Chapter Seven
“I’m not going to stay,” Alexis repeated to herself for the one hundredth time that day. “I’ll pop in, assure myself that Truffles is recovering nicely, then be on my merry way.”
What was the big deal about dinner at a co-worker’s place? He was a co-worker, kind of. He was also a rival. A quasi-ex. The one-time bane of her existence.
She needed advice, but for once, she didn’t know who to turn to. Mom was her go-to person, but this was different. Her parents never knew what happened in college, and she would never hurt them by telling them.
Tony and Evelyn Simmons were the best parents anyone could ask for. They were Christians, strong in their faith, who had raised her to be the same. While they weren’t wealthy, and had often lived paycheck to paycheck, but Alexis had rarely gone without, never for necessities, and had never doubted she was loved. Her parents were the average, middle-class family, who happened to have a daughter who’d taken a few wrong paths in life.
Tynley’s spiral into a life of drugs and prostitution had taken them all by surprise. After her arrest at eighteen-years-old for soliciting an undercover cop, her parents had been shamed by their peers. They’d moved the family away from Mansboro, in hopes the change would do well for Tynley.
It didn’t. The friction between Tynley and her parents heightened, and they had no choice but to make her leave the family home. Alone and broke, Tynley fell deeper into the abyss and found herself pregnant. She entered a rehabilitation program, very similar to what Hope House offered but without the religious element.
Tynley’s life turned around, thanks to the help she’d received at the shelter. Those months Tynley spent there taught her core values and inner strength to face life. All had gone well until Harper’s father passed away. The grief set Tynley back on her road to recovery, and she entered another shelter, where she found the faith her parents had tried to instill since she’d been a young girl.
It was that faith the carried her through. She’d been through many obstacles since then, but never once resorted to her old ways. Alexis couldn’t be prouder of the amazing woman Tynley had become. Despite the tension during her teen years, Alexis loved her sister dearly, and was exceptionally close to her and Harper.
Not everybody was as forgiving. Alexis had moved back to Mansboro with her parents during her eleventh-grade year, only to discover her family had a stigma. Their now-former church had treated her family horribly, until they finally left. In the eyes of what had been their community, Tony and Evelyn Simmons were failures as parents. They were no longer a respectable family because of the decisions their eldest daughter had made.
Alexis’s blood pressure raised thinking about that time. It still made her angry almost a decade later, Over the years, they’d found a place in the community again, with people who supported them and appreciated the journey they’d been on. But it still stung, knowing that her parents would never be good enough in the opinions of some.
Like Thomas Kaplan.
And that’s why she couldn’t turn to her mother for advice. Mom had experienced enough unwarranted hardships over the years. Alexis hadn’t dreamt of burdening with her Trey-induced heartache in college. Especially not during the time Tynley had been on fragile ground, recently leaving the second shelter, and under the supervision of Child Protective Services. Any wrong move, and Harper could have been taken away. Praise God, it had never come to that. Tynley persevered and proved herself to be an excellent mother.
Alexis groaned as she slipped an arm through the sleeve of her coat. “Decisions, decisions.”
“Are you okay?” Tiffany stood at the office door.
“Fine,” Alexis answered quickly, embarrassed to be caught unaware. She slipped her other arm through the remaining sleeve.
“I’m leaving for the day but wanted to remind you we have our annual inspection tomorrow for the daycare.”
“Thanks. They’ll be here at eight-thirty, correct?”
Tiffany nodded. “I’ve spent the week verifying we are up to code on all our equipment and regulations. The records are up to date, and we do everything by the book, so it should go smoothly.”
“You’re amazing.” Alexis smiled at her. “You make my job easy.”
“I’ll see you in the morning. The inspectors have been known to run ahead of schedule, so it wouldn’t be a bad idea to come early.”
“Thanks for the heads up.” After Tiffany left, Alexis stuffed her phone into the pocket of her camel-colored cardigan, then grabbed her oversized purse she used as a briefcase.
Not in a hurry, she strolled to her car, enjoying the cool temperatures. She still hadn’t decided if she’d stay at Trey’s for dinner. One minute she anticipated spending time with him, the next, she dreaded the thought.
Finally, she decided she’d go and would see what happened. She’d gauge her decision based on her comfort level while visiting Truffles. If she became too uncomfortable, she’d excuse herself and eat dinner at home.
But steak. She did love a good ribeye.
No, food wouldn’t play any role in the decision. If she wanted a steak badly enough, she’d order one from a restaurant. She couldn’t be bought with savory bribes. Not that she thought that was Trey’s intention. He came off as genuinely grateful that she’d brought Truffles to the vet.
She turned the key in her ignition and huffed at her internal drama. “I’m not thinking about this, anymore. There’s no reason to overthink a simple dinner.”
Yet, she flipped down her visor and appraised her face in the mirror. She touched up her lipstick, a neutral shade called maple sugar. It was almost too dark for her liking, but it had come in a monthly subscription box—one of the few financial splurges she indulged in—and she wouldn’t let it go to waste.
She listened to worship music on her way to Trey’s house. She wished she could say her motives were pure, but she wanted the distraction of easy songs to sing along with so her brain wouldn’t think. It worked because her stomach was calm until she pulled into his neighborhood.
Her pastor lived in this subdivision, and she was familiar with the area as she’d spent many hours at his house, listening to his wife’s wise counsel.
