Andrew #2
So many pieces click into place for Andrew it almost makes him dizzy. This is the friend of JT’s who lost her best friend and now is the mom of a six-year-old. This is the friend who JT and Ainsley went to a funeral to support.
She leans on Andrew and he puts an arm around her as she tells him everything.
“I’m trying,” she says, after ten minutes, “I’m trying so hard.”
He runs his hand up and down her back again.
“I’m just waiting for her grandparents to do something slimy and try to take her away,” Danielle says, wiping her eyes and hiding her face in his shoulder.
He wishes she wouldn’t. Wishes that she felt comfortable enough to show him her whole self.
Patience. It’ll come.
“Why would they try to take her away?” he asks .
“Jack and Emerson weren’t broke,” Danielle says. “They had a tech company set to turn a three million dollar profit this year, and a lot saved in the bank besides. All of it is turned over to Harper when she’s eighteen.”
“And they’ll want custody to get their hands on it.”
“Bingo,” Danielle says with a nod, “and get their hands on the house. Which I haven’t emptied yet because they left it for Erick to have use of. I’m the legal guardian of it all, and Harper. The business is being run by one of the higher ups in the company, but I have the shares, too.”
She sighs heavily.
“I’ve had Harper for two weeks and I just know they have lawyers lined up if anything goes wrong, or if I do something that doesn’t align with their parenting philosophy.”
“They can’t just take her, though.”
“No,” Danielle says, “they can’t. But, it’s not helpful that they have every single one of their friends in town watching my every move. I wouldn’t be surprised if they’re working on moving back from Berlin. ”
“What about adopting her?”
“That’s my next step,” Danielle says, “but I don’t know if they’ll give it to a single woman when she has blood relatives willing to take her.”
“There’s no harm in asking,” Andrew says, “assuming you still have a lawyer. I don’t think a judge would deny a parent’s final wishes for their kid.”
“I don’t think so either,” Danielle says, “Not when I also have most of the town on my side. There’s a lot of hurt feelings left over from when Jack and Emerson’s parents left… Sorry for dumping all of this on you. I don’t have anyone else at the moment.”
“I asked,” Andrew says, “and I meant it when I said I’m here for you, if you want me to be.”
Danielle smiles sadly. “Yeah, but for how long? And in what capacity?”
She doesn’t give him time to answer, standing instead. He doesn’t know if he would even if she had given him a minute. She raises a valid question for someone who lost everything, or feels like she’s on the verge to.
He can’t ask anything of her.
She stands. “I’ll lock up, if you want to head home. Sorry for a strange first day. ”
“Don’t apologize,” he says, offering her a smile. “I don’t mind strange.”
She waves him off with a gentle smile, and he heads out of the office, swiping a business card from the front counter. It has Danielle’s name on it, and two phone numbers listed. Roscoe follows him, and jumps in the truck as soon as he opens the door.
As soon as he’s back at JT’s he asks Ainsley for his phone back.
Andrew: shooting my shot and guessing this is your number?
Andrew: it’s Andrew by the way
Andrew: you can call me Andy ;)
Danielle: well I’m about to get murdered by a bunch of hockey women for having you texting me in the middle of the night
Danielle: how did you even get this number?
Andrew: business card, boss
Andrew: most of the hockey women I know are harmless
Danielle: then you haven’t been around as many of them as I though t
Andrew: a little early in the relationship for me to give you the roster, don’t you think?
Danielle: define ‘relationship’
Andrew: plenty of time to do that later
Andrew: see you tomorrow ;)
Danielle: you’re fired
Andrew: after letting you ruin my shirt?
Danielle: …. Fair.
Andrew wakes up the next morning with his phone in his hand and a smile on his face. He’s in a good mood, didn’t have the recurring nightmare of missing that shot… he feels great. He’d spent half his night in a back and forth with Danielle, so that could have something to do with how good he feels.
He also didn’t dry-heave into the sink this morning while he was waiting for his shower to warm.
This must be what normal people feel like.
He heads upstairs only to find JT and Ainsley awake, sipping cups of coffee and staring at each other with so much love in their eyes he wants to throw up.
“Get a room.” He teases as Roscoe tries to sneak-attack Sokka .
He pulls his phone out of the pocket of his sweats and sits on one of the barstools, trying to keep it out of sight.
Andrew: coffee?
Danielle: when have I ever said no?
Danielle: vanilla-caramel latte, Cap
“Looks like you’re the one who needs to get a room,” JT says with a smirk. “There’s only two reasons you’d be looking at your lap and smiling.”
“James Everett Thompson, you are such a Frat boy!” Ainsley says, hitting JT’s shoulder with a laugh.
“Listen, hot shot, you knew what this was,” JT says, grinning. “I can’t change who I am.”
“You’re the one who married him,” Andrew says, still grinning down at his phone as he types out a response. He hits send, and slides his phone into the pocket of his sweats again.
Andrew: cap?
Danielle: I googled you
Danielle: wanted to see what your contract was wort h
Andrew: if you wanted to know, you could have asked.
Danielle: and embarrass you by asking about money? No thanks.
Andrew: I do not get embarrassed by the size of my check ;)
Danielle: you’re ridiculous.
Andrew: what of it?
“Who are you texting this early?” JT asks. “It’s like seven in the morning.”
“My boss,” Andrew says without thinking. Ainsley and JT freeze JT sets his coffee mug down slowly, as if his movement will cause Andrew to bolt. Ainsley folds her hands on the counter.
“Your what?” Ainsley asks.
“Mom,” Andrew says, raising a brow and laying on the sarcasm, “Dad. I got a job.”
“You… got a job?” JT asks, raising a brow. “Like, a job , job? For minimum wage?”
Andrew nods, grinning as his phone buzzes in his pocket.
“I figured I needed something to do so I’m not just laying around all summer. ”
“What kind of job?” Ainsley asks. “With who?”
He looks over at her, trying to decide if he should tell her that he’s working for her mortal enemy, or if he should keep that to himself. He doesn’t want to ruffle feathers.
Especially not when he’s currently living in Ainsley’s house. And when he also might be catching feelings for said mortal enemy.
“You not saying anything tells me it’s something I’m not going to like,” Ainsley says.
“I mean you probably won’t,” Andrew says, “and I don’t want to get kicked out of the house. I have nowhere else to go.”
Ainsley’s eyes widen. “You’re working at the bookstore, aren’t you?”
“How could you have possibly guessed that?” Andrew asks, eyes wide. He looks over at JT. “How could she have possibly guessed that?”
“Don’t ask me,” JT says, shrugging his shoulders. He drains his cup of coffee and stands. “I have to head out, and I probably won’t be back until late. We’re hauling from a site that’s about an hour away.”
“Be careful,” Ainsley says, tipping her head up for a kiss. JT obliges, and Andrew pretends to gag .
“Always am,” JT says. “Come on, Sokka.”
The Australian Shepherd scrambles to the front door and follows JT out with an excited bark, leaving Ainsley and Andrew alone in the kitchen.
“You’re working with Danielle?” Ainsley asks, staring at him over her coffee mug, a mix of curiosity and disgust on her face.
“I am,” Andrew says. Better to tell the truth than try to lie again. “I know that she’s someone you don’t like, but I don’t know her in the context that you do. I’m trying to get to know her, because she doesn’t seem that bad.”
“You’re an adult, I can’t stop you,” Ainsley says. “Just watch yourself, I’ve only ever known her to be a snake.”
Andrew nods and tugs a hand through his hair. “I think I’ll get to know her for myself, if that’s okay. She might just prove you wrong.”
“I’ve known her for almost thirty years,” Ainsley says, “as soon as I change my mind, you’ll be the first to know.”