Worth the Wait (Picking up the Pieces #4) (10 page)

“Mackenzie, get your worthless ass down here!”

Already halfway up the stairs, I paused mid-step and turned with a sigh. I dreaded each step that took me closer and closer into the living room. Closer to a man I hated with an intensity that no fifteen-year-old should even comprehend.

“Yes, Daddy?” I asked once I was standing in front of his recliner. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw my mom perched on the edge of the couch like the good, doting wife. As usual, she was dressed in her very best. Not a hair out of place, the makeup on her face strategically applied to cover up the black eye she was sporting from his vile outburst just two days ago.

“What the hell is this, you little twerp?”

He tossed a crumpled sheet of paper in my direction, causing me to have to scramble to catch it. It was a truancy letter from my school stating I’d already gone over the allotted number of days I was allowed to miss. It said I would fail tenth grade unless I made up those hours before or after school each day for the remainder of the year.

Of course I’d missed too many days of school. There was no way my mother would have allowed me to show up with bruises on my face and body for anyone to see. She wouldn’t risk people asking questions and finding out my dad liked to hit on his wife and daughter. But I’d have been stupid to think Mom would have actually spoken up for me.

“Once again, you’ve disappointed us, Mackenzie. I can’t believe you’d cut class and get into trouble.”

“Oh, shut the hell up, Nancy. No one asked for you to open your fat mouth.”

Mom bowed her head at my father’s insult, offering up a pathetic, “Of course, honey. I’m sorry.”

I kept my eyes focused on the pristine carpet under my feet.

“Well, what do you have to say to yourself?” Dad asked.

“I’m sorry,” I whispered, knowing that trying to defend myself was pointless. The eye twitch I’d developed two years ago hit full force as I stood before him.

“Goddamn it. Will you knock off that stupid tick! You look like a retard!” At his words, I squeezed my one eye closed, trying to get it to stop, but I couldn’t control it. “And you’ll make up every one of those fucking hours before and after school. So help me, if you fail this year, I’ll make you live to regret it.”

With that, he stood from his recliner to go.

“Sweetie, where are you going?” my mother asked, jumping from the couch and following like an obedient dog as my father stormed from the living room.

“I’m going out.”

“Please, Gary,” Mom pleaded. “Don’t leave. I made your favorite. Let’s just sit and have dinner together like we used to—”

“Christ, woman! Would you stop your damn sniveling? It’s pathetic.”

I was silent as the front door opened and shut on the sounds of my mother’s whimpers. Seconds later, the loud rumble of his truck pulling from the driveway alerted me he was gone.

My mom stomped back into the room and stood before me, brushing the tears off her cheeks. “This is all your fault, you stupid little brat. I wish you’d never been born!”

I couldn’t find it in me to be hurt by her cruel words. I’d heard them so many times growing up that I’d become numb to them. The only thing I was thankful for was that I’d managed to avoid my father’s fists, at least that time.

Present

As a rule, all single men hated grocery shopping. It was just a part of our nature, but seeing as I’d already finished my last pack of Ramen the previous night and ate my only can of Spaghettios for breakfast that morning, I didn’t really have much of a choice but to endure the dreaded grocery store.

“My mommy says those is full of bad stuffs that’ll make your tummy hurt,” I heard off to my side as I tossed another bad of potato chips into my cart. I looked over, and then
way
down to see two little brown-haired, hazel-eyed kids standing next to me, staring up in wide-eyed wonder.

I smiled as I watched the little boy shove half a cookie into his mouth. “Well, hey, there. Where’d you two little bits come from?”

“You don’t gots no ve-i-tibles,” the little girl told me, sounding out the word
vegetables
slowly. It was the most adorable thing I’d ever heard. “You has to eat healthy, mister,” she scolded before biting off a piece of her own cookie.

“Well, those cookies you’re munching on don’t look all that healthy either, you know.”

“Mommy said we’s allowed one cookie if we be good,” the little boy said with a full mouth. “Is you a giant, mister?”

This little boy bounced from one topic to another faster than I could keep up.

I threw my head back on a laugh. “No, I’m not a giant. I’m just a really big guy, bud.”

“Does dat mean you ate all your veg-i-tibles like a good boy?” the little girl asked.

“Nah, that’s just something parents say to make little kids eat all that nasty shit.”

“Ooooh, you said a bad word,” the little boy scolded at the same time a woman shouted down the aisle, “Cameron, Callie, there you are! What have I said about running off? Huh?”

I spun around to see the figure of every recent sexual fantasy come storming down the aisle looking like one pissed-off Momma bear, and I couldn’t help but smile. She was even gorgeous when she was pissed off, and just seeing her made me momentarily forget that we were both mad at each other.

“Well, hello there, beauty.”

She narrowed her eyes at me before turning her angry gaze to her little rugrats. “What have I told you two? You stay where I can see you at all times.”

“Sorry, Mommy,” the little boy said, having the good grace to look properly chastised. Although a part of me was pretty sure those sad puppy-dog eyes were just for effect.

I was proven right when the little evil genius turned all of Kenzie’s attention back to me by saying, “Mommy, dis man said ‘shit’ and told us you don’t hafta eat veg-ables to grow big and strong like him.”

The little shit sold my ass out without so much as blinking.

Kenzie’s laser-eyed focus shot back up to me and I could have sworn I felt the skin melt off my face.

“Oh, well, that’s just great! Want to impart any more wisdom on my kids while you’re at it? Why don’t you just tell them they don’t need a college education?”

“Yay!” the little girl cheered excitedly.

“Callie, no. Mommy was just being sarcastic. Don’t listen to anything I say for the next two minutes.”

“Ah, dang it,” the girl pouted.

“If we don’t listen, can we hab another cookie?” the boy asked.

I was really starting to dig these kids. They definitely knew how to play to their strengths. I was willing to bet these two would give half the police force a run for their money when it came to interrogations.

She muttered something under her breath that sounded an awful lot like “Lord, give me strength,” as she rubbed at her eyelid that seemed to be twitching.

“You all right?” I asked, pulling her hand away from her face.

She yanked back and scowled. “I’m fine. Kids, let’s go. No more cookies.”

Kenzie started back down the aisle with two moping children behind her and I was hit with a feeling of desperation. I didn’t want to her to leave just yet.

“Hold on a second and I’ll check out with you guys. Help you load your groceries up.” Turning around and bending to say something to Callie and Cameron, I got a peek of her tight ass in her jeans before she made her way back to me.

Don’t get hard, Brett. For God’s sake, man, don’t get hard.

“I don’t need your help with anything,” she whispered angrily once she stood in front of me. “And that includes you playing
daddy
to my kids. Consider this your out on having to deal with all my
baggage
.”

Then she was gone, leaving me standing in the chip aisle after just confirming she’d heard every ugly word I’d said to Trevor, and wishing I was flexible enough to kick my own ass.

My body felt like it was running on nothing but fumes. No amount coffee was going to do the trick. But waking up in the middle of the night to toddlers puking like something out of the
Exorcist
would do that to a person. Daycare wasn’t an option, at least for the next two days. Luckily, I’d gotten a sitter to stay with the twins, but it looked like I’d have to take the following day off, and a day out of the salon was a day without pay that I desperately needed for me and my kids.

The last thing I was in the mood for was having to deal with a certain construction worker, no matter how good looking he was. I’d just finished one appointment and was sitting at the break room table, trying to rest my eyes before my next one when a thump on the tabletop startled me awake. I bolted upright to see Brett before me with a hesitant smile on his face.

“Hey, you looked like you could use this.” He pushed the Starbucks cup closer and the warm aroma of the espresso nearly caused me to cry in thanks. Right then, I couldn’t have cared less if the man who’d offered it was my enemy.

“Thanks,” I muttered, not quite making eye contact as I grabbed the cup and took a much needed gulp. “Mmm, pumpkin spice.”

He reached behind him and scratched the back of his neck, awkwardly.

“Uh, yeah. I heard you telling Lizzy one day that you were excited that that flavor was back.”

I sat there dumbfounded for a few seconds, somewhat shocked by his kind gesture and the fact that he could actually remember something like that before muttering idiotically, “It’s seasonal.”

“I figured that.” One corner of his mouth tipped up on a grin. “Anyway, I thought maybe you could use a caffeine boost or something. You looked tired. Hope it helps.”

Despite my best efforts, my heart gave a little squeeze at Brett’s thoughtfulness. He turned to leave the break room when my mouth opened and the words spilled out on their own accord.

“Thank you, Brett. Really. This…” I said, indicating the cup in my hands. “You didn’t have to do this. I…just…thank you.”

He surprised me by turning back around, pulling out the chair opposite me, and taking a seat. He looked so serious as he rested his forearms on the top that all I could do was sit speechless as he dove right in to what he had to say.

“Look, what I said to Trevor the other day was a real asshole move.”

“It was,” I cut in, in complete agreement.