He snorted. He knew my parents well. “To where?”
“Florida. I was just as surprised as you.”
After another long, presumably stunned, silence, I asked, “Can I ditch some stuff at your place for now? If my parents ask, that’s where I’m living. My parents think my lease starts tomorrow.”
“Jace, if that even is your real name anymore, this isn’t the way to move in with us. You shouldactuallybe living with us. Not pretend living with us.”
I switched the phone from speaker, holding it to my ear. “You dressed me up like a clown and sent me to a kid’s birthday party where the mother wanted a magician. You’re lucky my balls are still attached to my body. You’ll be owing me for the next twenty years.”
He didn’t need to know it’d worked out in my favor.
Sam grumbled in agreement. “Yeah, I got you. You need any help with your stuff?”
“Nah. But can I come over in an hour to drop off some boxes?”
“Sure, I’ll be around.”
While I may want to ring his neck sometimes, Sam was a good friend.
* * *
I was pulling away from Sam’s townhouse, on the way to Polly’s, when I got another call. I expected it to be my parents. Momma had cried when I left, giving me two hugs and a large picnic basket filled with food. Not wanting to show up at Polly’s house with a basket of food from my mother, Sam was all too happy to take it off my hands. Pop seemed sad when I left, too. More than I expected. So much so I insisted several times I’d be checking on their house when they went to Florida this week, just to take the worried look out of his eyes.
“Hello?”
“Jace? It’s Jackson James.”
“Hey Jackson. Thanks again for being willing to give me a reference.”
I heard a cough. “Sure thing. I wanted to make sure I understand this correctly,” Jackson spoke cagily. This was followed by another cough. Or maybe it was a throat clearing. “You really took a job as a live-in nanny?”
“Yup. I needed a place to stay. It seemed like a mutually beneficial option.”
“A place to stay? Is everything ok? Are Nick and Susan alright?” He used his stern cop voice, which made me grip the steering wheel harder.
“My parents’ are fine. They’re thinking of moving to Florida soon . . . permanently.”
“I wasn’t aware of that.”
“It’s a recent thing.”
I heard some murmuring in the background. After a pause, Jackson responded, “You know you can always stay with Rae and me. You’re always welcome.”
“I appreciate that.”
Jackson cleared his throat. “I wanted to call you and say that I already talked to your, um, new employer. In case she asks, we gave you a great reference.”
I paused a beat. “We?”
“It’s possible Rae might have gotten on the call with me.”
Well, shit. Stopping at a red light, I laid my head against the headrest. I liked Rae. Loved her, really. Like a sister. But I did not want to talk to Rae, or Sienna for that matter, about Polly. Not yet. They’d be about as bad as my sister if they found out. Worse maybe. Like the two bamboozling aunts I never wanted.
Resigned, I blew out a breath. She was clearly listening. Might as well get it over with. “Put her on,” I deadpanned.
“Oh, uh, Rae’s not?—”
“Jackson.”
