6. Hayes
Chapter six
Hayes
It’s been a few days, and I still can’t get the dinner out of my head. I was exhausted from working on an engine and was looking forward to sitting down and enjoying the dinner Shelby made. Cash, being Cash, wanted all the answers and got impatient. No one would have thought that a glass being knocked over would have sent Lennon into hysterics like that. I can’t get the image of Lennon, rocking back and forth and crying, out of my head. Once Lennon quickly made her escape, Cash broke down. I’ve only seen my best friend cry once before, and that was the night he found his parents had died .
“Daddy, when can I see Lennon again?” Once I got Rosie home, I found out about that punk kid making fun of her. Okay, he isn’t a punk. But he hurt my Rosie. Sorry, Scottie, your nephew is on my shit list. Telling my daughter how her hair was ugly. My daughter is beautiful. Rosie told me how nice Lennon was to her and played with her on the swing set. She has asked me multiple times a day about seeing Lennon.
“Soon, Rosie. Let’s give Lennon a couple more days and I will ask if she minds if we visit.” She must accept that answer because she gives me a nod and picks back up her crayons, but turns back to me before she gets back to her coloring. “Okay, Daddy. And when we see her again, bring me to the flowers so I can bring her some.” It seems like Lennon has won over my daughter.
After lunch, Rosie and I go outside to play, soaking up the nice weather. I really got lucky when this place went on the market. The house is situated on three acres, and throughout the years, I have been able to remodel the house itself. When I pulled down the driveway, I knew that this was going to be the house that I raised Rosie in and wanted to make sure it worked for not just me, but my daughter. With four bedrooms and three bathrooms, and a finished basement, it is bigger than what we needed but when Rosie starts bringing friends home, I will like the space.
Or when the teenager years hit. I’m not looking forward to that.
I just finished setting up Rosie’s paints when I hear gravel crunching. I look up to see Cash’s truck coming down the driveway. I pull my phone out of my pocket to make sure I didn’t miss any texts or calls. I try my best to give Rosie my undivided attention when I am with her, so I rarely check my phone when it’s play time. Yes, I’m a business owner but first and foremost, I am a father.
Cash slowly gets out of his truck and moves to the back and lifts Crosby out of his truck. Crosby runs to join Rosie at her painting station and Cash drags his feet over to me. “Hey, Cash, what’s going on?” My friend looks like he has a lot on his mind, and I can guess what it is.
My friend watches the kids for a minute, stuffing his hands in his jean pockets. “Hell, man. Shelby told me to get out of the house because I was driving her nuts.” He barks out a laugh, that makes the kids pause to look over at us. Once they get back to painting, Cash continues, “I went and got Lennon a phone this morning. When I gave it to her, I made the mistake of asking her what her plan was. Man, I wasn’t trying to rush her, it just came out. It was just small talk because I didn’t know what else to say. She took the question the wrong way and goes into the house and starts to clean.”
I know my best friend wasn’t trying to be rude to his little sister; he would support her for the rest of her life, no questions asked. He is a fixer. If she would told him that she really wanted to go to Jamaica and rent a hut on the beach, he would have made it happen.
“Just give it time, Cash. We don’t know exactly what Lennon has gone through, and I feel like it’s going to take some time for her to fully open up to anyone about it.” From how she showed up at the party, to her response at dinner, I’m assuming her life has been hell.
“Fuck! I knew I didn’t like the fucker, but there wasn’t anything I could do. But there was a reason for me coming out her bothering your time with Ro Ro. I want to get Lennon a car, she is pretty much stuck out at the house if both me and Shelby are gone. You know of anyone selling anything reliable?” He sends me a hopeful look, knowing damn well that I have vehicles here.
Like I said, Cash is a fixer. I’m honestly shocked he hasn’t already asked me this. “Yeah, I may have something for you here.” Cash raises his eyebrows at me, and we call the kids over so we can head to my shop. Nine times out of ten, I always have a finished restoration project in my shop that I haven’t gotten around to selling. Right now, I have two finished, with one more almost done.
By the time he leaves, I somehow loaned him…Lennon, the Bronco I just finished. He is going to come by tomorrow with an employee to pick it up. I’m slightly freaking out on the inside, because I always planned on keeping the Bronco. It has been my dream vehicle since I was a kid, and I finally restored one the way I always dreamed. It’s fine. I’m fine. I’ll get it back.
I really hope I get this Bronco back.
There are days as a business owner and a single father that everything goes right. Today is not one of those days. Rosie did not want to wake up today, saying that her tummy hurt. I thought that she was being a little dramatic until she proved me wrong and threw up all over me and then proceeded to cry. She broke my heart when she begged me to stay with her today, so I texted my dad saying that I wouldn’t be dropping her off today. So, I did the only thing I could do. I brought my daughter to work with me. Not a dad of the year solution, but both my daughter and my business needed me .
I set Rosie up on the small couch in my office with her pillow and blanket, her favorite stuffed puppy tucked under her arm. I turn cartoons on and get settled at my desk, turning on my computer to check the schedule for the day and emails. I really need to find a general manager to take care of this side of things, so I can focus on expansion and the cars. Before I get started, I look over at Rosie and see that she has already fallen back to sleep. Hopefully, I can get us out of here quickly today.
I get lost in my tasks, but I’m brought out of the fog with a light knock at my door. I look up and find Shelby standing in the doorway. I wave her in, and she comes in and sits down across from me. She usually doesn’t stop by here, so I’m intrigued as to why she is here.
“Hey, Shelby. Everything okay?” Shelby isn’t the wild child she used to be, but she has never had a problem speaking her mind. When Cash came to me and told me that he was in love with her, I laughed in his face.
“Everything is fine. Actually no, it isn’t. My best friend…my sister-in-law is finally home. But she isn’t her. Not the Lennon that we love.” She looks down before wiping her eyes, and I start to get uneasy. Crying women aren’t something I’m good with. “I need her back. Cash needs her back or he is going to go insane.” I believe and agree with what she is saying, but I don’t see how I can help her.
“I think she just needs time, Shelby. She hasn’t been home for that long. Give her time.” With the shake of her head, I can tell she doesn’t agree with me. I brace for her response, knowing that I will have to agree with her to get her out of my office.
“Nope. She needs a push.” I go to speak, that I don’t agree the poor woman needs a push, but Shelby continues, “I know you are spread thin, and you are doing the best you can. I think you need someone to come in here, help with invoicing, answering phones.” My eyebrows shoot up because of course I need help. But Lennon is far too qualified to come work here. “Lennon could be that person for you. She just needs to get out of that apartment and out of her head. I think two days a week sounds like a good start. Here’s her number.” She writes a number down on a post it note and she stands and walks out the door. Okay, then.
I guess I’m hiring Lennon part-time.