Chapter Seventeen #2
Cheryl ignored her. “One of the diaries is written by a child. He’s maybe eight or nine and he’s scared.”
Jax went cold. “Is he being abused?”
“No, but his mother works nights and leaves him alone. There’s not a lot of money so I’m guessing she can’t afford a sitter.
She goes to work at nine. He’s supposed to be in bed, asleep, but he wakes up scared, then sits by the front window, watching
for her to come home.”
Jax felt sick to her stomach. “That’s awful.”
“It is. He knows he can’t tell anyone because if an adult knew, his mom would get in trouble. He’s worried he’ll be taken
away from her. He says she works the night shift because the pay is more and they need the money.” Cheryl’s eyes filled with
tears. “My heart breaks for him. I want to help only I don’t know how.”
Jax wanted to help as well. “Wait. How do we know this is a current situation? People have been leaving diaries in the store
for decades. He could be a forty-year-old plumber living in New Jersey.”
“He mentioned a food truck that only started serving the area last fall. He must have written in the diary in January. Do
you remember any kids during Diary Days?”
“Sure, there were a few dozen. Sometimes teachers assign diaries to their students.” She tried to remember back to the January session.
It had been busy as always with people wanting to write about the resolutions and hopes for the New Year.
There was no way she could remember any one individual who might have written a diary.
But a little boy was scared and alone at night and that wasn’t okay.
“Do we go to the police?” she asked, even as she knew they wouldn’t. “Never mind. What are we going to say? That someone made
a diary entry but we don’t know who he is or what his circumstances are now?”
“I’ll ask around,” Cheryl said. “There’s a limited population of single mothers in town. I have friends at the various elementary
schools. I might be able to figure out who he is.”
Jax wasn’t comfortable with the snooping but she also didn’t want to do nothing. If the boy was still being left alone, then
maybe the community could come together to figure out a workable childcare situation for him and his mom. But until they knew
who he was and if he was all right, they couldn’t do anything.
“Let me know what you find out. Our small-business network is pretty extensive. I’m sure we could figure out a way to help.”
Ryleigh reread the application, checking for typos. When she was certain she’d filled out everything correctly, she moved
her cursor to the submit button, but hesitated before pushing it.
Was she really going to do this? Apply for a teaching job in San Diego? Was she really going to move so far away from everyone
she loved? Alex seemed to think she was. Maybe he could see her more clearly than she could see herself because she sure didn’t
think he was trying to push her away.
She looked at the screen. The school district was great with plenty of family friendly neighborhoods around. The salary was
more than she was currently paid, although the cost of housing would be higher.
She glanced at Lucy, who was sunning herself on the wide windowsill.
“What do you think, pretty girl? You’d look good in San Diego.”
Lucy gave her a slow blink in return.
“I’m doing it,” Ryleigh said and firmly pushed the button. Seconds later her email popped up with an autogenerated notice
that her application had been received.
When her stomach lurched, she reminded herself she was only at the beginning of the journey. She could change her mind at
any point. Until she accepted a job and signed a lease, she could always decide to stay right where she was.
She went into the kitchen to figure out what to have for dinner. As she prepared her meal, she once again thought about how
she wasn’t missing Dustin at all. It was as if they’d never dated and she couldn’t figure out why she’d been so intent on
getting him to propose.
Next time she would be sure, she promised herself. Next time she would know what she wanted before messing with people’s lives,
including her own. Next time she would make sure she was in love for real and forever.
Jax found herself attacked from behind as both Xander and Gentry grabbed her and hugged her. She spun and pulled them close,
laughing as she said, “Did I know you were coming by?”
“You didn’t!” Xander grinned at her. “Shawna brought us because she wants to talk to you.” He groaned. “It’s about the wedding
because everything is always about the wedding. Shouldn’t she care about something else like how the Dodgers and Angels are
doing in the season or when the next Minecraft movie is coming out?”
“You’d think,” Jax said lightly, kissing the top of his head before hugging her oldest. “I care about all of those things.”
“I’m never getting married,” he announced. “Girls get too weird when there’s a wedding. I’m going to go live in the woods or something where they can’t find me.”
She had a feeling that Xander would change his mind about the time his hormones kicked in, but better to let him find that
out on his own.
“It’s gonna be hard to be a world-famous pole-vaulter from the woods.”
“A pole-vaulter?” He shrieked with laughter. “I’m too short.”
“You could grow. Or maybe you’d like to be a lion tamer.”
“Mom, we’re not supposed to make lions do tricks anymore. That’s an old-timey thing.”
“Is it?”
“I don’t mind all the wedding talk,” Gentry said. “I think it’s fun and romantic. I can’t wait to grow up and plan my own
wedding.”
Jax held in a whimper. Great. Now Gentry was focused on all the wrong things—something else Harris would have to answer for.
“Getting married is a big deal,” Jax said, careful to keep her tone light while silently cursing Harris for the disruption
to their family. “Yes, planning a wedding can be a fun project, but that’s kind of the least of it. A wedding isn’t about
getting married, it’s about being married. Choosing the right partner, having a plan for your life.”
Gentry didn’t look convinced. “But a wedding’s great, Mom. There’s all the clothes and thinking about the food and where it’s
going to be held. Shawna’s going to look like a beautiful princess and I’m a part of that.”
“It’s very special,” she said, thinking later she would take out her annoyance on her ex.
She wrapped her arms around both of them. “What brings you here? I mean I always want to hang out but is there something specific?”
Sometimes a school project required supplies or a place to do research.
“Nothing special,” Xander told her. “Shawna said she wanted to stop by and ask you if it’s okay for her to take pictures.”
“Of the store?” That was strange.
“No,” Gentry said with a laugh. “Of us. You know, in the book heart.”
Now Jax was really confused. Why would Harris’s fiancée want to take pictures of Gentry and Xander in the book heart?
“Hi, hi!” Shawna said brightly as she walked up. “There you are. I swear, I turn my back for one second and they scattered.”
Her voice was cheerful enough but Jax thought she detected a faint edge to it. “Because I thought I asked you to wait by the
car while I got my bag out of the trunk.”
“We just came into the bookstore,” Xander told her. “Our mom is here. We’re not babies, Shawna. We can get from the parking
lot to the building by ourselves.”
“But I asked,” she began, then sighed. “You’re here now and that’s the point of it.” She turned to Jax. “How are you? Enjoying
your week off? It’s a lot, isn’t it, taking care of the house and the kids plus working.”
“Are you all right?” Jax asked. “You seem tense.”
“Me? No. I’m great. It’s just so wonderful. Everything. We’re learning to be a family and it’s the joy I always knew it would
be.”
Jax knew Shawna was lying but wasn’t sure about what. Did she sense there was a problem with Harris or was it simply the overwhelm
of stepping into an established family? Because while Jax thought her kids were a breeze, Shawna hadn’t started with them
when they were newborns. She was just being thrust in the middle of their lives.
“Thank you again for clearing your things out of the main bathroom and closet,” Shawna said. “You didn’t have to at all, of
course, but I appreciate the extra space.”
“I’m sure. Now you can move in as much as you’d like so you can be more comfortable.”
She spoke the words automatically, only to remember that Harris had admitted he wasn’t in love with Shawna, so having her settle in the house permanently seemed unlikely.
“It’s got to be tough for you,” she added. “We all have a routine and you didn’t get a say in how we established it. I hope
Harris is taking the time to explain things to you.”
“He showed her where all the stuff goes in the kitchen,” Gentry said. “Shawna’s with you, Mom. She doesn’t think the colander
should go in the pantry, either.”
“Harris doesn’t believe in putting things back in their place,” Jax said. “It’s challenging for sure.”
“It is. I told him it would be easier for me to be the one to empty the dishwasher. That way things get put where they belong.”
“Yes, but then you’re the only one doing the work,” Jax said before she could stop herself. “You need to share the chores
so it doesn’t all fall on you. Gentry and Xander take turns setting the table so maybe they could take turns emptying the
dishwasher as well.”
“Oh, they don’t set the table. I do that.”
As Shawna spoke, Xander pulled a nearby book off a shelf and pretended sudden great interest. Gentry studied her shoes.
Jax looked at both of them. “You’re not setting the table when you’re with your dad and Shawna? I’m speaking to both of you
and I expect an answer.”
“She was doing it,” Xander said, sliding the book back into place. “I said I could help but she said she wanted things a certain
way.”
Gentry nodded vigorously. “She said on Xander’s day he didn’t have to so I didn’t do it on my day. After a couple of times,
I forgot to ask.”