~*~
“It’s just a couple of scratches, so he’ll be fine.”She was glad to have had Brenin put on the list to call if she wasn’t available.She’d never put Janice on the list as she didn’t trust her to do the right thing.Now, after hearing all the things that she’d been hearing about her, she was glad that she’d never done it.She didn’t trust her at all now.“He said that he was all right at school, so I left him there.He was very brave, too, when I went to see him.He’s a great kid.”
“I know he is, and thank you for doing just what I would have done.”Brenin told her that it was his pleasure as he’d been able to leave work when needed.“I’ve given my two weeks’ notice here.I’m going to find something that has more stable hours.I can’t work morning and then close the same night.It’s too hard on me.But I’m going to continue to grade papers for the high school.It pays well, and I can be home when I’m working.”
“You do what you need to do.I’m here for you.”He told her about the bus schedule, and she was happy that he’d taken it seriously about how he was going to be there early.“I think we’ll have fun with just getting to know one another while waiting for the bus.Plus, he won’t have to wait in the cold either when full winter comes along.”
“I’m glad for that.I don’t want him to get sick waiting for the bus to pick him up.”After herbreak was over, she decided that she was going to have to find something during the hours that Davy went to school.If she found anything.She wasn’t sure that she wanted to work anymore than she had to, and that made her nervous.She’d been a hard worker all her life, and just because Brenin said he could afford for her to be at home all the time didn’t mean she was going to take him up on it.What if they ran out of money just as she was getting used to being at home all the time?She had thoughts like that, along with how much money it would take to be able to say that they’d never have to work again.That would be a great deal of money as far as she was to understand.
Getting home at one, she was happy to know that dinner would be ready at six.She and Davy tried to eat at that time every night, and she was happy that the schedule was going to be adhered to.That way, he had plenty of time to get his homework finished and to play in his room afterwards.He was a great kid, and she loved him with all her heart.
Brenin was being so nice to her that she wasn’t sure when the other shoe would drop.It was terrible for her to think that all the time, she knew that, but she didn’t want to be out in the cold when things went bust.Even with her living with him right now, it was something that she should have thought more about.What if he decided that she wasn’t going to be his mate anymore?Then where would she be?Out in the cold for sure.Or worse yet, living with Janice.
Just as she was sitting down to dinner, her cell phone rang.Since she’d just been thinking about Janice and what she’d done to her, she decided to let it go to voicemail.Putting her phone on silent when she called right back, Lisa enjoyed her real meal in the house that she’d fallen in love with from the first moment that she saw it.
After dinner, they sat in the living room, and she pulled out her phone.There were fourteen messages and three voicemails.Listening to the voicemails first, she wanted to know why the house that she’d been living in was empty.As the messages went on, they were more demanding.The text messages were even worse.She must have been using the talk-to-text app because there were so many typos that she thought it was funny.Calling her back was something that she didn’t want to do, but felt the need to clear the air.
“What do you mean by not calling me back right away?I was upset, and you know how I get when I’m upset.”She said that she was having dinner and didn’t use her phone during that time.“Well, you’d better be making sure that I can get in touch with you from now on.Where are you?I’ve been by the house, and it’s empty of all your things.”
“We had to move.”She didn’t feel the need to explain, so she didn’t elaborate anymore than that.“Why were you coming by the house?You never come over without an invite.”
“I’ve been trying to contact you all day.And why did you have to move?Did you lose one of your jobs?”She told her how the rent went up and that they had to find some place they could afford.“Without coming to me?I thought we had a deal.When you moved out because you couldn’t afford it any longer, you would move in with me and let me babysit Davy for you.”
“We didn’t have any kind of arrangement like that at all.And I don’t remember you saying anything about me moving in with you other than when David first died.Besides, I found a cheaper place, and we’re doing just fine.I might even be able to quit one of my jobs.”She asked her where she was living.“With a friend of mine.He’s been really generous about giving up some of his space for Davy and I.It’s working out better than I thought it would.He’s already saving me money by being there so that Davy doesn’t have to go to daycare after school.”
So much for not telling her much, she thought with a sigh.While Janice talked about moving in with her, she ignored her for the most part.After knowing all that she did about the older woman, she wouldn’t move in with her if that’s all she had other than a cardboard box.She’d raised the rent on her place because she wanted them to move in with her.That was never going to happen.
“I have all this space.And don’t think I didn’t catch that you’d be living with some man, either.You’ve had a husband, and you don’t need another man in your life.”She said for now they were just friends.“For now?What does that mean?I surely hope you’re not thinking about living in sin with this man.As I said, you’ve had a husband, and that’s all you need.You and Davy are going to be livingwith me, and that’s final.”
“I say what’s final in our lives, not you.And I will not be living with you.”Janice screamed so loudly that she had to pull the phone from her ear.“What is the matter with you?You’re acting like you own me or something.Davy and I are doing just fine, and we don’t need help from you.That’s final.”
Hanging up the phone made her feel good about the conversation.It wasn’t going anywhere in the first place, and she didn’t care for the conversation anyway.Janice was insane if she thought that she’d move in with her just because she’d raised the rent too high for her to afford anymore.All the other things that she’d done since her son had been killed were starting to make sense now.All of her moves had been for one thing: her and her son to move in with the woman so that she could keep an eye on her and Davy.Why?She didn’t have a clue, but it wasn’t going to happen.
“She’s calling again.”Picking up her phone, she put it on silent again and put it back on the table.Looking at Brenin, she thanked him for the information that he’d been able to get for her concerning Janice.“It was my pleasure.I just hope that she stays away now that you’ve moved out of the house.She could be a problem for Davy at school, too.Is she on the list to be able to pick him up?”
“No.In fact, for my own sanity, I said she was never to pick him up.I don’t know why, but I always had a feeling that I’d never get him back if she were to get him.Don’t ask me why, but it’s just a feeling that I’ve had since he was little.”He thought that was as good a reason as any.“Why do you suppose she wants us to live with her?I have my own ideas, so she can keep an eye on me, but what do you think?”
“I believe you have the right of it.Not only that, but from some of the things that Davy said that she’s said to him, I think she won’t care for the fact that you and I would be getting married someday soon.Speaking of which, do you have any idea what sort of wedding you want?I was thinking that we just have it filed at the courthouse, but that’s entirely up to you.”She said she was fine with that, so long as Davy could be there when they exchanged rings.“I have one for you.It was given to me in the estate that was my great-grandma’s.She said that she wore it for a while but never liked it.If you don’t care for it, we can get you something else.I think that it’s beautiful.”He showed her the ring.
“Oh my, that is lovely.Why didn’t she care for it?”He told her and then explained that grandda had gotten it in an estate sale once.“I love it.It’s the perfect ring that I would have picked out for myself.Just give it to me when Davy’s around, and we’ll be fine with getting married.I don’t want a big ceremony or anything like that.”
“Good.Then I’ll have one of the faeries file it away in the books in the courthouse, and that’ll be finished.You’ll be Mrs.Lisa Savage.”He told her what Davy had said about being a Manchester.“I think that I’d love to have him named Savage for all the same reasons.He’s a great kid, and I would love to adopt him.”
“The added bonus will be that it pisses Janice off.”She laughed, then looked at Brenin.“I’m sorry.That wasn’t right to make a joke about.I’m sorry about that.”
“It’s all fine, and right now I agree with you.She’s done enough harm to the two of you since David passed that it only stands to reason that you’d want to get back at her.”Lisa said that she really wanted to get back at her for all the times she had to choose between food or rent.“I’m just happy you don’t have to make decisions like that again.There will never be a time when you have to make choices like that again.”
“Thank you for that.”She sat on the couch for a few more minutes and then asked him about them getting married.“I think we should do it soon.I don’t like the fact that Davy is being told one thing and we’re doing the opposite.He needs to have a stable home.I do as well, and the only way that I can think that we can do that is to get married.But nothing else changes.I’m not ready to have sex with you as yet.I’m still fumbling around about living here.”
“I understand, and nothing will happen until you’re ready.Being married will make it so that when I put your name on things like deeds to homes that I own, it’ll be legal.Also, before I forget, you need to go to the bank to sign off on a few things.I’ve put you on my checking account and also my savings.There is quite a bit of money in both accounts, so don’t not use it when you need to.”Shenodded, but she wasn’t sure that she understood.“I have a great deal of money, Lisa.You don’t ever have to worry about money again, so long as we’re together, and that’s going to be a long time.”
“You said that I was immortal like you.Is Davy as well?”He explained how he would grow up to be about twenty before he would stop aging altogether.Then he would live a full life.“But he can still be hurt, correct?Like his knees being scraped up?”
“Yes, he can be hurt, but he’ll heal faster.The both of you will.Unlike a human, he’ll be able to sustain more injuries to his body, just like you will, and walk away from it.You only have to be careful of having your head removed, and I don’t see that happening to anyone around here.It’s difficult to do, and the only way I can have my head removed is as my human self.But even then it’s not so easy.”She asked if it was because he could shift into his dragon.“Yes.I can better fight if I’m my dragon.You’ll have to see him sometime.Davy has asked to see him as well.”
“I’d like that.”When she glanced at her phone, he could tell she was upset about Janice.The woman was going to be dangerous if he didn’t miss his bet.While he didn’t know what she’d do, he was sure that it wasn’t going to be nice.The woman had a real hard on for having them live with her, and he didn’t understand it other than what Lisa had said; it was so that she could keep an eye on her.Why?He didn’t know, but he’d bet before too much longer he’d find out.
