I’ve never lived with a woman before. It has always been just me and Mason sinceforever. I mean, sure, I’ve been around Sloane, she’s always been quiet and shy. That’s mostly why I told Briar yes in the first place. I doubt that I’ll ever know that she’s here.
It might actually be nice to come home and not have the house be so empty.
I think that this arrangement will work out best for both of us. She gets a place to stay until she can go back to Georgia, and I don’t have to be so alone.
Not that I amalone.
But the house is big, and I’m just one person.
Mason has been on active duty military for four years now, and I’ve never been married to anyone but my job.
I’ve been a detective for the Denver County Police Department for almost a decade now, and before that, I was a patrol officer.
Becoming a dad was the best thing that could have ever happened to me. It tamed me, made me grow up even faster than being in active duty did. For the first time in my life, I realized that my actions had very real consequences. Being a dadwas never something that scared me. I embraced it and took it in stride. I never thought that she’d leave, though. But I didn’t know her,so how could I have possibly known that she didn’t want to be a mom?
I had to fight her tooth and nail just to get her not to have an abortion. The moment he was born, she wanted nothing to do with him; she didn’t even want to see him. She relinquished her rights, and we haven’t heard from her since. It was the hardest thing I've ever done, but by far the greatest blessing in my life.
I had no idea what I was doing; the only other support I had was my dad, and he was my saving grace. Mason and I moved in with him, and we figured out a schedule that would work for all of us.
I got a job and worked graveyards to save up while Dad stayed home with Mason, then he would work during the day, and I would stay home and take care of my boy.
At twenty-five, I was finally able to come home and begin my life with my family. We moved around a lot at first; I had no college education, and I had no idea what I wanted to do. Mason was eight when we eventually moved back to Timberline. My dad’s health started declining, so we moved in to help him out. I joined the police academy, and I never looked back.
Briar got married almost as soon as we got out of high school, and they had Lottie, then Kaden, a few years later. I had Mason, then Sloane joined his family shortly after.
Kaden and Mason spent almost every day together after we moved back, becoming inseparable until graduation.
I don’t know Lottie and Sloane as well as I know Kaden, but I do know that I’d do whatever I needed to make sure they were ok. Maybe that’s another part of the reason that I said yes to helping Sloane out for the summer.
“Hey,I have a favor to ask of you,” Briar says on the other end of the line. I lean back in my chair and let out a sigh. I rub my forehead, trying to ease the already growing unease in my stomach.
“What can I do for you?” I ask.
“Sloane’s being kicked out of her place and needs somewhere to stay. Chanel and I don’t feel comfortable renting one of the spaces to her. So I’m asking if you will take her in and keep an eye on her, make sure that she’s not doing anything potentially shady,” he says.
I’m not sure what I was expecting, but this wasn’t it. I have to bite my tongue to keep from saying something stupid to him.
I haven’t seen Sloane in awhile, but I don’t think that she would do anything reckless. She’s never been that type of person.
She’s also the complete opposite of her siblings. Lottie and Kaden have quite a reputation, both being heavy partiers and having quite the arrest record for various things before graduating.
Sloane’s the perfect kid in my mind, quiet, keeps to herself, never causes trouble, does well in school. I’ve never understood why he never really liked her as much as the other two.
“How long?” I ask.
“I have no idea.”
Of course, he didn’t ask. He’d have to care about someone other than himself for that to happen.
“Yeah, I’ll give her a call and see what we can figure out.”
“Thanks, I owe you one.”
He hangs up after that. I run a hand through my dark hair before shaking my head of my thoughts and focusing back on my paperwork.
As I think about Sloane, I think about how I haven’t seen her in probably three years. She came home for Christmas her first year in college, and she hasn’t been back to Timberline since, as far as I know. All I can see is those sad eyes, a girl who was trapped inside her own head with nowhere else to go. I hope she’s doing better now.
When I get home, I look around my house. Everything is fine, nothing really needs to be changed. I go upstairs to the guest room and look around. I replace the sheets, thinking that I could also pick up a new dresser for her, but other than that, I think the house is fine and ready to go. If she needs anything when she gets here, then I have no problem making arrangements for that.
