One More Day (18 page)

It was a good thing she’d been on her way to the bank that day. Otherwise, if she’d put the necklace in her jewelry box with the rest of her jewelry, it would have been stolen when her apartment was broken into. She’d have to ask Agent Graham to contact David’s next of kin so she could return it. Clearly, it had been important to him.
 

“Oh, hi! Sorry, I didn’t think anyone would be back here.”

Ridley looked up to see a young woman with smooth brown skin and short curls, followed by two young boys.
 

“Hi. Were you looking for Jackson?”

“No, we were just taking a shortcut over to the next street. Sorry to disturb you.”

“Can we play with Chris, mom? Please?” One of the boys jumped up and down next to his mother excitedly.

“The boys are just finishing lunch. Maybe they’d like to play outside. I’ll go check.” Ridley held up a finger and sat up. Before she could get out of the chair, the back door of the house burst open and she heard a high-pitched shriek.

“Get it away, get it away, get it away! Eeeeeeeeek!!”
 

Miss Bessie came barreling down the back steps, shaking frenetically and throwing her head back and forth. “Oh sweet lord Jesus, it’s a spider. Get it off!”

A giggle came from behind Ridley and she turned to see the two boys being shushed by their mother. Ridley tried valiantly to stifle her own smile as she hurried toward the older woman. She was trembling so furiously Ridley worried she’d hurt herself.
 

“Wait, I’ll get it off. Just… wait.” She put her arms on the woman’s trembling shoulders until she stopped throwing her head around. A quick visual inspection proved that there was nothing on her. “See, it’s already gone. You’re fine.”

“He picked it up.” The older woman shuddered, revulsion all over her face. “He brought it to me on his hand. I thought he was showing me a toy.”

The back door opened again and Chris and Jase came outside. Jase took his thumb out of his mouth to say “Spider! I had a spider!”

Miss Bessie shuddered again. “I can’t stand spiders. I can’t believe that sweet little baby was touching that nasty thing.”

Ridley walked over to Jase slowly. “Where’s the spider now, Jase? Is he gone?”

Jase nodded, solemnly. “I lost my spider.”

“It’s okay. Maybe the spider went home.”
 

“Oh, look! There’s the spider!” Chris pointed at Miss Bessie’s shoulder. She immediately started dancing around again. Chris erupted into giggles. “I’m just joking. It’s gone.”

“Chris! That’s not nice.” Ridley shook her head and turned back to the older woman.
 

“Some of the neighborhood children are playing outside. I can keep an eye on the boys if that’s all right with you.”

Miss Bessie exhaled, her shoulders drooping visibly. “Only if you don’t mind. I would appreciate that. I wanted to start cooking early, anyway.” She gave a defeated smile before turning and walking back in the house.

Jase tugged the edge of her shirt until she looked down. “She no like my spider.” He sounded so crestfallen that it was hard to keep a straight face.

“You like spiders?” she asked. He nodded.
 

“He likes all bugs,” Chris interjected.

Oh boy.
Ridley was starting to understand why Jackson was having such a hard time keeping a nanny. If there was anything that most women couldn’t tolerate, it was creepy crawlies. Luckily, gardening had forced her to get over her aversion early. You couldn’t work with flowers without encountering insects.
 

She knelt next to Jase. “Lots of people are scared of spiders. That’s why she ran away. Is there anything you’re afraid of?”

“Um, the thunder,” Jase mumbled around his thumb.

“I don’t like thunder, either. I’d much rather it stays outside. That’s how most people feel about spiders. Let’s keep the spiders outside so Miss Bessie isn’t scared, okay? Maybe later we can play in the dirt some so you can see where the bugs live.”

Jase’s eyes rounded and then he grinned. “Okay.”

“Okay. Let’s go have some fun.”
 

Chris let out a happy screech before running and jumping over the three steps leading from the patio to the yard.
 

The sound was reminiscent of summers past and the freedom of entire days devoted to nothing but adventure, friends and fun. There had been many summers that she and Raina had wandered their neighborhood while their mother was at work. They’d ridden their bikes all day searching for hidden pirate treasure, skipped rope and drawn lines on the sidewalk in front of their building for hopscotch. They’d done everything together and every day had been an adventure.
 

The world had seemed wide open back then.

“I didn’t get a chance to introduce myself. I’m Katie Mason. We live three houses down.” The other woman had wandered closer to where Ridley stood watching the children chase each other around the yard.
 

“I’m Ridley. I actually don’t even live here. Not really, anyway. I’m just visiting.”

Katie nodded, a knowing smile on her face. “Your presence here is dashing the hopes of many of the women in the neighborhood. Jackson is considered quite a catch around here. A single, handsome man living in a big place like this all alone tends to attract attention. He’s probably been hit on by all the single women at some point. Probably by some of the married ones, too.”

“I don’t think anyone needs to lose any sleep over my being here. I’ll be gone in a week or so.”

“I hope you’ll stay for a while. I’m excited to see some new faces in town,” Katie said. “A lot of the wives here are a little older. I don’t get Botox or play tennis so there’s just not much common ground. I thought about getting a job to keep me busy while Don’s at work, but that didn’t go over too well.”

“Don is your husband?” Ridley ventured. A shadow crossed the other woman’s face before she squared her shoulders.

“Yes. Donald is my husband.” She didn’t look too happy about it, though. She sighed and then said, “He’s not home much, so the kids and I are usually on our own. That’s why I was trying to find a part-time job before the kids go back to school. But since I’ve technically been unemployed since getting married, it’s harder than I thought.

“Unemployed? That makes it sound like you haven’t been doing anything. I don’t even have children and I find that insulting. You’ve been raising kids.”

“I’m used to it, believe me.”

Ridley shook her head in disbelief. “If you were watching someone else’s children, you’d be considered self-employed. An entrepreneur with your own business. So why is it any different just because you’re watching your own? That doesn’t seem fair.”

“Well, the fact that I don’t have any current skills isn’t helping, I suppose. But the only skill I have is being a wife and mother. There doesn’t seem to be much demand for that lately.”

Ridley looked back at the house.
 

“Oh, I think you’d be surprised. What would you say if I told you there might be a job available where all you had to do was watch two kids close in age to your own and cook dinner a few nights a week? Would you be interested?”

“I’d say I think you’re making that up. Of course I’d be interested!” Katie said.

“Let’s get together tomorrow and I’ll let you know what I find out. In the meantime, let’s see if we can keep the kids occupied by letting them play in the dirt a little.”

Katie pushed up her sleeves. “Just another day in the life of a suburban mom.”

*
 
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“I’M HOME,” JACKSON called out. “Chris? Jase?”
 

He dropped his bag by the door. It had been a long day, but a good one. After his break-up with Alana, his career had suffered. He’d been too distracted to be creative, which was the only reason he’d put out the substandard album that would haunt him for his entire career.
 

Not that he paid much attention to the media, but when terms like “has been” start to be bandied around, even he had to notice. He had started to question if he’d lost the one thing that had made him so successful.

His enthusiasm.

Now that he was back in his creative groove, he was writing songs again. Once Divine recorded the single he’d just written for them, they could shoot their first video and start planning the album’s release. He would finally be able to prove the naysayers wrong.

“Where is everyone?”
 

He wasn’t used to being able to share this kind of stuff with anyone but had found himself rushing to get home so he could tell Ridley. She’d understand how important it was to him. How much it meant to finally be back on track. He stood still, listening. Nothing.
 

Something was different in the house. He scrutinized the room, trying to figure out if Ridley had changed something, perhaps put something back in a different place from where he usually kept it. Nothing seemed out of place.

The small bowl where he kept his keys was the only thing on the entry table since Jase had broken the few knickknacks he’d been stupid enough to place there.
What’s different in here?
He turned in circles for a full minute before he figured it out.
 

It was clean.

The maid service usually cleaned on the weekends, but with the boys in the house it didn’t stay clean for long. It was almost weird to see it so organized. He walked into the family room and stopped in his tracks. Chris and Jase sat on the couch as still as statues. There wasn’t a smudge of dirt or a grass stain on either of them.

“Hey guys, what are you doing sitting in here? I thought you’d be outside playing.”

 
He walked further into the room and then stopped and sniffed.
What the hell is that smell?
There was a pungent odor wafting from the kitchen that made his nose itch. Stifling a sneeze, he edged his way into the kitchen his eyes widening at the massive pile of pots and pans lining the counter. Smack in the middle of the chaos was an elderly woman stirring a large pot.
 

Miss Bessie.

Backing up before she saw him, he turned and retraced his steps to the family room. The room was so clean it sparkled. The house hadn’t looked this good since he’d bought it. His sons were still in the same position as before, like melancholy figurines with their identical downcast expressions.
 

“So, it looks like Miss Bessie is working on dinner for us.” His words didn’t trigger a response, as both boys continued to stare at their sneakers. “And she did a great job cleaning up.”
 

Two pairs of eyes turned chilly glares in his direction.
 

“She didn’t clean up
—
we
did. The only reason we finished before you came home was because Ridley helped us dust. You can’t reach much when you’re as short as we are.” Chris jumped up and put his hands on his hips, affecting an indignant pose. “And she made us change clothes! She said we shouldn’t wear playclothes to the dinner table.”

Jackson resisted the urge to laugh. All of his babysitters growing up had been like Miss Bessie, which was probably why his mother had recommended her. She was always saying the boys were too spoiled and could use a little “down-south” discipline. He was aware he indulged them too much at times, but it was hard not to. He wanted to give them everything he’d enjoyed growing up. Especially, a father who was there for them.

“Oh, Jackson! I didn’t even know you were home!” Miss Bessie bustled into the room and gave him a hearty hug. “We’ve missed you at Sunday service. You’re just as skinny as your momma said!”

“Yes, ma’am. How have you been?”

“Oh, I’ve been just fine. Come on over here and sit.”
 

“Thank you for coming on such short notice.” Jackson followed her into the dining room and sat in the chair she indicated at the head of the table.
 

He motioned for the boys to sit down as well. They climbed into the chairs, looking at him uncertainly. They never ate in the formal dining room but he could only hope they didn’t mention it in front of Miss Bessie. He was no doubt violating some parenting rule by not teaching his boys proper table manners before elementary school.
 

“Your momma keeps telling me you’re not eating right, so I made you a pot roast. This’ll put some meat on your bones for sure.”
 

He groaned as she set a full plate in front of him. He wanted to set a good example for the boys, but he had to draw the line somewhere. He really didn’t want to hurt her feelings, especially with the way she smiled at him, obviously proud of the meal.

“Where’s Ridley? I mean, Miss Raina?”
 

Chris leaned over and whispered loudly, “She told us her real name is Ridley. She has two names. Like Spiderman! His real name is Peter Parker except no one knows it’s him.”

“That’s right. It’s too bad she can’t climb buildings and shoot that cool stuff from her hands. Did she go upstairs?”

Chris shrugged.

Jackson almost hoped she didn’t come down. There was no reason she should have to suffer through the meal also. He hadn’t even taken a bite yet and he already felt light-headed.

Well, at least she said it was beef. How bad could it be?

He picked up his fork, speared a small piece and swiped it through the heavy gravy on the plate.

“Jackson Alexander! Did you say grace?” Miss Bessie’s face was the picture of shocked outrage.

The boys giggled as he dropped the fork.
 

“No, ma’am. Sorry. I was just… really hungry.” He closed his eyes and prayed for strength. He opened them again to see Miss Bessie hurriedly gathering up her belongings.

“You can’t stay?” He tried not to sound too optimistic.
 

If this first meal was any indication of her cooking skill, he feared to think of what they had to endure in the future. Images of sharing dinner with Ridley over the weekend brought a smile to his face. Even though he didn’t want her to have to suffer through the meal, he couldn’t help wishing she was sitting across from him making faces. He knew she’d get the humor in the situation.