her, Jesse had said it was easier to go to her friends' houses, but had it been? Was there some reason Jesse hadn't wanted to spend time here or invite anyone she knew?

“Hi,” a few of the kids called.

“Bring any cupcakes?” one of the guys asked.

She smiled. “I didn't, but I will tomorrow.”

“Sweet.”

Raoul scrambled to his feet and followed her into the kitchen. “Should I have asked before inviting them over?”

She had to tilt her head back to meet his gaze. He looked both excited and nervous. She doubted he'd had company visiting when he'd been in foster care, and abandoned buildings didn't provide much in the way of teen amenities.

“It's fine,” she said. “The same rules apply. And no one goes upstairs or in the basement. Not even Brittany.”

He grinned. “What are you worried about?”

“You know exactly what I'm worried about. It's not going to happen. No one has sex in this house.”

He raised his eyebrows.

She thought about Hawk and how he'd made her feel when they were together. With Brittany in his house and Raoul in her house, getting together was going to be a scheduling nightmare.

“Not even me,” she said with a sigh. “Is that clear?”

“Yes, ma'am.” He was grinning as he spoke. The smile faded. “Thanks for taking me in, Nicole.”

She shrugged. “We'll work it out.”

She wasn't sure how. There were still details to consider. Like how long he would be staying. Through the school year? That was a serious commitment. But it was also a problem she would deal with later.

“Go back to your friends,” she said. “Tell them not to leave a mess or I'll get really annoyed. Trust me, that's nothing they'll find pretty.”

He grinned. “You're the best.”

“Don't I know it.”

She grabbed a Diet Coke for herself and went up to her room. As she passed Jesse's room, she stepped inside.

Nothing had changed since her sister had left. Most of her stuff was still there. Jesse had only taken what she could carry.

There were stuffed animals on a shelf, posters, books, clothes piled in a corner.

She sat on the bed and looked around. What had gone wrong? How could everything have fallen apart so quickly and without warning? One minute everything had been fine and the next Drew had been cheating on her with her own sister.

Honestly, Jesse's betrayal hurt a lot more than his. She'd known Drew was a mistake shortly after they'd gotten married, but she'd been too embarrassed to admit it. She was confident there had been other women before Jesse. But her own sister?

Did Jesse hate her that much? Yes, they'd had some hard times as Jesse had grown up, but they'd been family. Didn't that count for anything?

Apparently not, Nicole thought, fighting tears. She loved Jesse, but she had a feeling she would never forgive her. Not for what she'd done, but for obviously not caring that she'd done it. Not caring who she'd hurt.

Now Jesse was pregnant. Nicole still had trouble with that one. Her baby sister having a baby. Did the promise of a child change anything? Should Nicole bring her back home?

Everything inside her screamed no. That Jesse had to grow up, learn to be responsible. Maybe a baby was the best way. But was that concern speaking or betrayal?

“Enough,” Nicole said as she stood. She was done mourning the past and worrying about what couldn't be fixed. Nothing would be solved today. She had time to figure it out.

She walked into the hallway and moved to her room. A burst of laughter floated up the stairs. It was a good sound, she thought, her mood lightening. There should always be laughter in a house.

 

W
HEN THE FRONT DOOR
banged shut for the eighth time, Nicole went downstairs. She braced herself for a disaster in the great room, but it was surprisingly clean. The carpet needed vacuuming, but otherwise, all the wrappers, cans and trash were gone.

Talk about impressive, she thought as she walked into the kitchen, prepared to thank Raoul. He was turning out to be a—

She paused as she saw him drop a cooked chicken breast into a sandwich bag and then slip the bag into his jeans pocket.

Her first thought was surprise. There was plenty to eat. He didn't have to save for later. Especially something that should be kept refrigerated. But maybe it wasn't about being hungry now. Maybe he had a strong need to hoard. She'd read an article about starving children once. How even when they were rescued, they still worried about having enough to eat. If that was his problem, maybe she should find a psychologist, because this was a problem she didn't know how to fix.

“Raoul?” She spoke softly, not wanting to startle him.

He spun toward her, the look of guilt so clear, she knew immediately this wasn't about being hungry later.

“What?” she demanded.

“Nothing.”

“You have chicken in your pocket. That's not nothing. What is it?” She tried to think of possibilities and then wished she hadn't. “There's another kid, isn't there?”

She swore silently. A practically grown, legally adult teenager was one thing, but another kid? There wasn't room in the house without cleaning out Jesse's room and, despite everything, she wasn't sure she was ready for that.

“No,” he said quickly. “It's not that.”

“Then what?” Why would he need food?

He shifted uncomfortably. She decided to play the impatient-adult card and put her hands on her hips. “I'm waiting.”

He hung his head. “There's a dog. A stray. I've been feeding her.”

Nicole wasn't even surprised. A dog. Of course. Because she was a responsibility magnet.

“I couldn't just leave her to starve,” he went on. “So I've been taking her food. I usually buy her dog food, but I ran out and I haven't been to the store.” He pulled the chicken out of his pocket. “Should I put this back?”

What? Like she was going to tell him yes so some poor dog could go hungry?

“How big?” she asked.

“What?”

“How big is the dog?”

“About fifteen pounds. She's really friendly. I call her Sheila. That's Australian for girl.” Suddenly he looked more like he was eight than eighteen.

Nicole knew there were very few choices. She could insist he take Sheila to an animal shelter and be the big bad, or she could accept that her life had taken a different kind of turn and become a dog owner. There really wasn't much of a choice.

“Go get her,” she said with a sigh. “Bring her back, but know that she's going to have to stay in the garage until I can get to a vet tomorrow and get her checked out and defleaed and whatever else she needs. Also, being a pet owner means being responsible. You'll have to feed her and exercise her and clean up the yard. If I have to step in dog poop when I go outside, I'm going to be very, very annoyed. Is that clear?”

Raoul grabbed her and hugged her until he'd squeezed out all her air. Then he released her and grinned.

“You're the best!”

“That's me. Saint Nicole.”

“I'll take care of everything. You won't even know she's here.”

If only that were true. “Just go get her.”

“I will.”

“Wait.” She dug in her purse and pulled out a couple of twenties. “Stop by the pet store. Get some dog food, a bed, a leash and a collar.”

He grinned. “Thanks.”

She waved him away. “Oh, wait. Put the chicken back.”

 

“S
HEILA IS A HEALTHY DOG
,” Dr. Walters, the vet in the animal clinic, said. “She's about two years old.”

The vet was young, probably fresh out of veterinary school, which was fine with Nicole. She'd been grateful to get an appointment first thing in the morning.

Sheila was a scruffy pile of fur with big eyes and a friendly personality. Nicole wouldn't have thought about getting a dog, but now that she had one, even if it technically belonged to Raoul, she was getting used to the idea.

“She seems housebroken,” she said. “She didn't chew on anything and she likes to play. She also eats a lot.”

“Typical for a stray,” the doctor told her. “You'll have to measure her food or she'll put on weight.”

“More weight,” Nicole muttered. Sheila might be cute, but she was also chubby.

The dog seemed to know they were talking about her. Her tail started wagging and she leaned in and swiped Nicole with her tongue.

“She's not fat,” Dr. Walters said, patting the dog who sat on the examination table. “She's pregnant.” He scratched the dog's back. “I would say she's due in three or four weeks.”

He kept talking. Nicole could see his lips moving, but she couldn't hear the words.

Sheila was pregnant? Even the damn dog got to have a family of her own? Claire, then Jesse, and now the
dog?
Was that fair?

Nicole sucked in a sob.
She
wanted a family, too. She wanted to belong and be loved and have babies. But was that going to happen? Nooooo.

“Ms. Keyes? Nicole? Are you all right?”

Nicole started to say she was fine, then realized she couldn't speak because she was crying. Crying because a stupid stray dog got knocked up?

“I'm okay,” she managed. “Ignore me.”

Dr. Walters looked uncomfortable as he handed her a box of tissues. She took a couple and wiped her eyes, then tried to smile.

“It's fine,” she repeated. “I'm having a meltdown that has nothing to do with you or Sheila. Go on. You were saying she's due in a few weeks.”

“Ah, that's right. You'll want to be careful about what she eats. She's probably behind with her shots, but we'll wait until after the puppies are born.”

“Great. Perfect. She can have a bath, though, right?” Because as cute as Sheila was, she smelled.

“Sure. We can do that here. You can leave her and pick her up later.”

He seemed eager for Nicole to leave. Not that she could blame him. She gave him a watery smile, promised to read the material he sent home on doggie deliveries and left her cell number with the receptionist.

She drove to Wyatt's house and knocked on the front door. When Claire answered, Nicole started to cry again.

“What's wrong?” her sister asked, pulling her inside. “What happened?”

“N-nothing,” Nicole said as she sank onto the sofa. “It's so stupid. Sheila is pregnant.”

Claire sat next to her and rubbed her arm. “Who's Sheila?”

“A dog. I took her to the vet and she's pregnant.” More tears fell. “Everyone's pregnant but me. I want a family. I've always wanted a family. Not with Drew, but with someone good. But that's not going to happen and now the stupid dog is pregnant. Plus the vet was really young and I think I made him uncomfortable by crying in his office.”

“He'll get over it. When did you get a dog?”

“Yesterday. I cried when he told me about Sheila.”

“Which will make him understand women are complex creatures. It's a lesson he has to learn eventually. Better early than late.”

Nicole laughed and cried, which wasn't easy. Then she hiccupped.

“How did everything get so messed up?” she asked, knowing she sounded pitiful.

“It's not messed up.”

“It's not the way I wanted it to be. Some of that is good. I'm glad you're here and with Wyatt, but what about what happened with Jesse? It's a disaster.”

“So make it better.”

Nicole shook her head. “She hasn't even apologized.”

“Do you need to hear the words?”

“Wouldn't you?”

Claire sighed. “Probably.”

“I'm upset.”

“Don't be. You'll meet someone. Someone great.”

Nicole realized that she'd yet to share her happy, albeit fake, good news.

“I'm dating someone,” she said. “Someone really great. You don't have to feel sorry for me.”