That had been a little over two years ago, and as far as I was concerned, it was good riddance. We didn’t need them.
Hell, I hadn’t needed them for twenty-five years, and the way I looked at it, I’d been the only parent my siblings ever had, so we’d get on fine without them.
I’d only been seventeen years old, barely into my senior year of high school when, thanks to my parents being worthless blobs who refused to work or be responsible in any way, I’d had to drop out so I could get a full-time job to care for the kids and myself. Unfortunately, there weren’t a lot of options for a girl without so much as a GED, so I’d been forced into multiple jobs that paid shit money. Shit money that our worthless folks stole whenever the need for beer or vodka came over them. And the need came often.
Without them there to mooch off me, things got a little easier. Then one day I saw an ad in the paper for a strip club two towns over. It wasn’t something I’d ever wanted to do, but to keep a roof over my kids’ heads and food in their bellies, I did what needed to be done.
I’d been a dancer two to three nights a week at Pink Palace for a year and a half now, and the headlining act for the past eight months. I hated every second of it. Pink Palace wasn’t exactly a classy joint, but it paid the bills. Barely.
To supplement my income and make sure there was enough cash for the unexpected—and there was always something unexpected—I worked as a checker at Fresh Foods, the local grocery store in Hope Valley, five days a week.
Most days it was a struggle just to keep my eyes open, and I lived off coffee and energy drinks more than was probably healthy, but this was my life, and I’d learned a long time ago that feeling sorry for myself didn’t solve my problems. All it did was waste time and make me feel miserable.
Truth was, my siblings needed all of me, so time for pity parties was out of the question. My whole life was those kids, and that was just fine with me.
With each one that came, my heart swelled bigger and bigger. Each and every one of them was mine. I’d go to the mat for them. I’d fight and bleed and die for them if that was what it took. I just wished I could give them better life than the one they had.
The shitty three-bedroom double-wide we lived in sat in the middle of a trailer park in an even shittier part of town. The place was meant for a much smaller family, and we were constantly stepping on each other’s toes, but it was the best I could do. I had to admit, I hated myself a little for that.
I wanted to give those kids everything I never had. Unfortunately, life wasn’t always fair, and good things weren’t a guarantee. Especially for a girl who’d grown up on the wrong side of the tracks.
It always managed to surprise me, but just like every morning before, I somehow managed to get four kids dressed and out the door for school with their teeth brushed and bellies full.
I might not have graduated high school, but I fully intended to see to it that all my brothers and sisters did. And because of that, I insisted they fuel up with breakfast every morning so they had enough energy to make it through the day.
I had a little while of just me and Raleigh before I had to pass him off to our neighbor Odette so I could get ready for my shift at the grocery store, so we went about our morning routine. I clicked on a playlist I made just for him. Fast-paced, high-energy Top 40 songs he loved, and I spent the next hour dancing and singing loudly as I made us breakfast. As usual, Raleigh spent the whole time squealing and clapping at my antics with the biggest, happiest baby grin on his face.
That grin was all I needed to pull me out of my earlier funk. As long as the kids were happy and healthy, nothing else mattered.
So what if a man such as Marco Castillo wasn’t for the likes of me, a high school dropout stripper who lived in a trailer park? I had the love of the five most important people in the entire world, and that was more than enough for me. I didn’t need anything else.
Or at least that was what I was determined to make myself believe.
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Discover Other Books by Jessica
WHISKEY DOLLS SERIES
Bombshell
HOPE VALLEY SERIES:
Out of My League
Come Back Home Again
The Best of Me
Wrong Side of the Tracks
Stay With Me
Out of the Darkness
The Second Time Around
Waiting for Forever
Love to Hate You
Playing for Keeps
REDEMPTION SERIES
Bad Alibi
Crazy Beautiful
Bittersweet
Guilty Pleasure
THE PICKING UP THE PIECES SERIES:
Picking up the Pieces
Rising from the Ashes
Pushing the Boundaries
Worth the Wait
THE COLORS NOVELS:
Scattered Colors
Shrinking Violet
Love Hate Relationship
Wildflower
THE LOCKLAINE BOYS (a LOVE HATE RELATIONSHIP spinoff):
Fire & Ice
Opposites Attract
Almost Perfect
The Locklaine Boys: The Complete Series Boxset
THE PEMBROOKE SERIES (a WILDFLOWER spinoff):
Sweet Sunshine
Coming Full Circle
A Broken Soul
Welcome to Pembrooke: The Complete Pembrooke Series
CIVIL CORRUPTION SERIES
Corrupt
Defile
Consume
Ravage
GIRL TALK SERIES:
Seducing Lola
Tempting Sophia
Enticing Daphne
Charming Fiona
STANDALONE TITLES:
One Knight Stand
Chance Encounters
Nightmares from Within
DEADLY LOVE SERIES:
Destructive
Addictive
About Jessica
Born and raised around Houston, Jessica is a self proclaimed caffeine addict, connoisseur of inexpensive wine, and the worst driver in the state of Texas. In addition to being all of these things, she’s first and foremost a wife and mom.
Growing up, she shared her mom and grandmother’s love of reading. But where they leaned toward murder mysteries, Jessica was obsessed with all things romance.
When she’s not nose deep in her next manuscript, you can usually find her with her kindle in hand.
Connect with Jessica now
Website: www.authorjessicaprince.com
Jessica’s Princesses Reader Group
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