Chapter 13
STEVIE
As I’d pulled up to Feathers the night before, I realized I’d whipped myself into a regretful tizzy over the whole Chief Paige thing.
It hadn’t been fair of me to assume his feelings about my virginity.
That had been so stupid and immature. Not long into the drive, I’d realized how much I’d let my insecurities take over.
Evan had made it clear in many ways he was interested in me despite our age difference, and he’d even mentioned wanting this thing between us to be permanent.
So when I’d gotten into the club and discovered Darius needed me as a dancer, it had made my misery complete.
Rather than succumb to a horrible case of the pukes, I’d poked my head into Darius’s office to ask if there was any way I could keep my boy shorts on or if it was a requirement to strip completely down.
He’d glanced up at me. “As long as you’re playing the sexy tease, I don’t give a shit. It’s your loss at the end of the night when the tips aren’t as big.” He’d gone back to whatever it was he’d been doing, having no idea how relieved he’d made me.
The night had turned out to be fun as long as I’d been able to stay out of the danger zone, which was approximately the length of the tallest man’s wingspan from the dance floor.
I’d actually loved dancing and moving, and that night hadn’t had any special choreographed numbers I’d needed to worry about.
I’d finished up with tons of cash in my wallet and a bit more confidence than I was used to.
Being desired and pursued by all those men, even if it’d only been for purely physical reasons, had bolstered my self-esteem.
It had reminded me I was desirable. If the worst case happened and Evan dropped me like a hot potato, there might be other guys out there who’d want me.
And honestly, the money was no joke. It had taken some stress off me and then some.
I knew I could cover the rent on my own if my mom didn’t get her act together. It would be tight, but I could do it.
When I’d arrived home to Sassy’s sleeping form on my mom’s sofa, everything had gone to shit. She’d told me about Evan’s phone call, about my mom leaving Willow home alone, and about Willow letting slip to her that my mother had been visited by “the apartment man” who was mad about “some money.”
After waking up this morning, I noticed Mom still hadn’t come home, and she sure as hell still wasn’t answering the phone.
I found an overdue notice in a stack of bills and papers on the kitchen counter and wondered what the hell Mom had done with the rent money I’d given her two weeks before.
Obviously, she hadn’t paid rent with it.
I’d had to call in late to the bakery so I could get Willow on the bus to school.
Thankfully, Dina had offered to keep Willow after school since Aria and Ayana were having a midweek sleepover birthday celebration that night.
Willow and I had gone to Save-Mart on Saturday afternoon to pick out cool hair paint and glitter nail polish for the girls’ gifts and had painstakingly wrapped them in empty toilet paper rolls and cereal boxes to make it “mysterious” according to Willow’s specifications.
Once Willow was off to school and I took my checkbook and the cash from my tips the night before to the landlord’s office, I heaved a sigh of frustration and hopped in my car.
How the hell was I supposed to face Evan after all of this?
He had to think I was trash. If he hadn’t already thought it by the way I was going hot and cold on him, he surely thought it now after finding my baby sister abandoned by both my mom and me.
And if that didn’t do it, he’d sure as hell lose respect for me when I couldn’t even afford gas in order to get to work anymore.
I couldn’t face him. If there was a goddess, she would keep him out of the bakery all day. One look at him and I might break. It was all too much. My life was a fucking roller coaster of ups and downs. I was a hot mess, and he deserved better.
The bakery was thankfully slammed, and I ended my shift by delivering some treats to Charlie and Hudson at the pub.
They were so stinking cute together, it made me bubble with jealousy.
I wanted that. I wanted open affection and someone to touch me the way Hudson did with Charlie.
Hell, the guy hadn’t even been into men before, and now he was as handsy as could be in front of anyone and everyone. He liked Charlie that much.
I swallowed past a lump in my throat as one of the local busybodies started sniffing up Hudson’s tree, much to Charlie’s amusement and Hudson’s squirmy discomfort.
It wasn’t until I heard Otto and Sheriff Walker come in that I realized Evan was right behind them.
“Eeep,” I cried, diving over the pub’s new custom bar top and landing in a ball next to Charlie’s feet. “I’m not here,” I squeaked.
Augie came into the pub next, informing us Mama was in his antique shop again.
“And I’ve noticed she looks a little… pregnant,” Augie said. “It’s not possible Milo…”
Hudson leaned over and whispered to Charlie. “Isn’t Milo a cat?”
Charlie’s smile was devious. “Should I pull a Stevie and screech to the heavens about someone deflowering my special girl?” he asked.
“Not fair,” I whined, feeling awful all over again. “I was beside myself with guilt. I’m going to be the father of a passel of ugly-ass bastards. Me. I’m too young and pretty to be a baby daddy.”
I heard Evan’s deep, sexy voice over the crowd. “Is that Stevie? Sweetheart, get out here, we need to talk.”
Uh-oh.
“I’m not here,” I repeated to Charlie and Hudson in a frantic hiss.
“Baby, I’m looking right at you,” Evan said gently, peeking over the bar top. “C’mere.”
The wrinkles of concern marring his forehead as he searched my eyes were the last straw.
“Evan?” I asked, my voice wobbling more than I expected.
“Fuck this,” he muttered. Then the big strong fire chief vaulted over the bar, grabbed me up in a fireman’s carry, and hotfooted it out the door of the pub before I could take my next breath.