Chapter Fifteen #2
Her eyes burned. For three years, being in bed with a man had meant fear—the constant dread of wondering what would be demanded of her, of staring at ceilings and retreating somewhere deep inside herself until it was over.
Tonight, she had walked into this room on her own. She had climbed into this bed and asked this man to hold her. And if she wanted to get up right then, she could.
As if somehow following her thoughts, Jay Bird spoke quietly.
“You know you never have to ask permission to leave this bed, right? Or this room, or this house. You know that?”
Willow stilled for a moment before she responded. “I know.”
“I need you to really know it.”
She nodded against his chest. “I do.”
His hand moved slowly over her hair. “You’re free here, Willow.”
A tear slipped down her cheek as she tightened her fingers in his shirt.
“Jay?”
“Yeah?”
“Can you hold me a little tighter?”
His arm tightened around her, just enough to make her feel held without making her feel trapped.
“Better?”
She nodded. “Much.”
For several minutes, Jay Bird continued running his fingers slowly through her hair.
Willow could feel herself relaxing more with every pass, her body gradually settling against his as the last of the tension began to leave her shoulders.
Then his voice broke the quiet.
“You don’t talk much about your family.”
Willow’s fingers stilled against his chest. “No.”
“If you don’t want to, you don’t have to.”
She smiled faintly. There it was again—a question followed immediately by an escape route. Jay Bird never demanded anything from her, not even an answer.
“My dad was my family,” she said quietly.
His hand resumed its slow movement through her hair.
“What was he like?”
Willow smiled before she could stop herself. “He was wonderful.”
The word didn’t seem nearly big enough.
“He was funny and ridiculously stubborn, and he thought every problem in life could either be fixed with food or a trip to a sporting event.”
Jay Bird chuckled beneath her. “Sounds reasonable.”
“You would’ve liked him.”
“Sports guy?”
“Obsessed.” Willow laughed softly. “Everything Pittsburgh. Steelers, Penguins, Pirates. If Pittsburgh had started a professional competitive knitting team, he would’ve bought season tickets.”
Jay Bird laughed. “That committed?”
“Oh, absolutely. Terrible Towels everywhere. Steelers stuff all over the house. Sundays during football season were practically a religious observance.”
“So you’re a Pittsburgh fan.”
Willow made a face even though he couldn’t see it. “Not exactly.”
“Your father allowed that?”
“We teased each other.”
Jay Bird chuckled. “Who do you root for?”
“I’m kind of a mutt.”
“A sports mutt?”
“Yes. Different teams depending on the sport.”
“That seems disloyal.”
Willow lifted her head enough to glare at him. “You’ve known me for a month, and you’re already judging my athletic affiliations?”
“Some things tell you a lot about a person.”
She dropped her head back onto his chest. “My dad used to say the same thing.”
This time, the memory brought no pain, only warmth.
“I wish Lily could’ve known him.”
Jay Bird’s fingers paused briefly against her hair.
“He would’ve spoiled her rotten?”
“Unbelievably.” Willow laughed softly. “He would’ve had her in a Steelers jersey before she could walk.”
“That’s borderline child abuse.”
She smacked his chest. “Hey.”
Jay Bird laughed and caught her hand, keeping it against his chest.
“He would’ve loved her. And she would’ve loved him.”
For a moment, she pictured her dad holding Lily, teaching her how to throw a ball, and sneaking her snacks Willow had specifically told her she couldn’t have.
The image hurt, but for once Willow allowed herself to have it.
Jay Bird’s thumb brushed gently across the back of her hand.
“What did he do?”
“He was Navy.”
That caught his attention.
“Really?”
“Yeah. He served when he was younger, then eventually transitioned into a civilian position with the Department of Defense. Still Navy side.”
“What’d he do?”
Willow laughed. “That’s the thing. I never really knew.”
Jay Bird’s eyebrows rose.
“He would say something vague about logistics or projects and then change the subject.”
“That generally means he was doing something interesting.”
“I always suspected that.” Willow lifted her head. “Should I be concerned that you sound like you know exactly what that means?”
“No comment.”
She laughed. “Great. Apparently, I have a type. Men who don’t explain what they do for work.”
“I told you what I do.”
Willow settled against him again.
“He loved the Navy, though. Even after he left active duty, it was always part of him.”
“He sounds like a good man.”
“He was.”
Jay Bird’s voice softened. “I would’ve liked to meet him.”
Willow smiled. “I think he would’ve liked you.”
“You think?”
“Maybe after interrogating you for several hours.”
“Fair.”
“And probably running a background check.”
Jay Bird snorted.
“Wouldn’t be the first.”
Willow laughed.
Then the smile slowly faded as she thought about the other side of her family. “My mother and brother were different.”
“My brother is older than me. My mother always treated him like he was incapable of doing anything wrong.” She sighed. “Her baby boy. The golden child.”
There was enough sarcasm in the phrase that Jay Bird apparently heard it.
“I'm guessing he did plenty wrong.”
“You could say that.”
Willow shifted slightly against him.
“My grandmother, my mom’s mom, was pretty wealthy.
When she passed away, she left everything to my mom.
She also put specific amounts of money into CDs for my brother and me as an inheritance.
It wasn’t massive, but it was enough to help someday.
Long story short, my brother got access to everything.
Including everything of Mom’s, which also included her house that was fully paid off. ”
Jay Bird’s hand stopped moving.
“He stole it?”
“Every penny. However, he said that she gave it to him. But her mind was starting to slip, and he took advantage of that. She gave him power of attorney for everything.”
“Jesus.”
“Yep, she went from having enough money to live comfortably for the rest of her life to having nothing. He even mortgaged her house.”
Jay Bird muttered something under his breath that sounded suspiciously like fucking asshole.
Willow couldn’t disagree.
“He convinced her he was helping with investments or something.”
“And she still supports him?”
Willow gave a humorless laugh.
“Yep.”
“My brother always came first. If he needed something, everyone was expected to help. If I needed something...” Willow shrugged. “I figured it out.”
Jay Bird’s arm tightened slightly around her.
“And now he’s in prison.”
“For embezzlement.” Willow nodded. “Turns out stealing from family wasn’t enough. He started stealing from his employer and apparently a few other people too.”
“Good.”
Willow lifted her head.
Jay Bird didn’t look remotely apologetic. “What?”
She smiled. “Nothing.”
“Guy steals from his sister, his mother, and whoever else he can get access to? Prison sounds appropriate.”
“I happen to agree.”
“And your mother? Do you think you’ll ever reach out to her?”