"I need it right away; some time in the next few days. Send it with Teagan when he comes to visit."
"Teagan doesn't visit," Amy said with a frown. What was her father talking about?
He chuckled, sending a tingle of fear down her spine. "Oh, he doesn't? Interesting. It's not what the prison log says. He's been here half a dozen times over the past few months."
Amy felt sick. As nausea washed over her, she realized that her brother's attitude had taken a turn for the worse about two months ago. Unfortunately, her father's words rang true and Amy now believed that her brother was sneaking over to the prison behind her back.
"I'll be talking to him about that. I don't want any of us visiting." It said a lot for how far Amy had come in the past few years that she was able to stand up to him, even that little bit.
"You little bitch. You never have a good word to say about your daddy, do you?" he demanded.
Amy didn't bother saying anything. Why would she have a good thing to say about the man who killed her mother? The man who still managed to make their lives miserable whenever he could.
"Well, we’ll just have to see if that little mouth is still running itself when I finally get out of here. My early release hearing is in two weeks. This new lawyer says things look promising for me. I might get out early on good behaviour."
Amy truly felt sick. How was it possible that her father might get out after only a couple years? He’d killed a person. He’d killed her mother. He should rot in prison forever.
"If you somehow get out, you won't be welcome here." Amy's voice was barely above a whisper, but she had to say it. She didn't want him holding out hope that he would be welcome in their family home again. The house belonged to her now. The family was her responsibility. She couldn't allow him anywhere near them.
"If I get out, you better watch yourself. I'll be teaching you some manners."
Amy blinked back tears. There wasn't anything left to say, so she just said, "I'll see if I can get you the money." She placed the phone on the counter and allowed the tears to fall.
"Amy."
The deep voice came from behind her, scaring her. Amy whirled around, her hand creeping up to her throat. Jared stood tall and firm, his expression fierce. He held his arms out and Amy stepped into them, pressing herself against his chest as though it was the most natural thing in the world. She squeezed her eyes shut and gripped him around the waist just as tight as she’d done that morning when he'd driven her to work. Jared held her while she cried.
Ten
Jared held Amy against his chest, running his hand over her hair and giving her the time she needed to calm down.
Jared was getting the distinct impression that Amy had a lot going on in her life, between her difficult brother and her murderous father. Though her two sisters seemed to listen to her, they were still a handful. From what he’d learned so far, Amy helped them with their homework, fed and clothed them, made sure that they were able to get to their play dates on time, even if that meant busing them there and then busing them home.
Jared had the intense urge to make Amy's life better. But they barely knew each other, and he couldn't just take over a woman's life, adopt her siblings, and possibly make more babies with her, without at least some discussion with the woman in question.
For now, Jared would feed Amy and her sisters, and they would worry about the rest later. He gently disengaged from the hug, set Amy away from him and swept her with a look. He set her hair back in order by smoothing a hand over it. He ran his thumbs over her cheeks, erasing the telltale marks of tears.
"Go get your sisters and meet me next door," he said softly.
She gave him a watery smile and nodded. "We'll be right over."
He lightly kissed her lips. "I'll be back if you're not."
"Is that a threat or a promise?" she sassed him, some of her spunk returning.
Jared swatted her on the ass to get her moving. "Both."
Jared went out the front door to check on their dinner while Amy went to collect her sisters. The three girls piled into his house as he was headed out the back door with a plate filled with raw hamburgers and hotdogs. Millie and Sarah crowed with delight when they saw the spread on the table.
Along with the hamburgers and hotdogs, they were also having potato salad, macaroni and cheese, celery sticks with peanut butter and raisins and barbecue flavoured chips. For dessert, there was a plate piled high with cupcakes from a bakery near one of the jobsites Jared ran security on.
Amy raised an eyebrow at all the food. "How much do you think we can eat?"
Jared shrugged. "Children grow, and I didn't know if your brother was coming. A guy his age can eat his own weight in food."
Jared almost regretted his words when a shadow passed over Amy's face. She shook her head. "He won't be coming."
"Follow me out." Jared knocked the door latch to the back door with his elbow since he was holding a plate in one hand and barbecue tongs and the other. He stood to the side and waited for Amy to go out ahead of him.
After he put the meat on the already heated barbecue, he turned to her. "Now, tell me what he said."
She sighed deeply, with a hitch in her breath. Almost as if her chest was too tight to take a full, deep breath. Jared reached out to run his hands down her shoulders and arms, digging his fingers in just enough to help ease the tension in her muscles. Finally, she let out the breath she was holding and started talking.
"It's not what he said, it's what he didn't say. I've been texting him since he left and I haven't gotten a single word in return. I'm scared, I don't know what to do. If I go to the police to report him missing, there’ll be an inquiry. He could be removed from my custody. I know he’s old enough that they can’t do much, but what if they start questioning my care of the girls too?"
Amy's fear ate at Jared and made him want to take her brother, shake him and teach him some manners. Instead, Jared would have to content himself with helping Amy the best he could, for now.
"He's fine, trust me."
Jared meant it. After his conversation with Amy, after her brother left, he'd had Teagan's friend’s family checked out. The mother had been picked up for a DUI a few years ago, but other than that they seemed like an average family. Jared had taken it upon himself to watch Teagan that morning and was gratified that the boy had gone to school.
"I wish I could be so sure."
Jared tilted her chin up. "You can be. I understand boys that age. I was one, and I had my own set of difficulties. He's old enough to take care of himself and he'll only resent your interference. When he's ready, he'll come home."
Amy threw her hands up in frustration, breaking Jared's hold on her. "When will that be? And what am I supposed to do while I'm waiting, just worry myself sick?"
Jared frowned down at her. "You absolutely will not. Your health is important to your family. For now, you can worry about him when it’s necessary, but otherwise, you let it go."
"Easy for you to say." She frowned up at him.
"Easy for me to say, because you're gonna do what I say."