Chapter 14
I walkedout into the kitchen at my usual time surprised to see the kids at the table eating their breakfast. Jasmine wasn’t out yet. I could hear her moving at the other end of the house. It looked like this morning wasn’t running to plan.
“Are your lunch boxes packed?” I asked.
Bailey shook his head. His short brown wavy hair was unbrushed. “No,” he said around a mouthful of food.
I turned and looked at the counter. I could have answered that myself. They were sitting in their usual waiting place. The snacks were already in there. I grabbed their sandwich containers out of the fridge. Jasmine didn’t use wasteful lunch wrap, another thing to admire about her. I got the juice boxes next, and ice packs out of the freezer and put them in the lunch box. Then I placed them in their school bags.
I looked at the time. They were running too far behind. I’d need to help with more than just the lunch box.
Jasmine arrived in the doorway wrapped in a towel, her tanned skin covered in droplets of water. They were sticking to her like they never wanted to leave. I’d be the same. The towel was tucked in at the top of her ample breasts and fell to the top of her thighs. My gaze flicked from top to bottom. For fuck”s sake, I wasn’t a horny teenager. I reluctantly moved my gaze to her face. Thank goodness she hadn’t noticed me staring.
“Get your lunch ready, please,” she said to Bailey and Rose.
“Ethan has already done it,” Rose said.
She looked in my direction like she hadn’t even noticed I’d been standing there. “Thanks.”
“Go and get dressed,” I said. “I’ll sort these two.”
She glanced down at her towel-clad body and blushed. A brisk turn and she was headed to her room. “Thanks,” she called out.
No, thank you. That was the best thing I’d seen in many a morning.
Rose was taking her time chewing her toast, staring off into space.
“Rose, chew faster,” I said. “Bailey, bring me your plate and go do your teeth.”
He got up straight away.
“If you move quicker, you’ll have more time in peace,” I said, indicating to Rose. He almost ran to their room. “Rose, you have thirty seconds left.”
She chewed fast and brought me her plate.
“You know the drill.” I pointed her in the direction of their bathroom.
I put some toast in for Jasmine and started a coffee for her. It was unlike her to be late like this. In the nearly two months I’d lived with them, she’d never been late. I guess everyone got tired coming up to the end of the year. Even Jasmine, the super mom.
There was movement from the kids’ room but that didn’t mean anything. Either of them could get distracted as easily as the other. “I need you out here in thirty seconds to put your shoes on,” I yelled out.
Jasmine rushed into the kitchen, tying her hair back. “Thanks for your help. My alarm didn’t go off.”
“The kids will be ready in a minute. Here’s some toast and coffee for your drive.”
“Thanks. I don’t know what I would have done without you.”
Bailey and Rose came in behind her, grabbed their shoes and put them on.
Rose glanced at me as she was tying her shoelaces. “You’re as bossy as Mum.”
“I learned from the best.” I leaned a hip against the counter and crossed my arms with a grin. “How was my mom voice?”
“Terrifying,” Rose said. That was a new word for her.
“I did a good job then.”
Jasmine narrowed her eyes. “Terrifying, huh?”
“Well, you know…”
Jasmine smiled at me. My heart lifted.
I couldn’t imagine two months ago that I’d be bantering with her like this. Friends do that, right?
“Go. I’ll meet you at the office,” I said.
She grabbed her keys and shuffled the kids out the door. It was nice to know I could help her for a change.
* * *
I neededto get some milk before I headed home. The afternoon had been good. I’d driven the boat out for the first time. Jasmine had joined me even though I hadn’t expected her to. She always had so much other work to do. But I’d enjoyed her company. The questions she’d asked had made me think on a deeper and more practical level, like asking why population growth was so slow. I would miss our trips together. But it would be selfish to expect Jasmine to continue coming out with me.
Jack was at the counter doing a crossword puzzle. He gave me a grin when I entered. “Saw you head out on the boat today.”
“It was good to drive myself for a change.” I went to grab a carton of milk.
“Jasmine went with you.”
“Yeah.” What was he getting at?
“Did she think you’d be lonely by yourself?”
“No, she just wanted to make sure I knew where I was going.”
“Surely, after all your trips you would know where you’re going.”
I made my way back to the counter. I placed the carton of milk down and grabbed some coins from my pocket.
Lily was standing beside Jack, smiling. “Maybe she was going to be lonely without you.”
While I would have liked to think that, I’m sure it wasn’t the case. She always put safety first and that’s what she had been doing this time.
“I doubt that.” I put the coins on the counter.
“Maybe she thought she owed you one for helping her this morning,” Jack said.
How did these people know everything that went on in town?
“She doesn’t owe me. If anything, it’s the other way around. She’s helped me a lot since I’ve been here.”
I wasn’t trying to win brownie points. She needed help. That was it, plain and simple. It’s not something I would remind her of when I needed something for myself. That’s not how I operated.
“She seems to tolerate you more these days,” Lily said.
“Like Jack tolerates you.” I gave her a smirk.
“Oh, Jack tolerates me in a lot of ways.” She returned my smirk. She knew she’d trumped me. I needed to be smarter at this game.
“I think we have gained a mutual respect,” I said. “Hopefully that lasts until my house is ready to move into.”
The sooner the better. Because getting too close to Jasmine and her children was risky. Thank goodness my assignment here was only six months.
“Thanks for the milk.” I walked out quickly so I couldn’t engage in any more of their small-town talk.
Why was I hoping Jasmine wanted to spend time with me? If anything, I should want her to spend less time with me. Forming some sort of relationship with her, Bailey and Rose was not my intention, but it was hard not to when we lived together. I didn’t want to be rude and exclude myself. But at the same time, I didn’t want to include myself.
The distance I thought I needed to keep was becoming shorter and shorter. I should try to make it the opposite. But could I?