Chapter 4 #2
He was told to be there early, as they didn’t know the route that well yet, so it might be earlier than mentioned.
Brenin said he’d be there on time and would wait with Davy.
After she repeated everything that she’d said to him, making sure that he knew what he was doing, he made a mental note to message Lisa the schedule so that she’d be aware of the bus pick up and drop off.
With him there, she was going to be able to save money on the after-school daycare, too, he only just realized.
He hoped that she’d not want to work so hard, but he couldn’t blame her for needing to work.
They were new to one another, and she was still figuring out if she could trust him or not.
He was all right with that so long as she was giving him a chance.
He thought that he could conquer the world so long as she trusted him not to hurt her.
Heading to work early, he decided that he was going to be ready for the day better than he had in a while.
Sometimes it was difficult to get going in the morning, but today he felt like he had the energy to get all his work done and maybe get a jump on tomorrow’s day.
As he was getting his computer set up to check his emails, he heard from the school again.
“Mr. Savage? We tried to get in touch with Davy’s mother, but she’s not answering her phone.
He’s been hurt.” He asked what had happened, already grabbing his coat to go to him.
“He was in first period when he fell and hurt his knee. I don’t believe that there is any cause for alarm, but we have a note on his file that we’re to call his mother when he gets hurt, no matter what it is. ”
“I’ll be right there.” He was in his car when he realized that he didn’t know anything about Davy’s doctors or if he was allergic to anything.
He was going to need a list of things like that if he had to take him to the hospital for some reason.
“I’ll check him over and decide if he’ll need to go to the hospital or not.
His mother is working and can’t be reached. ”
“I understand. Like I said, it’s just a fall, and he’s scraped up his knees, but we’re to call no matter what happens to him.” He told her that the same would still apply even though he was going to come in. “All right. But it seems like a waste of time to come in for a little boo-boo.”
“I’ll decide if it’s a boo-boo or not, and I’d appreciate it if you would not comment on the way things are done between his family and his being hurt at school.
It’s my understanding that he’d been hurt before and was misdiagnosed when he had a broken bone.
” She apologized, and he didn’t tell her it was all right.
He only hoped that Davy was all right. He didn’t want to have to explain to his mom how he’d been hurt on his watch.
~*~
“It’s just a couple of scratches, so he’ll be fine.
” She was glad to have had Brenin put on the list to call if she wasn’t available.
She’d never put Janice on the list as she didn’t trust her to do the right thing.
Now, after hearing all the things that she’d been hearing about her, she was glad that she’d never done it.
She didn’t trust her at all now. “He said that he was all right at school, so I left him there. He was very brave, too, when I went to see him. He’s a great kid. ”
“I know he is, and thank you for doing just what I would have done.” Brenin told her that it was his pleasure as he’d been able to leave work when needed.
“I’ve given my two weeks’ notice here. I’m going to find something that has more stable hours.
I can’t work morning and then close the same night.
It’s too hard on me. But I’m going to continue to grade papers for the high school.
It pays well, and I can be home when I’m working. ”
“You do what you need to do. I’m here for you.
” He told her about the bus schedule, and she was happy that he’d taken it seriously about how he was going to be there early.
“I think we’ll have fun with just getting to know one another while waiting for the bus.
Plus, he won’t have to wait in the cold either when full winter comes along. ”
“I’m glad for that. I don’t want him to get sick waiting for the bus to pick him up.
” After her break was over, she decided that she was going to have to find something during the hours that Davy went to school.
If she found anything. She wasn’t sure that she wanted to work anymore than she had to, and that made her nervous.
She’d been a hard worker all her life, and just because Brenin said he could afford for her to be at home all the time didn’t mean she was going to take him up on it.
What if they ran out of money just as she was getting used to being at home all the time?
She had thoughts like that, along with how much money it would take to be able to say that they’d never have to work again.
That would be a great deal of money as far as she was to understand.
Getting home at one, she was happy to know that dinner would be ready at six.
She and Davy tried to eat at that time every night, and she was happy that the schedule was going to be adhered to.
That way, he had plenty of time to get his homework finished and to play in his room afterwards.
He was a great kid, and she loved him with all her heart.
Brenin was being so nice to her that she wasn’t sure when the other shoe would drop.
It was terrible for her to think that all the time, she knew that, but she didn’t want to be out in the cold when things went bust. Even with her living with him right now, it was something that she should have thought more about.
What if he decided that she wasn’t going to be his mate anymore?
Then where would she be? Out in the cold for sure. Or worse yet, living with Janice.
Just as she was sitting down to dinner, her cell phone rang.
Since she’d just been thinking about Janice and what she’d done to her, she decided to let it go to voicemail.
Putting her phone on silent when she called right back, Lisa enjoyed her real meal in the house that she’d fallen in love with from the first moment that she saw it.
After dinner, they sat in the living room, and she pulled out her phone.
There were fourteen messages and three voicemails.
Listening to the voicemails first, she wanted to know why the house that she’d been living in was empty.
As the messages went on, they were more demanding.
The text messages were even worse. She must have been using the talk-to-text app because there were so many typos that she thought it was funny.
Calling her back was something that she didn’t want to do, but felt the need to clear the air.
“What do you mean by not calling me back right away? I was upset, and you know how I get when I’m upset.
” She said that she was having dinner and didn’t use her phone during that time.
“Well, you’d better be making sure that I can get in touch with you from now on.
Where are you? I’ve been by the house, and it’s empty of all your things. ”
“We had to move.” She didn’t feel the need to explain, so she didn’t elaborate anymore than that. “Why were you coming by the house? You never come over without an invite.”
“I’ve been trying to contact you all day.
And why did you have to move? Did you lose one of your jobs?
” She told her how the rent went up and that they had to find some place they could afford.
“Without coming to me? I thought we had a deal. When you moved out because you couldn’t afford it any longer, you would move in with me and let me babysit Davy for you. ”
“We didn’t have any kind of arrangement like that at all.
And I don’t remember you saying anything about me moving in with you other than when David first died.
Besides, I found a cheaper place, and we’re doing just fine.
I might even be able to quit one of my jobs.
” She asked her where she was living. “With a friend of mine. He’s been really generous about giving up some of his space for Davy and I.
It’s working out better than I thought it would.
He’s already saving me money by being there so that Davy doesn’t have to go to daycare after school. ”
So much for not telling her much, she thought with a sigh.
While Janice talked about moving in with her, she ignored her for the most part.
After knowing all that she did about the older woman, she wouldn’t move in with her if that’s all she had other than a cardboard box.
She’d raised the rent on her place because she wanted them to move in with her. That was never going to happen.
“I have all this space. And don’t think I didn’t catch that you’d be living with some man, either.
You’ve had a husband, and you don’t need another man in your life.
” She said for now they were just friends.
“For now? What does that mean? I surely hope you’re not thinking about living in sin with this man.
As I said, you’ve had a husband, and that’s all you need.
You and Davy are going to be living with me, and that’s final. ”
“I say what’s final in our lives, not you.
And I will not be living with you.” Janice screamed so loudly that she had to pull the phone from her ear.
“What is the matter with you? You’re acting like you own me or something.
Davy and I are doing just fine, and we don’t need help from you. That’s final.”